Mt. Nikko-Shirane

Mount Nikkō-Shirane (日光白根山, Nikkō-Shirane-san) is a stratovolcano in the Nikkō National Park in central Honshū, the main island of Japan. It stands at 2,578 m high. It is the highest mountain in north eastern Japan (no higher mountains exist in the east or north of this mountain). Its peak (Mt Okushirane) is a Lava dome of andesite. Mt Nikkō-Shirane is listed in the 100 famous mountains in Japan proposed by Kyuya Fukada and also of one of the famous mountains of Tochigi and Gunma prefectures respectively.

It should not be confused with Mount Kusatsu-Shirane elsewhere in Gunma Prefecture. It is located at the boundary between Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture and Katashina Village, Tone County Gunma Prefecture.

Mt. Nikko Shirane is surrounded by the mountains of the Shirane volcano (Neogene volcano) and is often hidden by clouds throughout the year. From the Kanto Plain only the dome-shaped (Quaternary volcano) summit is visible.

In winter if the weather conditions permit, the white snow fields on the darker surroundings slopes can make the mountain and peak appear exceptionally white.

Its peak is the highest point in both Tochigi and Gunma Prefectures

The area around Shirane Volcano is designated as Nikko National Park in which there are various natural features such as Goshiki pond, Yuno lake, Yu falls, Senjo moor, and Odashiro moor. Being a designated national park, the alpine plants and vegetation are protected.

The plant Sycamore mallow, which naturally appears on this mountain, can hardly be seen at the present time, with the withering of these plants also in the surrounding mountains, which is caused by air pollutants coming from the Tokyo metropolitan area.