Mt. Meakan

Mt. Meakan (1,499 m), the highest peak in the Akan range, is a composite volcano built from 10 overlapping summits created by eruptions over 50,000 years. The sulfurous smell is present from the trailhead to the summit. The harsh, nutrient-poor volcanic soil supports hardy endemic species including Meakan-fusuma (white-flowered perennial herb) and Meakan-kinbai (yellow-flowered perennial herb), both first identified here. Alpine wildflowers cover the meadow between Mt. Meakan and Mt. Akanfuji in June and July. A three-to-four-hour climb reaches the 360-degree summit panorama over the Pon-machineshiri Crater, Lake Akan, Mt. Oakan, and Mt. Mashu.