Satori (Mountain)

Mt. Satori, also known as Satori Mountain and Satori-San, is an active stratovolcano and the highest mountain in the country of Yume-Jima, and the highest mountain on the island of Yume. It is located in Yamagata Prefecture, 23 miles south of Yamagata, 9 miles north-east of Zensho and 3 miles east of Fujima. Satori stands at the farthest south-western edge of the Kitano range.

Etymology
The name "Satori" is derived from Yumejian Japanese "Sato", meaning "peace". One of the mountain's common names is "Satori-San", "San" being the most common word for mountain in the Yamagata dialect. The "peace" meaning came from a Buddhist temple which stood at the summit from around 1300 to its demolition in 1834.

Geography
Satori rises to a prominence of 2,888m, matching its elevation. The western flank of the mountain is steep and mostly inaccessible, whereas the east side is fairly shallowly inclined, and is the most commonly walked side. Satori, crescent shaped, has 3 separate peaks, on the north, east and south sides. The highest peak, and the most commonly walked to one, is the east peak, the south peak being the site of the crater. Since the 1990s, the crater has been closed to visitors. Satori is active and erupts on average every 25 years. The last eruption was on July 3rd 2007. In contrast to the majority of stratovolcanoes, Satori's eruption events have generally been small and short. In 2007, the city of Yamagata was left free of much volcanic ash, however the nearby towns of Fujima, Zensho and Hiroyuke were evacuated.

Importance
Satori has long been the site of religious importance. the Satori Mountain Shrine and spring have been the home of monks since before records began. In around 1300, Buddhist monks built the Kojo temple near the summit, and it remained there until 1834, when it was demolished by the Yamagata Development Board. In 1998, the Yamagata Prefectural Council gave permission to the Yumejian Buddhist society to rebuild the temple.

The mythical creature also called the Satori is said to live on the mountain. It has been described as "similar to a horse and deer, and almost too swift to see" by people who claim to have saw it. The Satori is supposed to bring riches and monetary gain to those who see it.