Mineoka Mountain District | |
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Mineoka-sanchi | |
View of Mount Atago and hills of Mineoka Mountain District
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Highest point | |
Elevation | 408 metres (1,339 ft) |
Coordinates | 35°6′53″N 139°59′12″E / 35.11472°N 139.98667°ECoordinates: 35°6′53″N 139°59′12″E / 35.11472°N 139.98667°E |
Naming | |
Pronunciation | [mineokasanchi] |
Geography | |
Climbing | |
Easiest route | Hike |
Mineoka Mountain District (嶺岡山地 Mineoka-sanchi?) is an area in the Bōsō Hill Range in the southern part of Chiba Prefecture. The Mineoka Mountain District runs along an east-west line across the southern part of the Bōsō Peninsula from the southern bank of the Kamo River in Kamogawa, facing the Pacific Ocean, to the Sakuma District of Kyonan, facing Tokyo Bay. The highest peak in the mountain district is at Mount Atago 408.2 m (1,339 ft) Mineoka is formed from two kanji characters: the first "嶺", meaning 'peak' or 'summit' and the second "岡" meaning 'mount' or 'hill.'
The area is noted for its numerous landslides, particularly in Kamogawa. The Mineoka Mountain District is composed of igneous rocks such as serpentinite, basalt, and granite; mudstone is also found in great quantity. Shale from the mountain district was used extensively in the region to make tools during the Japanese Paleolithic.
The Mineoka Mountain District crosses five jurisdictions in Chiba Prefecture.
Historically the Mineoka Mountain District was part of Awa Province and the southern part of Kazusa Province in pre-modern Japan. Numerous shrines and temples were constructed as early as the Nara period, and many of them remain active to this day. Under the Ritsuryō system of Nara-period Japan it is thought the area was used for extensive pasture land for horses. During the Sengoku period these small-scale ranches were revived by the Satomi clan, a powerful clan based in Awa Province.