There are various theories about the origin of the name "Iwaki". Two hold that its name is Ainu in origin, the first is that it comes from Kamuyiwaki, the other is that it is a distortion of the Ainu word for rock, Iwaake. Yet another theory is that the name Iwaki is an archaic way of saying "stone castle" 石の城. In addition to being called Mount Iwaki, the mountain is also widely nicknamed "Tsugaru Fuji", and less frequently "Okufuji", due its conical shape that bears similarity to Mount Fuji. It was also dubbed "Peak Tilesius" in 1805 by Adam Johann von Krusenstern during the first Russian circumnavigation of the Earth after German naturalist, Wilhelm Gottlieb Tilesius von Tilenau, though the name had dropped out of use among Westerners by 1858 in favor of its native name.
Geographic setting and description
With a summit elevation of, Mount Iwaki has the highest peak in Aomori Prefecture and rises above the plains at its base. The peak is south-southwest of central Tsugaru and west-northwest of central Hirosaki.
Geology
Mount Iwaki is a roughly symmetrical andesitic stratovolcano, rising in relative isolation from the plains at the base of Tsugaru Peninsula. Its summit crater is two kilometers wide, and it has three lava domes on the western and southern flanks. The mountain had been frequently active in historic times, with very frequent activity consisting mostly of small to moderate phreatic explosions during the Edo period. The last known eruption was on 23 March 1863. Hirosaki University has maintained an observatory with 18 telemetering stations on the mountain since 1981.
Outdoor recreation
Climbing
Mount Iwaki's summit, at 1625 meters, can be reached only by hiking, but the length and duration of the hike depends on the route. From Iwakiyama Jinja, it takes approximately four hours to hike to the top. The trail starts from inside the shrine, before the large gates on the left. The easier and more popular route follows Tsugaru Iwaki Skyline, a tolled road, up to a lift. The skyline road starts from Aomori Prefecture Route 3 on the southwest side of Mount Iwaki. At the end of the road there is a chair lift. From the top of the chair lift it takes around 30–40 minutes to hike to the mountain's summit.
