Mount Miō

Overview

Mount Miō (written with characters meaning one shaku eight sun and read Miō or Mio) rises 706.7 meters on the border between Nakatsu and Hita in Ōita Prefecture. It is famous for a puzzling name whose written form and pronunciation do not match, delighting lovers of hard-to-read place names. The surrounding area lies within Yaba-Hita-Hikosan Quasi-National Park, wrapped in rich nature.

Highlights

• ●A puzzling name whose written form is read Miō
• ●A 706.7-meter peak on the Nakatsu-Hita border
• ●Rich nature within Yaba-Hita-Hikosan Quasi-National Park
• ●Mountain scenery that shifts with each season

History

The mountain sits on the boundary between the cities of Nakatsu and Hita and has long served as a local landmark. Its unusual name, whose written characters bear no obvious link to the reading Miō, has made it a celebrated example of difficult-to-read Japanese place names. The area was designated part of Yaba-Hita-Hikosan Quasi-National Park, protecting its scenery and natural environment.

Map

33.3597, 131.0406 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Drive to the foot of the mountain from central Nakatsu or Hita
2. 2Check the trailhead while pondering the origin of the unusual name
3. 3Hike the mountain amid the nature of the quasi-national park
4. 4After descending, explore nearby sights in Nakatsu and Hita

Did you know?

💡 The mismatch between the written form and the reading Miō is said to trace back to a local legend, and the name often appears in collections of Japan's hardest-to-read place names. It is a mountain whose name alone tends to stick in memory after just one telling.

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