| About the Facility |
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Sanso Shirasa stands just southwest of Kamegamori atop of Shirasa-tōgé (or Shirasa Pass), roughly 1,400 meters (~4,593 feet) above sea level. Nearby is one of the 200 Most Famous Mountains of Japan, Mt. Ishizuchi, standing tall at 1,982 meters (~6,502 feet). Following Ishizuchi-san, Mt. Tebako and Mt. Tsutsuji serve as great spots for mountain-climbing. For those interested in camping, the Sasagamine area nearby offers a small camp lodge which can be reached by mountain ridge.
From Shirasa’s rooms, you can see the sunrise peeking through the primeval groves of Japanese Beech trees (Fagus crenata) while on the second floor entrance, (weather permitting) you can take in a breathtaking panoramic sweep of Mt. Ishizuchi as the evening sun sets.
Enthusiasts come for a variety of attractions: photographers and painters can enjoy the natural beauty of the wilderness, whereas fossil, plant, and insect aficionados can find a treasure trove of new discoveries around them.
Philosophy
Sanso Shirasa is a mountain villa-style lodging facility located in one of Shikoku’s national parks: Mt. Ishizuchi Quasi-National Park. The facility, owned by Ino-chō, has been managed by the On Top of Shikoku: Shirasa Development Association since 2006.
The villa stands within a forest of Buna trees (Japanese Beech), which are scarce to find within western Japan. The site is also atop the pinnacle of Yoshino-gawa’s source water. Due to our location, we, at Shirasa, strive to put environmental concerns first by limiting our impact on the environment. While most ryokan-inns and hotels follow the policy of extravagance and exceeding expectations, Shirasa’s eco-policy endeavors to decrease our use of water and energy sources and downsize waste. While this may result in some minor inconveniences and discomforts for our guests, we ask for your understanding in leaving this remarkable area of natural environment untouched so that it may be enjoyed by the generations to come.