Benten Mountain, Tokushima, Shikoku

Benten Mountain, located in Tokushima is the lowest natural mountain in Japan, and at 6.1 metres, you won't even need to stretch your legs to climb it.

So small is this little mountain, that you may not even notice it as you drive past. The surrounding hills reach further into the sky, and the lack of fanfare for Benten means that it isn't easily found.
A small shrine sits at the top of the 'trail' and next to the shrine is an information booth which provides leaflets that compare and contrast this mountain with its competitors for the lowest height. Making mountains out of molehills, Osaka claims its mountain, Tempo-zan is the lowest mountain in Japan, at just 4.5m above sea level. Benten's information booklet dispels this as myth, citing the fact that Tempo-zan is man made and thus does not qualify for the title of "Japan's smallest mountain".

Benten San is more of a novelty than a mountain, and only worth a visit if you happen to be in the area, or want a fun conversation topic at your next Japanese party.