The name “Kusu” comes from an interesting folk tale that has been passed down from generation to generation. Once upon a time, there was a humongous “Kusu” tree (Japanese camphor tree) in the valley presently known as “Kusu”. Because of the tree, the valley was shaded from the sun, resulting in bad harvests. One day, when a giant was passing by “Kusu”, the villagers asked him to cut the big tree down. He worked hard and finally cut it down. Mt. Kirikabu is believed to be the stump of the comphor. * “Kirikabu” means stump in Japanese. The setting of this story is a valley surrounded by mesas, where the Kusu River runs leisurely through. Mt.Hane, one of the most spectacular mountains with a double mesa, is covered with wild Azaleas during their blooming season in May. The sheer cliffs of Mt. Gansen, Mt. Fukuma and Mt. Kagami, have superb views and from an indisputably magnificent and unparalleled group of mesas in Japan. They are an unforgettable view for most visitors.