The volcano is listed as one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains, and forms part of the Towada-Hachimantai National Park.

In one legend, the late Nara period General Sakanoue no Tamuramaro pursued a group of Emishi warriors into the area, and was so impressed with the natural beauty of the region that he said it must be the abode of the kami Hachiman.

[2] In another legend, the area was named after Minamoto Yoshiie, a late Heian period warrior whose nickname was “Hachiman Tarō”.

Both peaks are sometimes included in the geographic perimeter of the Hachimantai plateau, although they form distinct volcanic groups.

More than twenty craters are distributed on the plateau, sometimes forming chains, with diameters ranging from a few meters to 180 m. Most of these volcanic depressions are partially filled by lakes or marshes.

Today, hydrothermal activity is maintained in and around the caldera of Mount Akita-Yakeyama in the form of fumaroles, the circulation of water from hot springs and, in places, boiling puddles of mud and sulfur deposits.

The Aspite Line is a 27-km mountain sightseeing road that runs through the area noted for its autumn scenery and high walls of snow in spring.