Round Trip Hike of Mt. Tsurugi
If you want to enjoy an amazing hike with an even more spectacular view, you should visit Mt. Tsurugi. Mt. Tsurugi is one of Japan’s hidden gems. Not many have heard of it because it is in the middle of nowhere and not the most accessible option, but it is worth the effort to visit this gem.
The gently sloping shape of the mountain's summit, which resembles the curvature of a traditional sword, is the origin of the name of the mountain which literally means “sword mountain” in Japanese. The mountain is an important center for practitioners of Shugendo, an esoteric Japanese religion that draws on both Shintoism and Buddhism with an emphasis on mountain worship. You may hear the echoing of a conch shell being blown by a practitioner.
The mountain opens to climbers in April, but if hiking is not your cup of tea, a ride on a single-seat chairlift will whisk you to a spot just a 30-minute walk away from the summit. Once there you will encounter a shrine and mountain huts, and if you are lucky enough to be visiting on a clear day, views open out to the Pacific Ocean, Seto Inland Sea and as far away as the Kii Peninsula on the main island of Honshu.
Tsurugi lies at the eastern end of the lovely and remote Iya Valley , and it is well worth combining a visit here to enjoy its hot springs, scenery, and rustic vine bridges.
The gently sloping shape of the mountain's summit, which resembles the curvature of a traditional sword, is the origin of the name of the mountain which literally means “sword mountain” in Japanese. The mountain is an important center for practitioners of Shugendo, an esoteric Japanese religion that draws on both Shintoism and Buddhism with an emphasis on mountain worship. You may hear the echoing of a conch shell being blown by a practitioner.
The mountain opens to climbers in April, but if hiking is not your cup of tea, a ride on a single-seat chairlift will whisk you to a spot just a 30-minute walk away from the summit. Once there you will encounter a shrine and mountain huts, and if you are lucky enough to be visiting on a clear day, views open out to the Pacific Ocean, Seto Inland Sea and as far away as the Kii Peninsula on the main island of Honshu.
Tsurugi lies at the eastern end of the lovely and remote Iya Valley , and it is well worth combining a visit here to enjoy its hot springs, scenery, and rustic vine bridges.
