Yesterday I climbed Shiroyama, 562-meter peak in Yugawara, Kanagawa Prefecture–the 19th mountain of my #100Summits Project here in Japan. The mountain takes its name from the castle that once sat atop its peak. (“Shiroyama” means “Castle Mountain” in Japanese.) Although only scattered ruins and a monument on the summit remain to mark the spot today, during the 12th century Yugawara (then called Doi-go) and its castle were home to the Doi samurai clan.
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Mount Omine – and Tenkawa Gorge – Hyakumeizan #10
After my rainy climb of Mount Ibuki, I hopped a train to Kyoto, and then an hour south to Nara Prefecture (the home of the ancient capital city of Nara, but also many even more ancient historical sites – as well as mountains). The following morning, I traveled even farther south, to Dorogawa Onsen (an onsen is a Japanese hot spring resort) and Omine-san, one of Japan’s most sacred peaks. It remains so sacred, in fact, that women are not allowed to climb it.
Read moreMount Ibuki – Hyakumeizan #9
This morning, I braved the rain in Nagahama (just north of Kyoto) to attempt a climb of my ninth hyakumeizan, Ibukiyama (Mount Ibuki: 伊吹山). At 1,377 meters, Ibukiyama is the highest mountain in Shiga Prefecture, and one of four hyakumeizan in the Kanto region. The climb started inauspiciously – with pouring rain – and my first sight of the mountain towering high above the surrounding plain gave me more than a little pause. Even so, I was already on the bus to the trailhead, and my research suggested the mountain would not be too difficult to climb in the rain.
Read moreZao, Kumano, Jizo, and the Sixth of the Hundred Summits
On Tuesday, I completed my sixth hyakumeizan – 1,841-meter Mt. Zaō in Yamagata Prefecture. As a complex volcano, Zaō-san has many peaks, the highest of which is actually Kumano-dake (hence the name on the summit sign in the photo). As the most active volcano in the Tohoku region of northern Honshu, Zao continually emits volcanic gases (and the summit smells of sulfur).
Read moreClimbing Mount Hakkoda – And Conquering Fear
Today’s climb of Mount Hakkoda–a volcanic range located in Aomori Prefecture, just south of Aomori City–actually involved three summits: Akake-dake, Ido-dake, and finally Ōdake (the latter being the highest peak in the Hakkoda volcano group). If you’re counting, that means I actually bagged three summits today, though for hyakumeizan purposes only Ōdake counts–and it counts as one.
Read moreClimbing Mt. Iwaki
Today, I climbed Mt. Iwaki in Aomori Prefecture – my first Tohoku hyakumeizan. Tohoku is the northernmost part of Japan’s largest island, Honshu – the same island where Tokyo and Kyoto are located, but many hours’ travel to the north, via shinkansen (bullet train). It took me almost 7 hours to travel from Tokyo to Hirosaki, the closest town to Mt. Iwaki – four hours on a high-speed shinkansen, and another 2:45 on a local train. These mountains are spread all across Japan, which means I get to travel the entire length of the country while I’m climbing.
Read moreTo the Summit of Mt. Akagi!
Yesterday (May 20, 2018) I climbed my first hyakumeizan peak – Mt. Akagi, in Gunma Prefecture. While many of the details will have to wait for the book (100 SUMMITS is under contract with Prometheus Books, for release in 2020) I’ll be sharing photo essays about my climbs, and some fun details about the mountains, here on the blog in the months to come.
Read moreA Visit to the Tengu’s Seat
After visiting Musashi-Mitake Shrine, which sits on the summit of Mount Mitake, I descended the stairs to the base of the shrine and followed the path around the mountain toward the hiking trail that leads through the “Forest of the Gods.” The trail wound through a towering forest. Crows called overhead, and every once in a while they flew across my path. One even landed on a nearby branch and stared down at me as if wondering why I chose to intrude on his territory. Even though the rain had stopped several hours before, I didn’t see anyone else on the path. Aside from the crows, and
Read moreHiking Mount Mitake Part 2: A Path Through Shrines & Flowers
(For the story of the cable car ride up Mount Mitake, click here.) After leaving the cable car, I spent some time at the viewing platform enjoying the misty view of Tokyo. Although the platform sits almost an hour’s walk below the summit of Mount Mitake, it still has a fantastic view. On the morning I arrived, mist swirled up from the valley and distant clouds obscured the view of central Tokyo, which lies a little over an hour by train from Mount Mitake. Even so, the view made me realize just how quickly Japanese trains can transport people from the crowded city to
Read moreHiking Mount Mitake, Part 1 – Adventures on the Cable Car
Mount Mitake lies about an hour by train from downtown Tokyo, in Chichibu Tama Kai National Park.
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