Mt. Ishizuchi (Ehime Prefecture)

Posted on May 22, 2007 by Jamie

Mt. Ishizuchi is the tallest mountain on Shikoku and western Japan. It is 1982m, which makes its very popular with foreigners born in 1982 like me.

You can reach Mt Ishizuchi from Saijo city or Matsuyama city in Ehime prefecture. It takes about 2 hours to drive from Matsuyama city to reach the hiking trail. The 4km hike begins at around 1400m.

According to Japanese ShintoThe traditional animistic belief system of Japan. It was the official state religion of Japan until the postwar period. beliefs, significant natural areas are holy. My students would loosely translate this as “the playground of the gods”. For instance, Mt. Fuji is sacred, as well as a Miyajima island itself. Mt. Ishizuchi is one of seven sacred mountains of Japan. In Japanese folklore, mountains have supernatural spirit called “Tengu”. They are often described as having a very long nose. On Mt. Ishizuchi, the 1982m peak is called “Tengu dake”, essential the nose of the tengu.

At the beginning of the trail there is a Shinto shrine. Most climbers will pray at the shrine for good weather, for safety, for thanks, etc... The trail is not too demanding, and people of any age can walk along the paths. When you reach the nearly vertical part, there are heavy chains to help you. If you cannot handle the chains, you can take the stairs (which most use to climb down the mountain). I have seen some people actually do mountain climbing on Mt. Ishizuchi!

At the top, there is another shrine, and small restaurant and gift shop. Buying food or beer on any mountain is a little crazy. It feels as thought the prices are propionate to the height of the mountain! You should bring a lot of water and pack a lunch.

From the rest area at the top, you can see the peak of Mt. Ishizuchi. If you are a little daring, you can climb up to the peak. I say “daring” because sections of the path leading to the summit have scary vertical drops on both sides of you, and there is no rope or chain to hang on to. I crawled on all fours for about 2 meters!

Some mountains, such as Mt. Ishizuchi, have a unique phenomenon. When you are above the clouds and the sun is high in the sky behind you, look over the edge. You might see your shadow projected onto the cloud with a rainbow around your head. This is phenomenon is called Brocken Spectre.

Climbing Mt. Ishizuchi is very popular in autumn when the leaves begin to change their colors. If you climb in late September, I recommend that you pack a jacket; it’s hot while climbing, but chilly at the top.