Our journey today takes a look at hiking Mt Tsukuba in Ibaraki, which makes a fun day trip from Tokyo.
Transcript below–
This week we decided to check out Mount Tsukuba.
which makes a good day trip if you like hiking.
It is about 100km northeast of Tokyo.
This mountain is about 900 meters high and has two peaks
It is mostly Granite Unlike many of Japans other mountains which are Volcanic.
We paid 500 yen for parking by the large gate and then
made the short 5 minute walk to the Tsukuba-san shrine
Our hike up along the Miyukigahara path
closely followed the cable car route
The distance we covered
was about 2 km to the top of Mt nantai
and we spent about two hours on the climb.
The slope of the path varied widely,
from relatively flat to quite rough.
Mostly youll have to watch out for tree roots,
and navigate the uneven surfaces of mid sized rocks on the path.
there were quite a few impressive trees to be found,
with some being as wide around as a small car,
and one place we saw a tree sprouting out of the branch of another.
I considered myself relatively fit,
but found myself pretty tired
during the final stretch of seemingly endless stairs.
Once you reach the top
you will find restrooms, souveniers, food,
as well as some nice views of the kanto plains.
There is a free rooftop viewing platform
which may let you see skytree and Mount Fuji on the horizon
depending on the weather and visibility.
If you arent up for the climb,
The cable is the option for you.
Tickets run about 6 dollars for adults and 3 dollars for children.
On a busy weekend you might have to wait 15 mins or so for a ride.
and the ride itself will take less than 10 minutes
it can be a bit bumpy, so we reccomend sitting over standing.
Fall is likely the best time to visit as youll be able to enjoy the colors,
but the views of the Kanto plains should be good year round.
You also might enjoy checking out the temple at the bottom of the hill,
or enjoy a dip in a hot spring after a day of hiking.
Either way we Tsukuba is a great day trip for nature lovers.
There is a story that says thousands of years ago,
a deity descended from the heavens
and asked two mountains for a place to spend the night.
Mt. Fuji refused, believing itself so beautiful
that it did not need the blessings.
Mt. Tsukuba, on the other hand,
humbly welcomed the honored guest,
even offering food and water.
so today, Mt. Fuji is a cold, lonely, and barren mountain,
while Mt. Tsukuba bursts with vegetation
and is filled with colors as the seasons change.
Ancient stories say that the sacred progenitors of the Japanese race are enshrined here,
the male diety, at Mt. Nantai, and the female diety, at Mt. Nyotai.
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This has been inside Japan.
AloJapan.com