By Alex
Tengu-dake is the highest peak in western Japan, standing at 1,982 meters. The sharp summit is located on the mountain range that separates Ehime Prefecture from Kochi Prefecture. Next to it, at the summit of Mount Yashiro, sits the Ishizuchi Shrine (Jōten Shrine) at an elevation of 1,974 meters. Together with Nantōzan Peak (1,982 meters) on the other side of Tengu-dake, the three are collectively known as Mount Ishizuchi.
▲ Mount Ishizuchi’s Tengu-dake (photo by erika520anko @IG)
Mount Ishizuchi has long been revered as a sacred mountain and is one of Japan’s Seven Holy Mountains. During the opening ceremony of the climbing season from July 1 to 10 each year, worshippers dressed in white attire carry the shrine’s deity statue up the mountain. Due to traditional customs, women are prohibited from climbing the mountain on July 1. The best time for hiking is generally considered to be October, when the leaves start turning red, creating a spectacular autumn landscape filled with vibrant hues of red, yellow, and orange.
▲ (photo by sou_onesetouchi @Twitter)
There are two main routes to climb Mount Ishizuchi: the Do-koya Trail and the Omotesando Trail. The Do-koya route approaches from the south, is about 4.6 kilometers long, and has a relatively gentle slope, making it suitable for families. The Omotesando route approaches from the front and allows hikers to take a cable car in the initial section to an altitude of around 1,200 meters. However, the latter part of the trail features a steeper slope and even includes four rare “chain sections” in all of Japan, where climbers use large iron chains to scale steep cliffs as a “shortcut.”
▲ Cloud seas often appear in the valleys during autumn. (photo by Tomato_249 @Twitter)
▲ (photo by _isirui @IG)
▲ View of Ishizuchi Shrine on Mount Yashiro from Tengu-dake. (photo by taka_sack @IG)
▲ (photo by nmk5_pentax @IG)
▲ (photo by 1441Redman @Twitter)
▲ (photo by rtb_koji @Twitter)
▲ (photo by kami_epi.and.pen @IG)
▲ When temperatures drop further, frost can form on tree branches. (photo by KenKenPhoto03 @Twitter)
▲ Grabbing onto large iron chains to climb steep slopes is one of the highlights of ascending Mount Ishizuchi. (photo by hamakyon_tabistagram @IG)
▲ (photo by hamakyon_tabistagram @IG)
Sources: Japan National Tourism Organization, Visit Ehime Japan, Ishizuchi Tozanguchi Co., Ltd.