Mt. Ishizuchi 石鎚山

Mount Ishizuchi is a 1,982 meter-high mountain on the border of Saijō and Kumakōgen, in Ehime, Japan. It is one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan. It is also the tallest mountain in Western Japan. It is known as ‘the roof of Shikoku’ and its sharp, rocky summit resembles a huge stone hammer (ishizuchi in Japanese), hence its name as Mount Ishizuchi.

Mount Ishizuchi is an important object of worship in this region and one of the major centers of Shugendō, a sect of mixture of Shintoism and Buddhism. On the top of the mountain there is a small shrine called the Ishizuchi Shrine. This mountain is also known as one of Seven Holy Mountains (七霊山). There are several sets of heavy chains leading up to the summit and this is the route many pilgrims opt to take, the longest set being 68 meters. Between mid-October to mid-November, many people visit the mountains to view the autumn colors. This occasion is also known as the Momiji Matsuri (Red Leaves Festival).

The ascent up Mount Ishizuchi took me 4.5 hours with about a total of 1 hour spent on rest stops along the way. Personally, I feel that the climb requires both physical and mental strength. The entire course from the Joju Shrine to the peak of the mountain is a 4 kilometer trail. Steps and stairways form the majority of the trail. Sometimes one may be lucky to come across widely spread out steps, but frequently it was not the case. Most of the steps were either steep and tall or small and narrow. Also, there weren’t many signs along the way to tell you where one is and how much further one has to go. One simply have to focus on the goal and persevere even when one does not know where and when it will end.

Along the path to the summit, one can — and many do — take a circuitous ordinary but still steep path to the top. But the pilgrim thing is to climb up the near-vertical giant iron chains bolted to the cliffs. There are three sets of chains, measuring 33m, 65m and 68m (in order). The chains have footholds, which are very useful for resting your feet, but a good pair of boots will still come in handy. The final 68m ascent is said to be the most hair-raising.

After much sweat and tire, I reached the top of the mountain. I was rewarded with a splendid view of the mountain peaks around Mount Ishizuchi, and an amazing view of the changing autumn colors. It was a cooling 12 degrees Celsius at the peak, and many visitors perched themselves at the edge of the mountain top to have their lunch.

The actual summit, needle-sharp Tengudake (天狗岳, 1982m), is available for those who wish to hike up there. For me, I didn’t go up Tengudake because of the sheer number of visitors that day. The path to Tengudake is narrow and can be easily overcrowded by visitors.

The descent took a relatively shorter time. I spent about 2.5 hours coming down the mountain. Contrary to my expectations, the descent was harder than I thought it would be. My leg muscles were tired from the climb, and it takes equally as much as effort to go down as it did when I went up, so as not to make a wrong step and fall. Also, a small part of the descent is to go uphill.

One part I especially enjoyed about this experience was the camaraderie that I felt between hikers. People whom I do not know look out for my safety and give words of encouragement like “just a little more” and “getting there”. Also, when I finally returned to the starting point, fellow hikers around me were happy and congratulated each other on the success of our journeys. This kind of feeling, I believe, is one of the unique points of Japan. It was a tiring trip to Mount Ishizuchi, but I enjoyed it very much.

How to Get There?

From Iyo-Saijo station, take the bus bound for Mount Isuzuchi to the Ropeway Station. It costs 970 yen and takes about an hour. The ropeway takes you up to an altitude of 1,300 meters and costs 1,000 yen (one-way) or 1,900 yen (two-way). The last ropeway departs at 6pm while the last bus from Mount Ishizuchi departs at 5.22pm. For more details, please visit the official website for Mount Ishizuchi here.

Here are more photos of Mount Ishizuchi: