Mount Ishizuchi

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Mount Ishizuchi (??? Ishizuchi-san, 1982m) is the tallest mountain on the island of Shikoku, Japan.

Table of contents
	mount ishizuchi Travel Guide : 1 Understand 1.1 When to go 2 Get in 3 Get around 4 See 5 Do 6 Buy, Eat and Drink 7 Sleep 8 External link

Understand

The name means Stone Hammer, a suitable awe-inspiring name for one of Japan's 7 Holy Mountains. Most pilgrims only make it to the shrine at the foot of the mountain, but if pulling yourself up a mountainside on iron chains sounds like a good time, the climb to the summit is for you.

When to go

The official climbing season is from July 1st until October; note that the day the mountain opens is reserved for men only! It is, however, entirely possible to climb the mountain as early as May or as late as November, although facilities en route will be limited.

In the winter, a ski and snowboarding resort operates on the same grounds. The Joju shrine is open around the year and is a popular place to visit on New Year's Day.

Get in

The closest train station is Iyo-Saij? on the JR Yosan Line from Matsuyama to Takamatsu.

From Okayama on Honshu, the Shiokaze Limited Express train makes hourly runs to Iyo-Saij? station (1 hour 50 minutes; ¥4940). The ride from Takamatsu on Shikoku is 90 minutes using the Ishizuchi limited express (¥4520).

From Iyo-Saij?, there are connecting buses to the start of the ropeway (1 hour), but there are only 4 buses daily. As of August 2005, the 10:23 bus is the last that will get you there in time to make the climb and catch the last bus back (17:22). The Ishizuchi # 7, departing Takamatsu at 8:44, and the Shiokaze # 3, departing Okayama at 8:30, will allow you to meet this bus. (Both trains combine at Utazu station.)

Get around

Nearly everybody takes the Ishizuchi T?zan Ropeway (http://www.ishizuchi.com/) (??????????) halfway up, although it's fairly steeply priced at ¥1000/1900 one-way/return. But if you don't, it's quite a hike up from 450 meters to 1300...

See

• For many visitors the final destination is J?ju (??), the site of the main shrine grounds, a classically elegant and austere complex of buildings notably mostly for the variety of stone hammers on display here and there. The shrine is a leisurely 20-minute walk up from the ropeway station at an altitude of 1450 meters.

Do

The thing to do in these parts is, naturally, to climb up to the summit. Figure on 3 hours for the ascent and at least 2 hours for the descent. There are lockers at the ropeway station if you want to leave excess weight behind, although they are too small for most rucksacks; ask nicely and maybe the staff can stow your gear for you.

• The actual trail starts at J?ju, through a torii gate marked with the characters ??? (t?zanguchi). The initial section of the trail in fact descends for the first kilometer, back down to 1300m.
• From the saddle point Hatch?zaka (???) starts an endless series of tiring wooden steps built into the mountainside to prevent erosion and landslides.
• After an hour of slogging through the forest, you'll reach reach the Yoakashi Pass (????? Yoakashi-t?ge, c. 1600m) and see the last bit of Ishizuchi-san in front of you. Remaining distance to the peak is one kilometer, and remaining elevation to climb is 300 meters. There is a barebones camp site not far from here, with no facilities other than a patch of grass, and you probably don't want to lug a tent and sleeping bag up here.

• This is where the fun starts. You can, and many do, take a circuitous (if still steep) ordinary path (???) to the top, but the pilgrim thing to do is to climb up the near-vertical kusari (?), giant iron chains, bolted onto the cliffs. There are three sets of chains, measuring 33m, 65m and 68m. The chains have footholds, very useful for resting your feet, but a good pair of boots will still come in handy.
• Your reward is the peak of Misen (??, 1974m), with great views of Shikoku all around. There is also a small shrine and lodge here (see Sleep).
• The actual summit, needle-sharp Tengudake (???, 1982m), is right in front of you from here. Normally only a quick 15-minute hike away, the peak was at last check off limits due to landslides that took the path with them.

Buy, Eat and Drink

There is a small group of restaurants and souvenir shops outside the Joju shrines.

Sleep

• Ch?j?-sans? (????, tel. 0897-55-4168, 1 (http://www.shikoku.ne.jp/ishizuchi/tyoujo/page.htm)) is Japanese for "summit mountain lodge", an apt description of this mountain hut run by the temple. A night in fairly spartan accommodations with two meals will cost you ¥8500. Note that you will be expected to take all your garbage down with you.

• Ishizuchi Fureai-no-Sato (????????, tel. 0897-59-0203, 2 (http://www.city.saijo.ehime.jp/oshirase/fureai/fureai.html)), 10 minutes down the road with a bus stop nearby, is an excellent place to stay with comfortable and well-equipped cabins from ¥2,920 for 2, basic rooms starting at ¥1170 per head and riverside camping space at ¥200/person. There is a little restaurant on grounds, bathing facilities and barbeque pits. Note that this is really geared for larger groups, so call ahead to reserve and make sure the place is open (and not filled with grade schoolers).

External link

• Saijo City (http://www.city.saijo.ehime.jp/english/index.htm)

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