Now solidly in rainy season, I find myself staring blankly out windows if the weather is nice. I was able to go on a single hike before the weather forced me inside though — Mt. Iizuna! This mountain is close to my house, and I’ve hiked it probably five times since I came here. It’s my benchmark mountain, usually the first one I hike when the snow melts to kind of gauge where my body’s at.
It’s also said to be inhabited by a yokai, a Japanese demon……
Wait, there’s a demon on Mt. Iizuna?!
Let me explain! The yokai in question is a tengu, a monster that looks like a human except for its giant wings. They have other strange features too, depending on which type of tengu they are: hanataka-tengu or karasu-tengu.
Tengu are scattered all over Japan, and their leader, the Sōjōbō, lives on Mt. Kurama, a mountain in northern Kyoto.
So what kind of tengu is the one on Mt. Iizuna?
Good question! According to this Japanese website, the tengu on Mt. Iizuna is a little complicated. While he was originally a karasu-tengu, his appearance has been changed overtime to resemble a hanataka-tengu. Despite his lowly karasu-tengu origins, he is actually an important figure in the tengu world! His name is 三郎, Saburō, and he is apparently one of the eight most powerful and popular tengu!
So the demon on Mt. Iizuna is super powerful? Greeeeat.
Not done! One of the reasons Saburō is so popular and loved in Iizuna is because long ago, in a time of famine, he flew down from the mountain and provided starving villagers with a food called 麦飯, mugimeshi. This can literally be translated as barley rice, but in reality it’s not…. The 麦飯 I’m referring to here is actually the name of a kind of fungus that grows naturally in this area. It was thought to be extinct but was rediscovered in 2017!
Ok, enough about tengu — on to the hike!
Hiking Mt. Iizuna — First Half
Southern Trailhead
Starting Elevation: ~1100m
**A note before we jump in**
I always hike Iizuna from the south side, and all of the information here is for that hike.
It is also possible to hike from the west/Togakushi side; more information here (Japanese only).
Walk through the torii gate by the small parking lot (pictured above) to begin the hike! In less than 10 minutes, you’ll arrive at the torii gate pictured below — the real start.
Walk for a bit and you’ll see a small, stone Buddha statue on the left with a sign. There are 13 of these statues in all, protecting you as you hike to the top.
The path for the first half is straightforward. Not a lot of boulders, but a lot of trees and roots. Be careful of where you step!
About an hour into the hike, you’ll come to a large clearing on the left side of the path. It’s a great spot for a rest, and I consider it to be the halfway mark.
Hiking Mt. Iizuna — Second Half
Not too much longer after the clearing and you’ll reach two free-flowing springs. Feel free to fill up your water bottles here, or take a quick sip; the water is delicious!
Eventually, you’ll make it to the only spot in the hike with chains. I don’t usually use them, but be careful navigating this section!
From here, the hike gets steeper and littered with boulders. It’s definitely strenuous and tiring. I take many more breaks during the second half than the first.
The higher you climb, the better the views. The plants also become shorter and there’s less tree cover, so make sure to bring sunscreen!
When you reach the small shrine pictured below, you know you’re almost to the top! Just a little further and you’ll arrive at the secondary peak. It’s wide and flat and has a shrine for Saburō.
Continuing on to the main peak (don’t worry, not much longer now!), the path actually goes downhill for a bit. There’s also a toilet along the path, but it’s only for those who have a toilet bag with them. It’s NOT an outhouse.
One more uphill and you’re there! You’ve succeeded in hiking Mt. Iizuna! Walk around, take some pictures, enjoy the views, and eat a snack! You’ve earned it!
Mt. Iizuna Summit
Ending elevation: 1917m
Change in elevation: +817m (approx.)
Time taken to reach the summit: 2hrs 30min
Time taken to reach the bottom: 1hr 50min
More Information
Parking
- ~7 cars at the small parking lot, ~50 for the larger.
- See the map located at the end of the post for the location of the large parking lot, or click here. If looking at the map below, the smaller parking lot can be found by taking the road found to the right of the icon. For both lots, EARLIER IS BETTER. I’ve gotten to the small parking lot at 7am and been the last one to get a space. It’ll be easier to find room in the larger parking lot later in the morning, but it can still get crowded and kind of dangerous, as people like to park in places that I’m pretty sure aren’t even parking spaces.
Difficulty
- Hiking Mt. Iizuna doesn’t require anything super technical; if you’re in shape, this mountain will probably be a piece of cake. It’s a short hike too; I’m usually back home around noon-1 with the whole afternoon to stretch out my aching muscles.
What I bring
- 2 plastic water bottles and 1 of Pocari Sweat
- Band-Aids
- Food for the summit
- Coins for the shrine at the top
When to hike
- Typically you can hike Mt. Iizuna from June to early November, sometimes later if winter is late. If you’re planning to hike in summer, be aware that there is very little shade on the last 1/4 of the hike, including the summit. Even at the top of the mountain it is still very hot by 10 or 11 in the morning. The earlier you can start, the better.
