I think Tsukuba just became my newest favorite city in Kanto region. They got parks, museums, adventure spots, onsen and hiking areas.. so many things to do there. We passed by a road full of Gingko trees and the foliage leaves were so beautiful!
For this trip we decided to hike Mt. Tsukuba, one of the 100 most famous mountains in Japan (Nihon Hyakumeizan / 日本百名山). It is the lowest one on the list but the panoramic view from the top is really amazing. I climbed it back in 2018 to prepare for my Mt. Fuji hike and this is my second time, but this time we climbed it for the sunrise view.
Jump to Mt. Tsukuba Hike Log HERE:
It is customary to stop at Tsukuba Shrine and pay respects before heading to the mountain peaks via hiking trails or cable car but we did not go from the big Torii gate this time.
I got this map from this website. You can check it out for different trail courses or go to Yamap app and customize your route. We took the Otatsuishi-Course / おたつ石コース.
We parked at Mount Tsukuba Tsutsujigaoka Parking Lot and started our hike from Mitsuiya Sightseeing (Gama Cave / Gamaland). It was still dark when we started our hike but we took the stairs near the vending machines.
5:05 – We started our hike. The trail was well maintained and it will be hard to get lost even if it’s dark as long as you have a headlamp because there are signs, but it’s mostly in Japanese so you just have to remember the Kanji for it. You want to follow the sign for 女体山頂 / Nyotai Summit.
05:43 – We reached Benkei Hut. It’s a nice place to rest but we were in a hurry to get to the summit so we won’t miss the sunrise. I think I would start our hike earlier next time because I prefer to go slower and enjoy the view more next time.
06:15 – We finally reached the first peak , 女体山頂 / ニョタイサンチョウ / Nyotaisancho “Female Body Peak”, just in time for sunrise. I am so glad we didn’t miss it and we had enough time to admire the twilight. Nyotai (877 masl) is a little bit higher than the other peak, 男体山頂 / ナンタイサンチョウ / Nantaisancho “Male Body Peak” (871 masl).
You would think Japan will name the higher one male and the lower one female based on Japanese traditional male dominance culture but some say that they probably couldn’t tell the precise difference in the old days and based it on the shape of the peaks.
The shape of the mountain represents masculinity and femininity, the western peak is high and steep, and is called the male god (Mt. Nantai), so it “cannot be climbed.” The eastern peak (Mt. Nyotai) is surrounded by rocky mountains on all sides, and the ascent and descent are also steep, but there are many springs beside the path, and they bubble up constantly in summer and winter… It gives life so that’s why it’s called the female peak? I haven’t really found a site with good explanation, only speculations.
But apparently when surveying technology developed and measurements were taken, it turned out that Mt. Nyotai was higher. But it was too late because they already named the peaks. Yikes, I bet that didn’t sit well with some Japanese men back in the old days.
Personally I like the view better in Nyotai. If you’re going for the sunrise I highly suggest you watch it from there.
07:00 – We left Nyotai Peak and headed for the open area between the two peaks called Miyukigahara / 御幸ヶ原 / ミユキガハラ and had breakfast there.
08:00 – We headed for the other peak Nantai / 男体山頂 / ナンタイサンチョウ (871 masl).
08:10 – It was about 10min hike up, or maybe 15min if you go slower.
Yvan, Me, Don, MJ, Jade, Anna, Rona, Roberto
The two peaks of Mt. Tsukuba enshrines the deity couple Izanagi (Nantaisan, the male body peak) and Izanami (Nyotaisan, the female body peak), who are considered the parents of the Japanese archipelago and all the deities in Japanese mythology. These two deities united to give birth to the gods, which led to the birth of Japan.
8:30 – We started our descent and finally got to see the trail that we took earlier and it was really beautiful. This was a very chill and enjoyable hike and because of the optional ropeway/cable car, I think this is a good beginner hike.
Mt. Tsukuba is a popular power spot and during our descend we saw the “toad stone” on the mountain path connecting Nyotai and Miyukigahara. It is said that if you throw a pebble at the toad stone and it lands on the “mouth” of the rock, you will be blessed with good fortune like money. Of course I had to do it too. I landed my third one on the mouth of the “toad”… 4 days later I got my bonus and it’s more than what I expected.. I’m just saying! The power of law of attraction is amazing.
10:22 – Back at the torii trailhead.
After our hike we went to Tsukuba No Yu for onsen. They have an indoor bath and open-air bath, there is also a sauna and a cold bath (which I really really like because I LOVE going back and forth to cold and hot bath. If you’ve never tried it, this is a sign that you should.)
After hiking during the fall, I now get it why people love hiking during this time even if its colder. First of all, I wasn’t miserable while hiking unlike during the summer. I noticed that I had difficulty breathing during summer hiking, I didn’t experience that during my autumn hiking. But it might be also due to losing weight and getting used to hiking/running. All, I know is I had an overall good experience while hiking during this time of the year.
I’m a newbie with organizing/planing these hikes but so far, I’ve met one of the best people to hike with. I always look forward to our conversations in the car while driving and during this hike, I’ve had one of the best eye-opening conversations with Don who joined us for the first time. Made me realize that there is so much more to people than what we see.. and strangers are just friends we haven’t met yet!
Hike Log:
Mt. Tsukuba / 筑波山
-Nyotai Peak / 女体山頂 877 masl
-Nantai Peak / 男体山頂 871 masl
Nov 30, 2024
(Ibaraki Prefecture)
Ascend : 2.5
05:05 – 06:15 (From Torii Trailhead to Nyotai Peak)
Waiting for Sunrise
07:00 – 07:10 (From Nyotai Peak to Miyukigahara)
Breakfast/Toilet break
08:00 – 08:10 (From Miyukigahara to Nantai Peak)
Descend : 2.5
08:30 – 10:22 (From Nantai Peak back to the trailhead)
Backpack Weight : 3kg
Water : 1L (Hydration Reservoir – I used Platypus Big Zip EVO + 500ml petbottle of electrolytes.
Trekking Pole: I only brought 1 stick and not the pair with me just incase I need it, but I did not end up using it.
YAMAP LINK: HERE
Thank you always for reading till the end!
I appreciate all the comments and love hearing feedbacks.
I organize beginner/intermediate hikes in Kanto area and joiners are always welcome so feel free to send me a message if you want to join us.
EAT, SLEEP, HIKE, REPEAT =)
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