The most beautiful mountains of Nikko 日光連山

Published on : 18/07/2019
by : S.R.

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The most beautiful hikes in the mountains of Nikko

Nikko is one of the cities that best sums up Japan. For more than a millennium it was one of the greatest spiritual centers of Japanese Buddhism and, at the same time, has housed the tomb of the unifier of Japan since 1636: Ieyasu Tokugawa. But the city also boasts its beauty surrounded by a belt of beautiful mountains, which is not to be missed!

Buddhist sacred mountains

The Nikko Mountains are a group of volcanoes located between the prefectures of Tochigi and Gunma whose activity stopped nearly 12,000 years ago.

These mountains became sacred to Japanese Buddhism in the 8th century at the instigation of the monk Shodo Shonin, founder of the eponymous city and great Buddhist missionary in the region of Shimotsuke (today Tochigi). We also owe him the construction of the Futarasan shrine and the Rinnô-ji temple

Statue de Shôdô Shônin à Nikkô — Shôdô Shônin statue in Nikko
Wikipedia

The various eminences, which belong to the Nikkô National Park, are all found north of Lake Chûzenji.

Japan Experience offers you its selection of mountains to hike if you are in the Nikko region!

1 - Mount Nantai

Mount Nantai can be seen distinctly rising from the banks of Lake Chuzenji. A place of pilgrimage since the founding of Nikko, many votive offerings have been found there dating back to the Nara period (710 - 794) and several of which have been declared Important Cultural Properties of Japan. With a height of 2486 meters, Mount Nantai is the second tallest mountain in the whole and belongs to the list of the 100 most famous mountains in Japan.

Hiking through Mount Nantai is an opportunity to see many species typical of Japan such as tanuki, Japanese saro, or Sika deer. And for bird lovers, it is possible to observe many species, from the Willow Tit to the Bearded Eagle and the Himalayan Cuckoo!

For those who wish to climb, a hiking trail starts from Futurusan Chûgûshi and leads 6 kilometers to the summit.

Le mont Nantai et le lac Chuzenji — Mount Nantai and Lake Chuzenji
Wikimedia Commons

2 - Mount Nyôho

The legend says that Mount Nyoho would be the wife of Mount Nantai, the couple being the parents of Mounts Taro (eldest son), Omanago (eldest daughter), and Komanago (youngest daughter).

Located northeast of the volcanic complex, Mount Nyôho, which culminates at 2483 meters above sea level, allows you to see the other mountains in a panoramic way. It welcomes many amateurs of sawanobori - traditional Japanese climbing on the walls of a waterfall - attracted by the escarpments of the Unryu valley.

There is a rich and diverse flora. Beech forests cover the sides of the mountain, among which also grow cherry trees, larches, hemlocks, and Japanese maples. Higher on the mountain level, the oaks of Mongolia and the dwarf pines of Siberia dominate, while the subalpine level offers the walker strawberries from Japan or blueberries from the marshes.

Vue du mont Nyôho depuis Nikkô — View of Mount Nyôho from Nikko
Wikipedia

3 - Mount Nikko-Shirane

Mount Nikko-Shirane is the highest peak in the region, at 2578 meters. Located west of Lake Chûzenji, it is isolated from the rest of the volcanoes. Also part of the 100 famous mountains of Japan, this shield volcano (which has the particular characteristic of having a fairly flat summit) had its last eruption in 1952.

It is possible to ski on Mount Nikko-Shirane. By taking the gondola located in the village of Katashina, at about 1400 meters above sea level, visitors can go 600 meters higher to the Marunuma plateau, where there are several slopes intended for skiers