Mount Nantai 男体山

A central geographical position

Mount Nantai belongs to the Nikkôovolcanic complex, and rises to a height of 2,486 meters, making it the second mountain in the chain after Mount Nikko-Shirane (2,578 meters).

It is located 120 kilometers north of the Tokyo metropolis and about a hundred kilometers from both the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean. The mountain, which belongs to the list of the 100 famous mountains of Japan, also dominates the city of Nikko.

A sacred mountain

Nantai Mountain has had religious significance since ancient times. It was climbed in the 8th century for the first time by the founder of the Rinnô-ji temple, Shôdô Shônin, who likened it to Fudaraku-san, the Kannon bodhisattva of mercy.

Excavations carried out at the top throughout the last century have unearthed votive offerings dating from the Nara period (710 - 794) to the Edo period (1603 - 1868).

The existence of the Futarasan shrine is intimately linked to that of the mountain. The main building is thus at the foot of the mountain, while an auxiliary sanctuary, the Futurasan-jinja Chûgû Shi is located right in the middle of the southern slope.

At the top of the mountain, an "oku-miya" (or "bottom sanctuary") has also been built.

Hikes and walks on Mount Nantai

A hiking trail is laid out on the southern slope from Futurasan-jinja ChûgûShi and begins at the torii Tohai-mon, which materializes the sacredness of the place.

9 terminals line the path to the summit, over a distance of 6 kilometers and a drop of 1,200 meters. 35,000 people climb Nantai Mountain each year, a fairly steep route that takes about 4 hours.

The time of the Nantaisan Tohai Kosh festival between July 31 and August 7 particularly attracts hikers, who can then climb it at night, like Mount Fuji, to admire the sunrise at the top.