Mt. Ibuki of 100 Famous Mountains Fame

Mt. Ibuki from the Ibukiuyama Driveway

 

What's up, everybody?

I took a loooong drive to Shiga Prefecture last weekend and conquered another of the 100 Famous Mountains, Mt. Ibuki.  Since it is so far away and the "hike" to the top of Mt. Ibuki is so short, I spent the first half of the day hiking other mountains around Lake Yogo about 40 minutes away.  I'll write a separate post about that hike.

. . . about Mt. Ibuki (伊吹山)

Mt. Ibuki, at 1,377 meters, is the highest point in Shiga Prefecture.  It is the most prominent mountain in the area and dominates its surroundings.  One side of it faces Sekigahara, the scene of one of the most important battles in Japanese history.  The west side of it faces Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, and beyond that, Tsuruga Bay.  The word Ibuki can be translated as breath, and one of the theories for the mountain's name is that the strong winds coming off the peak are like the breath of the mountain.  Another theory is that the mist and fog at the top are the breath of a god.  

My favorite theory is "it's just been called that since ancient times."

Location:

Map:  ***If you want a link to the latest Yama to Kogen map, comment and I'll get you a link.  This link is to a printable topo map.  

Starting and stopping point: Ibukiyamasancho Parking Lot

Peaks bagged: 伊吹山 (Mt. Ibuki)

(First-time) peaks # 1,079

(100 Famous Mountain) peak #54

Getting there/getting around:  

I drove.  These days, the only access to the mountain is on the aforementioned Ibuki Driveway (伊吹山ドライブウェイ).  That is a toll road and (in 2025) costs ¥3,400.  In season, it's usually open 8 am to 7 pm.  For some of July and August, it's open 24 hours.  November 25 was their last business day this year.  The Ibuki Driveway's starts here at the Ibukiyama Toll Booth (伊吹山ドライブウェイ料金所).

If you want to get there by public transportation, google it.  I think you'll get better information from there than from me!  Bus Company websites are really difficult to puzzle through.  Sorry.

Helpful Info

Weather Information: 

Mt. Ibuki Weather (Japanese)

Mt. Ibuki Weather (Mountain Forecast dot com)

Time and distance

Not really worth mentioning.  Due to the trail being wiped out a few years ago, the only option for hiking is to start at the end of the Ibuki Driveway just a 20~30 walk from the top.  I meandered a little more slowly than usual and walked further than I needed to and still only logged about 3 km (about 2 mi.) and was back in the car in about an hour.

Technical considerations/difficulty:  

Nothing to note, really.  It is the most prominent peak in the area and it's all above the treeline, so it could get cold and windy in inclement weather.  One of the trails could become slippery.

Even though it's a short walk, some of the footing is a bit tricky.  I wouldn't wear sandals but I did see many people in sneakers.  I was glad that I had my boots on because there was a fair amount of mud on one of the trails I used. 

Facilities:  

What doesn't it have?  Give shops, restaurants, and restrooms.  One thing I was happy to find was a station to clean your boots.

Thoughts/observations/recommendations:  

This is a really nice mountain and would be great for people who never climb mountains.  I'd say this would be a nice spot for a date, or for a day out with your young grandchildren.  It's not physically taxing and not dangerous.  I think of this as more of a tourist spot than as a proper hiking experience.  It is beautiful--but there is so much commerce going on at or near the top and there are a lot of people who aren't cavepeople like me.

If you're a caveperson like me, I wouldn't come here without pairing it with some other mountains in mind for the same trip.  I spent the first half of this day circumambulating Lake Yogo about 40 minutes to the west.  The two hikes made for a great trip!

During some dates in July and August, the Ibuki Driveway is open all night and they will allow you to sleep in your car at the top parking lot.  I think it would be a nice place to go and see the sunrise from.  Check the Ibuki Driveway's website's FAQ for the dates.  

(Along with all the regular stuff such as maps, headlamps, boots, feet, and brains, . . .) don't forget:

. . . cash or credit card for the Ibuki Yama Driveway Toll.  They don't take anything else for payment.  Your ETC won't work.

Let's look at some graphic stuff.

You'll notice from the screenshot that the hike, illustrated by the blue line, is only near the top of the mountain.  I always feel like cheating when I drive or take a ropeway to the top but it absolutely can't be avoided these days on Mt. Ibuki.  Drats.

More pics:

The drive up was pretty.

That's the top

The trail from the parking lot starts here.

The Nishi (West) Trail is the easiest to walk on.

That's all for today.

Be sure to check the first part of the day's activities at this post about Lake Yogo (余呉湖).

Lake Yogo hike

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Caveman out

Lake to Summit. Lake Shibarako to 100 Famous Mountain, Mt. Tateshina.

 

. . . about Mt. Tateshina and Lake Shirakaba

Well, astute readers will know all about Mt. Tateshina because I last covered it just two weeks ago.  If you're not astute, go find that post.  (It's here:  Tateshina by bike)  (Are you back already?)  Lake Shirakaba maybe new to you.  It is a resort area to the west of Mt. Tateshina nestled down below between the Yatsugatake Range and Mt. Kirigamine to the west.  The lake area is a popular place for runners; many high schools and colleges have training facilities there for their track and field clubs.  Along with several ski areas around Shirakaba, there are onsens, canoes, kayaks, hotels, a teddy bear museum, and a small amusement park are just a few of the attractions available around the lake.

Area:

Location:  

Map:  ***If you want a link to the latest Yama to Kogen map, comment and I'll get you a link.  This link is to a printable topo map of Tateshina.

Starting and stopping point: Parking Lot near Tonyagawa Bus Stop

Peaks bagged: Yashigamineseihou(八子が峰西峰) ~ Yashigaminetouhou (八子が峰東峰) ~ Tateshina (蓼科山)＊ *100 Famous Mountain

(First-time) peaks # 927 and 928

Getting there/getting around:  

I drove.  Alpico does have bus service from Chino Station to Lake Shirakaba but the buses are seasonal and run infrequently.

Helpful Info

Weather Information: 

Tenkura's weather forecast for Tateshina

Mountainforecast.com's forecast for Tateshina

Time and distance

YAMAP's estimate: 12:07

Yama to Kogen's estimate: 10:40

Actual Time:  9:21 Break time: :34  Distance:  23.5 km

Elevation:  Lowest: 1,419 m Highest: 2,530 m Total Ascent: 1,734 m  Total Descent: 1,734 m

Technical considerations/difficulty:  

From the lake up to the assault on the peak is fairly gentle and really quite pleastant.  There are wide fields of sasa (bamboo grass) with bevies of deer snacking away.

Mt. Tateshina is a bit steep on the final approaches of whatever trail you use.  Much of the hike is above the treeline through boulder fields where you'll need to climb using chains and ropes.  Thankfully, they are conveniently already in place.

The descent from the Tateshina Sanso starts with a dry creekbed which gradually becomes wider and wider until it is a large expanse of scree all the way down to the first turn at the Takinoyu River where the trail conditions change.  Scree isn't that fun to walk on and I most definitely wouldn't want to have to traverse it in heavy rain.  I imagine it would be treacherous.

The real hard work of the hike is over at this point.  The trail paralleling the river is pleasant.  There is still a lot of distance to cover before getting back to the lake, though.

Facilities:  

There is a public restroom and waterhole near where I parked by the lake.  Among the myriad of touristy things around the lake, the Shirakaba Resort has an onsen available to daytrippers.  For shy foreigners, it's worth noting that it is a mixed bathing facility and that they provide everyone with a bathing suit.  I was actually planning on going in after my hike but the ¥2,000 price tag turned me off.

On the trail, you pass a few ski resorts.  I suppose there are vending machines and public restrooms there.

At the Suzuran Pass, there is a public restroom and parking.

Below the top of Tateshina at 将軍平 (Shogun Flats--how cool is that name--) is the Tateshina Sanso  Hut and on top of Tateshina is the Tateshina Sancho Hutte.  Both places have sleeping accommodations and food but no tenting area.  Both places have great swag.  I bought a t-shirt at the Sancho Hutte a few weeks ago that has become a favorite already.

It's not marked on the trail as a waterhole, but I got water from the Takinoyu River (滝の湯川) on the latter half of my trek.  I hit that about one hour after passing the Tateshina Sanso.

Thoughts/observations/recommendations:  

If you can, put Tateshina on your bucketlist.  The lake is also nice to see.  If you want a nice walk but aren't into climbing, you could opt for a walk around the lake and enjoy a soft serve ice cream cone on a bench while taking in the views.

I guess the most popular trailheads are from the Tateshina Tozanguchi at the Suzuran Pass, Ogawahara Pass (inaccessible by car in winter) or by the trailhead at Mt. Tateshina's Seventh Station Parking Lot.  (I have climbed Tateshina from the Ogawahara Pass and from the 7th Station after first biking up there.)  If you go via the Ogawahara Pass or from the Seventh Station and only piston (straight up and back) to Tateshina, you could do the hike in 4 or 5 hours.  Suzuran Pass is a bit longer.  My route from Lake Shirakaba is for people who are gluttons for punishment who want to put in a lot of miles.  In the past, I went from Ogawahara Pass and took in Mt. Futago as well as Tateshina.

Well, that's pretty much it for that

Here are some pictures.

 This is Lake Shirakaba

Looking up at Tateshina from the starting point.

Not a lot of bus service here.

Not far from the lake is Zeni Iwa.

They found a lot of old coins here and the theory is that this was the stash of a warlord by the name of Shingen Takeda.

Looking back down at the lake.

The deer love this bamboo grass.

Thankfully, there was a clear path through it.  This stuff is miserable to have to bushwhack through.

Sometimes it is over your head and you cannot see where you are going.

Bambi!

One of many ski lifts on the way

Yashigamineseihou (West Peak, Mt. Yashigamine)

Yashigamine Touhou (East Peak)

Cherry blossoms, still!

Suzuran Pass

(There are restrooms here.)

From here the hike gets more serious

Trailhead at Suzuran Pass

There is a lot of this on the way up.

Actually, it's pretty clear to anyone who has seen Tateshina from a distance that it must be like this.

There are no trees anywhere near the top.

I walked through those ski areas below.  The Lake is on the right side of the picture.

The pin on top.

2,530 meters

The Tateshina Sancho Hutte

The t-shirt I bought has a marten on it.  I think I might have actually seen a marten on this day.  Some small animal scurried across my path too quickly for me to identify it.

Coming down from the top is pretty steep and rocky.

The first time I climbed here was in the snow.

About a half hour ~ one hour below the top is this place, the Tateshina Sanso.

It has really good swag, too, but I've never bought anything here.

I saw a couple that were really at a loss for which t-shirt to buy because there were too many to choose from.

After the Tateshina Sanso, the trail is a dry creekbed of scree.

Looking west.  The lake is below.

Mt. Kuruma is a wonderful mountain.  

In the distance you can see the Northern Alps.

After leaving the scree, the trail becomes gentle again.

The Takiyu River

I came out of the woods here and walked along the paved road back to the Suzuran Pass where I re-traced my steps back down to the lake.

I wistfully took this picture.  My initial plan had been for an overnighter.  I wanted to climb Amigisa, Amida, Akadake and Gongen.  Rain in the forecast thwarted that plan, though.😰

This guy has got game.

I would love to have taken a close-up shot of this couple because their picnic lunch was magazine-cover-level classy.  They had a folding table with linen, real silverware, china, glass goblets . . . with--what would be on a clear day--a second-to-none view of Mt. Fuji.

The license plate shows they are from Tokyo, so this took some planning. 

Hats off, anonymous guy

.

Gals, find you a guy that treats you like this guy treats his gal.

Back to the lake.

Well, cavepeeps.  That's all for today.

I enjoyed that hike a lot.

If you want to see more of the area, check out Mt. Kuruma in snow

or Washigamine in snow.

Make sure you subscribe.

Have a good one.

Caveman out.