Mount Tsukuba

Mount Tsukuba
筑波山
A view from Chikusei city
Elevation	877 m (2,877 ft)
Listing	100 famous mountains in Japan
Location
Location	Ibaraki, Japan
Coordinates	36°13.31′N 140°06.24′E / 36.22183°N 140.104°E / 36.22183; 140.104
Geology
Type	granite, gabbro

Mount Tsukuba (筑波山 Tsukuba-san) is an 877 m (2,877 ft) mountain located near Tsukuba, Japan. It is one of the most famous mountains in Japan, particularly well-known for its double peaks, Nyotai-san 877 m (2,877 ft) and Nantai-san 871 m (2,858 ft). Many people climb the so-called "purple mountain" every year for the panoramic view of the Kantō plain from the summit. On clear days the Tōkyō skyline, Lake Kasumigaura and even Mount Fuji are visible from the mountain top. Most mountains in Japan are volcanic, but Mount Tsukuba is composed of non-volcanic rocks such as granite and gabbro. The area surrounding the mountain is known to produce beautiful granite, and many rock quarries still mine it today.

History

Izanami and Izanagi.

As legend has it, thousands of years ago, a deity descended from the heavens and asked two mountains for a place to spend the night. With its great summit and almost perfect cone, Mt. Fuji refused, believing with pride and arrogance, that it does not need the deity's blessings. Mt. Tsukuba, on the other hand, humbly welcomed the honored guest, even offering food and water. Today, Mt. Fuji is a cold, lonely, and barren mountain, while Mt. Tsukuba bursts with vegetation, and is filled with colors as the seasons change.
Ancient chronicles say that the sacred progenitors of the Japanese race are enshrined here, the male divinity, Izanagi-no-Mikoto, at Mt. Nyotai, and the female divinity, Izanami-no-Mikoto, at Mt. Nantai. Legends say that the two deities wed and gave birth to other deities, and even to Japan herself.

Attractions

Mt. Tsukuba is famous not only for the legends that have appeared in poetry anthologies since 710 A.D. Today, the mountain and its centuries-old Shinto shrine are both a source of blessing for the Japanese people and a must-see attraction to both local and foreign tourists. As the peaks (male and female) make a couple, they are worshipped as kami in the Shinto religion and are believed to bestow marital harmony and conjugal bliss. At the foot of the southern face lies the main shrine called “Tsukuba-san-jinja” (筑波山神社). This ancient shrine is a popular destination for tourists, festival (まつり) attendees and the occasional Japanese-style wedding. It is from here where the main hiking trails up the mountain begin. One can choose to go straight up the mountain via the Miyukigahara course (御幸ヶ原コース), which parallels the Swiss-made funicular, to the notch between the peaks. Or one can follow the Shirakumobashi course (白雲橋コース) up to the east ridge, where it joins up with the Otatsuishi course, and then continues on up to Mt. Nyotai. In addition to the funicular there is also an aerial tramway which follows the east ridge up the mountain, paralleling the Otatsuishi course (おたつ石コース). At the top of the mountain there are many gift shops and food stalls in the area between the two peaks. Here one can purchase ramen (ラーメン), omiyage (お土産), beer (ビール) and the local cure-all, toad oil (がま油). At both Mt. Nantai-san and Mt. Nyotai-san are small shrines devoted to their respective gods.

The ancient Shinto shrine at the foot of Mount Tsukuba.

The mountain is a popular starting point for parasailing.

Fauna and Flora

Mt. Tsukuba is blessed with an abundance of nature which covers the entire mountain. At lower elevations of the mountain are trees such as live oak (赤樫), mountain cherry (山桜), Japanese cedar (杉), Japanese red pine (赤松) and Hinoki cypress (檜). Higher in elevation, one can find species such as beech (ぶな), Japanese mountain maple (山紅葉) and a variety of conifers. Below these giants of the forest, the mountain is also home to hydrangea (紫陽花), rhododendron (つつじ), hosta, bush clover (ヤマハギ), 5-leaf Akebia (アケビ), fern, gold-banded lily (ヤマユリ) and the dog-tooth violet (片栗), to name a few. Amongst these exist a myriad of insects, including hairy caterpillars (毛虫), centipede, giant hornets (スズメバチ), stick insects, praying mantis (カマキリ), cicada (セミ), a number of amphibians and over 70 species of butterfly (蝶). Larger animals such as the Japanese Hare, Mamushi pit viper (蝮), Sika Deer (鹿), Japanese boar (猪), raccoon (洗熊), Eurasian badger (穴熊) and the Japanese red fox (狐) can be occasionally spotted. In addition, over 700 bird species are known to Mt. Tsukuba, these include the Japanese robin (駒鳥), Japanese Pheasant, Japanese White-eye (目白), Japanese Grosbeak, Cinnamon Sparrow (すずめ), Japanese Quail and the Japanese Green Woodpecker.

References

• Mount Tsukuba official Japanese website
• Keisei website in Japanese

External links

• Japan National Tourist Organization
• Ibaraki Travel Information