Mountains · Ibaraki
Mount Tsukuba
筑波山つくばさんTsukuba-sanThe twin-peaked sacred mountain of the Kantō plain, praised since the Man'yōshū.
Mount Tsukuba (筑波山) is a twin-peaked mountain in Ibaraki Prefecture whose higher summit, Nyotai-san, reaches 877 m – the lowest of Japan's 100 Famous Mountains. Rising alone from the Kantō plain, it has been a sacred mountain and a subject of poetry since the Man'yōshū, summed up in the saying "Fuji in the west, Tsukuba in the east".
Overview
Mount Tsukuba rises abruptly from the flat rice fields of Ibaraki, some 60 km north-east of Tokyo, and its double summit is visible from much of the Kantō plain, including central Tokyo on clear winter days. Though under 900 m, it has a status out of all proportion to its height: Fukada Kyūya included it among the 100 Famous Mountains for its history rather than its altitude.
The mountain itself is the object of worship of Tsukubasan Jinja, whose main hall stands halfway up the southern slope and whose inner shrines crown the two peaks. A cable car and a ropeway reach the summit ridge, and a network of trails through old forest and rock formations makes Tsukuba one of the most popular hiking mountains near Tokyo.
Landscape and formation
Tsukuba is made mostly of gabbro, which forms the summit area, surrounded by granite on the lower slopes. Both are plutonic rocks that formed several kilometres underground around 75 million years ago; uplift and erosion of the softer surrounding rock left them standing above the plain. Weathered granite produces the sandy soils of the foothills, and granite from the area has been quarried for centuries.
On the summit ridge the gabbro has weathered into large boulders with names from legend, such as the Benkei Nanamodori.
Highlights
Nyotai-san
女体山Nyotai-sanThe higher summit, 877 m, a rocky outcrop with the inner shrine of Izanami and wide views over Lake Kasumigaura.
Nantai-san
男体山Nantai-sanThe western summit, 871 m, with the inner shrine of Izanagi and a weather observatory.
Benkei Nanamodori
弁慶七戻りBenkei nanamodoriA boulder balanced over the trail, which even the warrior-monk Benkei is said to have hesitated seven times to pass beneath.
Gama-ishi
ガマ石Gama-ishiA toad-shaped rock recalling the famous toad-oil sellers of Tsukuba.
Ecology
Because the mountain rises from the plain, its vegetation changes from warm-temperate evergreen oaks at the foot to cool-temperate beech near the summit – an unusually low elevation for beech in Kantō. The shrine forests have been protected for centuries.
Flora
Beech
ブナbunaA relict beech stand on the north side of the summit ridge.
Katakuri
カタクリkatakuriDog's-tooth violets carpet the slopes near the summit in April.
Japanese plum
ウメumeThe Tsukubasan Plum Garden on the south slope blooms in February and March.
Fauna
Japanese toad
ニホンヒキガエルnihon-hikigaeruThe animal behind Tsukuba's gama-no-abura folklore.
Japanese squirrel
ニホンリスnihon-risuLives in the shrine forests.
Culture
The Hitachi Fudoki (early 8th century) tells how Tsukuba welcomed a wandering ancestral deity whom Fuji had turned away, so that Tsukuba stayed green and full of visitors while Fuji was cursed with eternal snow. The Man'yōshū contains poems about the kagai (utagaki), festive gatherings on the mountain where young men and women exchanged songs. In the Edo period toad-oil (gama-no-abura) sellers from Tsukuba performed their patter at fairs, and the routine survives as a local performing art.
Tsukubasan Jinja
筑波山神社Tsukubasan JinjaThe shrine whose sacred body is the mountain; the main hall is on the south slope, the inner shrines on both peaks.
Gama-no-abura performance
ガマの油売り口上gama no abura-uri kōjōThe sword-and-oil sales pitch of Edo-period peddlers, preserved by a local society.
History
early 8th century
The Hitachi Fudoki records the legend of Tsukuba and Fuji.
8th century
Poems on Tsukuba's song gatherings appear in the Man'yōshū.
1925
The Tsukuba cable car opens.
1959
Suigō-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park is designated.
2016
The Mount Tsukuba Area is certified as a Japanese Geopark.
Through the seasons
Spring
Plum blossom in February and March, followed by katakuri and cherry blossom in April.
Summer
Humid and hazy; the forest trails are shaded, and the summit offers a cooler breeze.
Autumn
Autumn colours from mid-November; the clearest views return late in the season.
Winter
Dry, clear days with views to Fuji and Tokyo; the Kantō plain's best winter viewpoint.
Routes and trails
Miyukigahara course
From Tsukubasan Jinja alongside the cable car to Nantai-san, about 90 minutes; steep but easy.
Shirakumobashi course
From the shrine past rock formations to Nyotai-san, about 90 minutes; the most scenic route.
Otatsuishi course
From the Tsutsujigaoka ropeway station past boulders to Nyotai-san, about 60 minutes.
Cable car and ropeway
The cable car serves Nantai-san's col, the ropeway serves Nyotai-san; the ridge between is a short walk.
Practical notes
- The Tsukuba Express links Akihabara and Tsukuba; shuttle buses run from Tsukuba station to the shrine and Tsutsujigaoka.
- Weekends and holidays are crowded, especially in autumn; the trails suit beginners and families.
- Trails can be slippery after rain on granite sand and roots.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to climb Mount Tsukuba?
From Tsukubasan Shrine the Miyukigahara course to Nantai-san takes about 90 minutes, and the Shirakumobashi course to Nyotai-san a similar time. The two summits are 15 minutes apart along the ridge.
Is Mount Tsukuba a volcano?
No. Despite its shape it is built of gabbro and granite that cooled deep underground about 75 million years ago and were later exposed by erosion.
Why are the peaks called male and female?
Nantai-san ("male body") and Nyotai-san ("female body") are worshipped as the creator deities Izanagi and Izanami, and the mountain is associated with marriage and harmony.
How is Tsukuba reached from Tokyo?
By the Tsukuba Express from Akihabara to Tsukuba in about 45 minutes, then by shuttle bus to the shrine or the ropeway station.
Related
Sources
- 1.日本の主な山岳標高 (opens in a new tab) — 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)
- 2.日本ジオパークネットワーク (opens in a new tab) — 日本ジオパークネットワーク (Japanese Geoparks Network)
- 3.茨城県ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 茨城県 (Ibaraki Prefecture)