I’ve been coming to Tottori countless times since I was a kid, so Mt. Daisen, also known as Hoki Fuji, feels like a very familiar mountain. But I don’t remember ever climbing it, and with various circumstances meaning my visits to Tottori will decrease significantly in the future, I decided this was the perfect chance to finally ascend it.
When viewed from the Daisen-ji Temple side, where the summer climbing trail is, Mt. Daisen stretches out horizontally, making you wonder why it’s called Hoki Fuji. However, when you look up at it from Daisen Makiba Milk no Sato, famous for Shirobara milk and delicious soft-serve ice cream, it absolutely resembles Mt. Fuji.
Just because it’s a mountain on the Japan Sea side, I somehow had this cool image in my head, but in reality, it was incredibly hot and quite a tough climb. Even so, seeing the pretty and beautiful flowers blooming along the trail is one of the joys of summer mountain climbing.
As you ascend to the mid-slopes and the view opens up, you start to see the rugged parts of Mt. Daisen, where erosion is progressing. In fact, due to this ongoing erosion, you still cannot climb to Kengamine, its highest peak.
Looking out towards the sea, you can see the beautiful, bow-shaped Miho Bay. Kaike Onsen, where I stayed today, should be right at the base of it. I could also faintly make out Okinoshima Island and other distant features.
Climbing Mt. Daisen is quite challenging with many stairs. Just before reaching the summit, there’s a lovely wooden path that stretches out without any obstructions, allowing you to enjoy the scenery as you ascend. After walking for a while on this path, you’ll see the summit mountain hut.
I started climbing early in the morning, so the summit hut wasn’t open yet (as a shop), but it seemed to sell some snacks and badges, and there were a few people waiting for it to open.
The summit area is maintained like a wooden deck, and the route to Kengamine is blocked. There’s a monument marking the summit, but it feels a bit plain and disappointing. However, from the well-maintained deck area, a magnificent view spreads out before you, and it was nice to see everyone chatting or eating as they pleased.
For the descent, I took a slightly different route via Motodani. The north face of Mt. Daisen, viewed from the debris-filled Motodani, was quite imposing and surprisingly different from the familiar gentle atmosphere of Hoki Fuji.
The Motodani route leads to the Okunomiya (inner shrine) of Daisen-ji Temple. I’ve visited Daisen-ji many times, but this was my first time here. Although it was under construction, I really liked this place with its solemn atmosphere.
After descending, I went straight to Daisen Makiba Milk no Sato for a break with soft-serve ice cream and drinking yogurt. I was pretty worn out from the heat, so the cold soft-serve was especially amazing!
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