While I was looking for places where I could do a day hike on the weekend, I was thinking that besides hiking Mt. Adatara, a hike around Mt. Issaikyo and Mt. Azuma from Jododaira would be great too. So, this weekend I decided on hiking Mt. Adatara. But after descending Mt. Adatara, it was still just past noon. I quickly checked and realized I could get to Jododaira, which is also a trailhead, in less than an hour. So, I thought, why not, and decided to do a double header!
I had decided to hike Mt. Adatara and came all the way here, so I arrived at Jododaira with almost no prior research. The first thing that surprised me was the rugged, smoky rock mountain landscape in the first photo that immediately caught my eye. I had only thought of Jododaira as a trailhead, but it turned out to be a truly wonderful place where you can enjoy not only the scenery of the smoking mountains but also leisurely strolls through beautiful wetlands. Plus, right nearby, there’s Azuma-kofuji, characterized by its bowl-shaped crater, which looked perfect for a casual hike. What’s more, my phone had no signal at Jododaira, and I wasn’t entirely sure where the trail to Mt. Azuma was, so I even considered just enjoying the walk here and saving the Mt. Azuma hike for another time.
If I hadn’t hiked Mt. Adatara and made this my main destination, I would have considered a loop hike including Mt. Issaikyo, one of Japan’s 300 Famous Mountains. But since I was starting the hike just before 2 PM, I planned a route to return to Jododaira by around 5 PM: Jododaira → Ubagahara → Mt. Higashi-Azuma → Ubagahara → Kamanuma → Sugadaira → Jododaira.
It took me a while to find the trailhead, and after wandering along the boardwalks of Jododaira’s wetland for a bit, I finally found it and set off. Since Jododaira is already at an altitude of 1,600 meters, the hike to Mt. Higashi-Azuma at 1,975 meters was relatively gentle and easy. While the autumn leaves were already turning red and yellow, there was still plenty of deep green remaining, creating a truly spectacular brocade-like scenery. It was incredibly beautiful. Also, perhaps because of the late hour, there was nobody climbing up, and very few people coming down, so I enjoyed a wonderfully quiet trek.
Around Ubagahara, the path was gentle and the boardwalks were well-maintained, making it very easy to walk and fully enjoy the brocade-like autumn scenery.
Mt. Higashi-Azuma has a gentle, basin-like shape. I was a bit pressed for time, so I hurried a little on the ascent, but it was a relatively gentle climb with little elevation gain. Even though it was a double header with Mt. Adatara, I was able to climb it without pushing myself too hard.
Just as it looked from a distance, the summit was gentle and spacious. Although there were almost no hikers while I was ascending, there was a family enjoying the scenery leisurely at the summit, and seeing people there made me feel a bit relieved.
From near the summit, I could enjoy a magnificent 360-degree panorama, overlooking the smoking mountains, Jododaira, and Kamanuma which I was heading towards next. If autumn deepens a bit more, it would probably be covered in even more yellow and red, offering an even more stunning view.
The grand panorama from the summit was amazing, but what truly gave me goosebumps with its beauty was Kamanuma. It was just before 5 PM, the sun was setting, and the wetland grass, which had turned yellow, now shimmered golden. The lake, without a ripple, reflected the surrounding scenery like a mirror. There was no one else around, and I felt an urge to just stay there and gaze at it slowly until the sunset.
When I arrived back at Jododaira, it was just as the shops were closing, and people were starting to thin out. This time, I couldn’t visit Mt. Issaikyo or the beautiful cobalt blue pond called “Witch’s Eye” nearby, so I’d love to visit again.
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