Mount Akagi

Akagi is a volcanic complex consisting of a 1,828-meter-high main peak called Kurobisan, Komagatake, Jizo, Ara, Nabewari, Suzugatake, and Choshichiro. It is a famous mountain selected as one of the 100 most famous mountains in Japan, one of the 100 most famous mountains in the Kanto region, and one of the three most famous mountains in the Jomo region.

It is a popular tourist spot with a variety of climbing courses that can be enjoyed by beginners and intermediate climbers alike, and offers beautiful scenery in all four seasons. Camping (reservations required), boating, wakasagi fishing, and other activities can be enjoyed along the Onuma Lakeside at the summit of the mountain.

In addition, Kakumanbuchi, a precious marshland stretching approximately 500 meters around the mountain, is also called “Little Oze,” where wooden paths are maintained and alpine plants can be seen.

Akagi is a place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy the great outdoors. The beautiful scenery surrounded by wind, greenery, and flowers will leave a deep impression on visitors. National Route 353, which traverses the southern foot of the mountain, is known as the “Akagi-Kaze Line,” and is dotted with tourist spots such as Bajikouen, Gunma Flower Park, fishing digs, and hot springs.

In addition, many soba noodle stores line the prefectural road from the summit to the “Akagikaze Line” and it is also known as the “Soba Road”.

Climbing Mount Akagi in winter

This area is also popular as an introductory snow mountaineering tour.
Depending on the route and weather conditions, chain spikes or crampons may be required. In addition, winter tires are required when accessing the area by car. Please keep these points in mind when visiting.
The approximate snow season is from mid-December to the end of April, but keep in mind that it varies from year to year.

Topography

Akagi is one of the three famous mountains of the Jomo Sanzan (three mountains on the Jomo Mountain Range), along with Haruna and Myogi. It has also been selected as one of the 100 most famous mountains in Japan and one of the 100 most scenic spots in Japan. The mountain is characterized by mountains ranging in height from 1,200 to 1,800 meters surrounding a central caldera and a broad plateau plateau extending up to about 800 meters. This plateau is considered the second longest in Japan after Mt.

Akagi” is the name of a single large volcano; there is no other peak with the same name.

Kurobisan (1,828 meters above sea level) - the highest peak
Komagatake (1,685 meters) - outer rim
Jizo-dake (1,674 meters) - lava dome, with communication facilities at the summit
Choshichiro (1,579 meters) - crater rim of Konuma Volcano
Onuma - lake formed on caldera floor
Konuma - tuff ring, post caldera volcano
Pond of Blood - crater
Kojizodake (1,574 meters) - part of Konuma volcano, part of the crater wall surrounding Konuma, an explosive crater
Nabewariyama (1,332 meters) - lava dome
Arayama (1,572 meters) - lava dome
Suzugadake (Suzukadake, 1,565 meters) - lava dome

At the center of the caldera, there is a caldera lake called Onuma, a marsh called Kakumanbuchi, and a crater lake called Konuma.

On the eastern shore of Onuma, at the foot of its highest peak, Kurobisan (Mt. Kurobisan), is Akagi Shrine, and there are a number of village shrines scattered around the foot of the mountain. In addition, there are approximately 300 branch shrines distributed in the Kanto area. A panoramic observatory is located halfway up the mountain.

Name of the Mountain

Mount Akagi was called “Kuroho” in ancient times.

In volume 14 of the Manyoshu (Anthology of Myriad Leaves) compiled in the Nara period (710-794), there is a poem entitled “Kamituya no Kuroho no Nero-Nero-Nero-Nero-Nero-Kuroho no Ku-kehagata”. In this song, the expression “Kurohonononero” appears, which is thought to refer to Mount Akagi. Kurohononero” describes the appearance of the mountain with black thunderclouds rising from it, and is considered one of the ancient names for the mountain. This old name has been carried over to parts of Mt. Akagi and the surrounding area even today.

The name “Akagi” first appears in the Heian period (794-1185) in “Shoku Nihon Kouki” (The Later Chronicles of Japan), Vol. 8. In the 6th year of the Jouwa Era (839 A.D.), “Akagi-kami” was given the rank of fifth-degree subordinate deity. After that, the name “Akagi no Kami” can be found in documents such as “Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku” and “Engishiki Shinmeicho” (Engi Shiki Shinmeicho). In the Kamakura period (1185-1333), Minamoto no Minamitomo’s waka poem “Ueno no Seita no Akagi” is included in the “Kinkei-waka-shu” (Anthology of Poems). The Azuma Kagami also mentions “Akagitake” (赤木嶽).

Mountain” or “San
There are two variations of the reading of “Akagiyama”: “Akagiyama” and “Akagisan,” and some encyclopedias and dictionaries list both readings.

Legends and Lore

Nantai-yama, Nikko

In Senjogahara, located at the northwestern foot of Mt. Nantai in Nikko, there is a legend that the deity of Mt. Nantai and the deity of Mt. Akagi transformed into a giant snake and a giant centipede and fought. As a result, the deity of Mt. Nantai won the battle. The name of the Rôjin hot spring located north of Mt. Akagi comes from the fact that the god who came to escape the battle drifted to the area, and the name of the mountain “Akagi” is also said to come from “Akaki” due to the fact that the mountain was dyed red with the god’s blood. According to legend, the god of Mt. Akagi, who was defeated at Senjogahara, healed his wounds in the hot spring of Shojin, and later drove out the god of Nantai-yama.

On the other hand, according to the legend of the opening of the hot spring, the god of Mt. Akagi is said to be a giant snake and the god of Nantai-yama is said to be a giant centipede, and here it is said that the giant snake was victorious.

In Nagareyama City, Chiba Prefecture, along the Edogawa River, there is a small mountain where the deity of Akagi Shrine is enshrined, and legend has it that part of Mt. Akagi washed ashore during a great flood. The name “Nagareyama” is said to derive from this legend.

In the Manyoshu (Anthology of Myriad Leaves), there is a poem entitled “Kamitsukeno Kujiho no Nerono Kujihagata Kanashikekorani Iyazakarikumo” (Jyushitouka 3412).

Kunisada Tadaharu

Mt. Akagi is also famous for the name of Tadaharu Kunisada, a chivalrous man from Jyoshu. During the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa eras, his storytelling and Shinkoku-geki dramas became very popular. Kunisada Tadaharu’s line, “Akagi no yama mo mita yo nyonomi, kunisada mura, kokutai wo yonomi, kokubun no tete-a-tete, kokubun no tame no tete-a-tete,” means that the name of this mountain will be used throughout Japan. This was one of the reasons why the name of this mountain became known throughout the country. Gambling used to be conducted in the rock pits of Akagi Mountain, but the practice came to an end during the Meiji era (1868-1912) when crackdowns were tightened.

Mountain Climbing Trails

Akagi offers several climbing trails to reach multiple summits.

There are two trailheads from the Onuma Lakeside, and you can follow the ridges to reach the summit of Mt. However, before the summit of Mt. Kurohinoki, there is a fork between the trail up from Onuma and the trail to Mt. The trail to Mt. Kurohinoki takes about 1.5 hours, and from Mt. Kurohinoki to Mt.

The trailhead is located at the parking lot of Shirakaba Ranch, which is located west of Onuma, and it takes about one hour to reach the summit of Mt. The summit is a dead end and you will return the same way.

Nabewariyama/Arayama Course (No detailed information is available, but this course is one of the options)

Choshichiro and Kochizo Course (No detailed information is available, but this course is one of the options)

(No detailed information is available, but this course is one of the options. The courses are suitable for both beginners and intermediate climbers, and offer beautiful scenery and nature in each of the four seasons.

Akagi Swamp

Akagi is a crater lake that stretches across the summit of Mt. Akagi, and its beautiful scenery attracts many visitors.

The lake belongs to the Tone River system and flows into the Tone River via the Numao River, which flows from the crater rapids in the northwest, through the western foot of Akagi Mountain. Akagi Shrine is enshrined on the peninsula of the lake and is the object of local worship.

In winter, Akagi-Onuma is known as a spot for leisure activities such as wakasagi fishing, skiing, and skating. Especially in the 1970s, the area was crowded with many leisure visitors from ski enthusiasts in the Kanto region.

Kakumanbuchi

This is a marshland located on Mt. Akagi and extends approximately 600 meters southeast of Onuma, at an elevation of 1,360 meters. This marshland is also called “Little Oze.” It is believed to have once been a lake, but was transformed into a marshland when water flowed out through the Kakuman River into the Onuma Swamp.

The name of the area comes from the Heian period (794-1185) figure Kakuman, who is said to have held a puja here. Kakumanbuchi is known for its rich colonies of alpine plants and mosses, and is attractive in spring (Mizubashou in March), fresh green season (May), early summer (Renge azalea in June), and fall (autumn leaves in October). Mosses and Nikkoukisuge can also be seen, and the peatlands are covered with scrub forests of silver grass and Japanese pampas grass.

A wooden pathway surrounds the marshland, and it takes about 30 minutes to walk around the area from the Prefectural Akagi Park Visitor Center. From the high ground at Torii Pass, a panoramic view of Kakumanbuchi can be seen, and as far as Onuma Swamp can be seen.