大山
Mt. Daisen
Elevation: 1728m
Prefecture
Tottori
Distance
6 km
Elevation Change
➚ 950m ➘ 950m
Time
5-6 Hours
Difficulty
3/5
Accommodation
Hotels & Huts
Overview
Mt. Daisen is an old dormant volcano in Tottori prefecture, reaching a height of 1,729m. It's the highest mountain in the Chugoku region, which covers the westernmost area of Japan's main island, Honshu. Daisen is one of the Hyakumeizan and quite a popular hike, it features a gorgeous beech forest, some very steep inclines, and picturesque boardwalks placed along the top section of the mountain. During the ascent through the beech forest, the trail regularly gives way to stunning views of the surrounding landscape, encouraging enjoyable rest stops along the steep trail. Although it's not considered to be a long or technically difficult hike, the regular steep sections increase the difficulty and can be surprisingly challenging. The top features a free mountain hut if you want to watch the sunset and sunrise from the peak.
If you're spending a couple of days in the area, I highly recommend the neighbouring peak of Karasugasen, it's a short trail up an impressive peak with less people and more adventurous climbing.
Access
Car: If you're using a car you can park next to the trailhead which is located here.
The drive will take a little over 3 hours from Kyoto and Osaka.
Train and Bus: For public transport, you simply need to reach Yonago Station and then catch a bus towards Daisen. The bus costs ¥1500 for a return ticket and takes about 50 mins. You can view the bus times on google maps, your destination is the Daisen National Park Centre.
Sleeping
There are a few shelter huts around Mt. Daisen, the most popular is right at the peak with a capacity for about 20 people. It's a free hut so reservations are not possible and there is no water, but it's quite nice and has basic non-flushing toilets. As there are no reservations, it would probably be best to avoid this one on weekends and holidays as Daisen is a very popular hike. You can view the hut on google maps here.
Maps
GPS map: outdooractive.com
Trail Description
The trail up Mt. Daisen typically starts from one of two trailheads: from the closest parking lot here, or from the Daisen-ji temple here. If you're catching the bus, then you'll need to walk up the street into the small town area, here you'll find some shops including a nice bakery and a Montbell store. Both trails take you through a lovely beech forest, with a modest incline for the first kilometre. Eventually the hike gets really steep, but you should reach the top within about 3 hours. The trail is well-maintained and mostly shaded, however, the top is quite exposed so make sure to bring extra water if it's a warm day.
Elevation Profile
Weather and Seasons
Useful links
Late spring and early autumn are the best times for this hike, with the leaves becoming vibrant and green around the end of May. Summer can be hot, but there's plenty of shade until you reach the top. Winter hiking is possible if you have experience with snow and ice.
Gallery
Difficulty: 3/5
Hiking Distance: 6 km
Time: 5-6 hours
Elev. gain: 950m
Prefecture: Tottori
