Mount Tsukuba

photo by RESPITE · Public domain

photo by Syced · CC0

The 1925 ropeway, the second in Kanto after Hakone, climbs to the 877 m female peak.

Mount Tsukuba has twin summits, the male peak (871 m) and the female peak (877 m): it is the lowest mountain among Japan's hundred famous mountains, yet it has been an object of worship for centuries. The funicular that starts from the shrine climbs to the male peak on a 1,634-metre track, a third of it curved; a separate ropeway, from Tsutsujigaoka, reaches the female peak. Long called ‘Fuji of the west, Tsukuba of the east’, it changes colour between morning and evening, hence the nickname ‘purple mountain’.

Sacred mountain of Hitachi Province, cited in classical poetry and a destination for religious pilgrimage since before the Nara period. The funicular, opened in October 1925, was the second in Kanto after Hakone's and the fifth in all of Japan.

ℹ️ The ropeway and funicular generally run all year round, with suspensions for routine maintenance in winter (about a week, dates varying from year to year) and temporary stoppages for bad weather (strong wind, snow, thunderstorms). Check the timetable on the official site (mt-tsukuba.com) before setting out.

🚉 Tsukubasancho · 8 min walk

Sources: ja.wikipedia.org · mt-tsukuba.com · ttca.jp

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