Although the elevation is only 300 metres, the tension of climbing up rocky terrain at such an incredible height is perhaps due to its steepness and the excellent views. Nakayama Senkyo is a place that tests your courage, with a series of chain sections, narrow stone bridges(Mumyo bridge) where stones support each other to cross valleys, and knife-edge saddles(Uma-no-se; horse back), and is not the kind of place you would casually go trekking.
The Ministry of the Environment calls it the Kunisaki Peninsula “Minemichi (Mountain road)” Long Trail and recommends it, but it is truly a training ground. I don’t recommend it on windy days. (On the other hand, the ”Michinoku” Coastal Trail, which was restored after the Great East Japan Earthquake, is recommended even on windy days.) However, once you reach the top, you can see the strangely shaped rocks and peaks, and beyond that the Seto Inland Sea. Jizo statues are watching over you from every angle.
Once you go ahead beyond the top, you’ll struggle to find the way down. There’s a hidden path to the rear left at a sharp angle, so if you miss it and go ahead, you’ll find yourself suddenly faced with a sheer cliff, losing track of your position and panicking. I almost panicked too, but I calmed down and walked back to the path, where I found the entrance to the descent, but it was a long downhill climb from here to the bottom.
The circuit course starts from Reisenji Temple and takes at least two hours to complete.
Detour
Overlooking the rice fields of Tashibu-no-sho, once a manor in Kyoto, is a home-style restaurant called Shiki-sai, where it is a play on words between the four seasonal ingredients and color combinations. It is located exactly halfway between Nakayama Senkyo and Kitsuki old town.
I always drop by this restaurant because they serve elaborate dishes using unexpected ingredients, but it’s hard work because the owner does everything by herself. Even if you make a reservation, it’s better to contact her in advance to confirm.
