Amagisan (天城山)

Location:	Honshu, Japan
Range:	Amagi Range (天城連山)
Elevation:	1,406 m (4,613 ft)
Route:	Rhododendron circuit  (シャクナゲコース)

Japan Hyakumeizan (日本百名山)


Overview
Amagisan is an extinct volcanic range in the green, hilly heart of Izu - a peninsula with a relatively mild microclimate southwest of Tokyo. The highest point, Banzaburōdake, stands at 1,406 m (4,613 ft), making it one of the few 'mini-meizans' under 1,500 m. The forests that cover the region include rhododendron, beech and andromeda.

Route Planning
The 'Shakunage' (シャクナゲ) or 'Rhododendron' circuit (marked in pink on the map below) is an easy circular walk that takes in both Banjirōdake (万二郎岳) and Banzaburōdake (万三郎岳). A short extension along the Jyusoro trail (天城山縦走路) (marked in lime green) gets you to the 'little summit' of Ko-dake (小岳). The trailhead is near the bus stop for the Amagi-kogen golf course, and there are good views of Fuji to be had along the trail - on a clear day, that is.

Source: http://www.city.izu.shizuoka.jp/org/p2794_16.jpg

Log
Early that morning, from the ryokan in Itō, I saw the bank of cloud roll in. Low, thick and grey, it silently spread its pall, and the rain trailed in its wake. For a moment, I thought of calling off the walk - but I was here to climb another meizan, and I'd done enough D of E treks as a youth not to be daunted by a spot of damp atmosphere.

The first summit, Banjirōdake (万二郎岳) (1,299 m), was an easy amble from the trailhead. One of the few pleasures of walking in the rain - in Japan at least - is the absence of crowds. I would cross paths with only two others on the trail today: a strapping American chap striding across the traverse, and a lean local fell runner loping out from among the beeches.

Pictured on the left is the famed Japanese andromeda (Pieris japonica) tunnel - with pretty boughs bedecked with flowers in the spring, but looking something like a scene from 'Pan's Labyrinth' out of season. According to a helpful sign, 'there is a poison in the tree strong enough to make a horse which eats it suffer, and walk like it is drunk'. Hence the Japanese name asebi (馬酔木) or 'drunken horse tree'.

There was no chance of any Fuji views from the trail today given the weather. I did, however, stumble upon this rusted Fuji marker in the undergrowth a little off the trail. Not quite sure what it was doing there, as it certainly didn't mark any sort of vantage point!

The main summit on the range is Banzaburōdake (万三郎岳) (1,406 m), the highest point on the Izu peninsula. Located in a small clearing in the forest, there are no views to be had here whatever the weather. A short walk away, Ko-dake (小岳) (1,360 m) - the 'little peak' - is likewise forested, but is next to a beautiful ancient stand of moss-covered Japanese beech.

I was soaked and bedraggled by the time I boarded the bus back for Itō - but it was good to get some fresh air and some greenery!

Flora
Here are some of the flowers I saw on my walk:

Torch azalea
(Rhododendron kaempferi)

Alder-leafed whitebeam
(Sorbus alnifolia)

Hydrangea hirta

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Nearby Attractions

Jogasaki Coast

Not far from Amagisan lies the Jogasaki Cape (城ヶ崎), with an attractive stretch of coastline where the black lava cliffs of eastern Izu tumble into the pellucid waters of the Pacific. There are various hiking trails along the coast, and the Kadowaki suspension bridge (門脇吊橋) offers some splendid views.