"Let's go to Yoshinoyama?"
This one-liner from my partner's mom was filled with enthusiasm and excitement but in my thoughts, oh no, I'm not prepared to hike!. I didn't bring any hiking gear, nor I have hiked a lot of mountains here in Japan, probably less than 10 5 3. Well, you would notice my blogs aren't really all about mountains and hiking, because let's be realistic, with my weight current state, I think it's too impossible for me. 🙃
But what can I do? How could I say no? Part of me wants to see and explore the famous Yoshinoyama or Mount Yoshino (in English).
While the north of Nara has Nara Park with all the deers, Mount Yoshino is a popular tourist destination south of Nara. It's jam-packed with people during spring as the mountain is covered in cherry blossoms. It's also a pretty attraction during Autumn when the leaves change from green to autumn colors.
I came here during Summer when it's serene and uncrowded.
After lunch, we drove from my partner's parent's home to the famous mountain. My partner didn't want to join us, so it's an all female group. The ride was smooth and it was quick because it's just near. We arrived at the foot of the mountain in less than half an hour.
I was being toured around, in the car and they said that usually, the car couldn't enter the mountains during the peak times of Spring. Everybody would have to walk and park their cars nearby, and the parking is a whooping 2,000 yen for a couple of hours. It's so expensive considering this is the countryside but well, this is a famous destination in the area.
We're lucky because it's not crowded, so the car could go all the way to the peak of the mountain. And that's what we did.
The road we took was so dangerous though. It was so narrow and had lots of turns. One wrong move and we would end up falling. Luckily my partner's sister is so good at driving that we were all safe.
When we reached the highest point the car could take us, we tried to roam around. My partner's mother wanted to go to the viewpoint but it seems we're in the wrong place.
We stopped to check the map and realized we're almost at the peak, just one temple ahead and we would be at the peak of the mountain.
Mount Yoshino or Yoshinoyama (吉野山) is home to a lot of temples. It's a sacred ground. It's not surprising to encounter a wild deer in the area, and the niece was shouting Shika-san! calling out to the deer but nothing came. Shika (鹿) means deer, adding -san (-さん) is being polite.
We found a trainee monk (in Japanese: 修行僧 or shugyousou) praying to every single temple from the peak down to the ground. Later on, I asked my partner about these monks and I was so surprised some even do the thousand days walk in the mountains (in Japanese: 千日回峰行 or sennichikaihougyou).
We tried to ask him for directions to the viewpoint but he could not say anything to us, instead he just pointed forward - so we moved forward and found the viewpoint.
The view was so incredible! It was so refreshing to see! It wasn't that hot and the cool breeze was blowing. We stayed there for a few moments and enjoyed the view from the top.
They explained to me how cars can't go up to this area during the cherry blossoms season. I think I wouldn't dare hike this mountain from the bottom to this viewpoint. Surely I would stay somewhere and just enjoy the view from there. But seeing the view from this viewpoint, I couldn't help but wonder how it looks when it's covered in cherry blossoms. It would surely be a delightful sight to see that one would conquer the mountains just to see their beauty.
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There was a person living in the viewpoint area and luckily, they didn't charged us with parking fee. It would be so expensive to shell out 2,000 yen (around 14.43 USD) for parking when we were just there for a few minutes. We thanked her and we're on our way after.
Even when we're thirsty, we still didn't buy any drinks from the vending machine. I figured it would be costly to buy from there.
It's downhill from here and we stopped by at the area where it's lined up for business. We were looking for refreshments but couldn't find a good one, so we went to the tofu store they know so we would eat some tofu-made products. It was an uphill hike of a few minutes, not so tiring but I wasn't exercising lately so I could feel my body not in its best shape. Obviously, I pretended to be in good shape but my breathing was catching up to me. 😂
Some stores were closed but some were opened for business. I think this place would be more lively during the cherry blossoms time.
When we reached the tofu shop, they said the restaurant was relocated so we had to go back and look for it in the little town.
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We walked and walked until we found a tofu store.
We decided not to dine in, and just take home some donuts and tofu soft cream. They treated me with soft cream, and it tasted like tofu and cream put together. 😅 It was surprisingly good, and it's a healthy snack.
We found a spot on the stairs of a temple where we could enjoy eating our ice cream. Actually, it's just the niece and I who were eating the ice cream.
We found the monk again. We're driving and he's walking and here we were in the same place. He's so fast!
A little while police roaming around the little town came in their big car telling people to park properly in the parking spaces in the town. That includes the car we were riding. My partner's sister had to move the car somewhere. We tried waiting for her back but it seems like it's taking time so the 3 of us left tried to walk down the path.
I wonder if there was an occasion or a mini event because these loud motorcycles kept coming one after another. 😄
My partner's mother said she needed to go back and buy something so the niece and I could go ahead, and so it was bonding time for me and the cute kid. We passed a few more stores and houses but we couldn't find her mom or the car. Turns out she parked the car farther and she had to walk back.
We dined in at a mochi store where the owners and my partner's family are acquainted. They said it's the best store in this little town. True enough, the mochi was so delicious. They even gave us a little treat. We brought home different kinds of mochi too.
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Since it's my first time in Yoshinoyama, we went to see the temple famous in the area. It's a big one and it's like the symbol that you have entered the sacred grounds of Yoshinoyama.
Kinpunsen-ji (金峯山寺) is a World Heritage site. Its main hall, the Zaodo, is a national treasure. By the looks of it, you can clearly see how it's been standing still across the different eras of Japan. And it's still so beautiful!
From the details above, it seems that this main hall was rebuilt in 1592 and possibly the foundation is from the old times of 1103. It's 2023 now and it still looks so sturdy and magnificent!
We lit some incense sticks, tbh, I'm not religious and this was probably my first time lighting it. We prayed afterward and roamed around for a bit before heading back.
This ground houses 4 important trees and they're referred to as the "Four Cherry Trees of Kinpusenji".
Yoshinoyama has been a beloved cherry blossom viewing destination since the Heian period (794–1185), and many white-flowering trees are found within Kinpusenji Temple’s grounds.
This fenced area in front of the entrance to the Zaodo (main hall) contains four particularly important trees. In the skirmishes here between the forces loyal to the emperor and the army of the shogunate in 1333, it is believed that Prince Morinaga (1308–1335) held his final banquet at this spot, just before his palace fell to an attack by the enemy army of 60,000. These trees are a fitting tribute to the prince and his sad story.
src: Kinpusen Temple EN website
So this area is called Nancho Myohoden Hall.
Kinpusenji Temple constructed this hall on the former site of the Yoshino Southern Imperial Palace in 1958. It was built to appease the souls of the four emperors who lived in Yoshino and those who served them, who lost their lives during the turbulent Nanbokucho period (1336–1392), as well as those lost during the Second World War. Every year on October 15, a rite is held to honor the souls of the emperors.
src: Kinpusen Temple EN website
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We didn't stay long. We had to walk a long distance to get to the car and the niece was already so tired so her mom went ahead and fast so we could just meet up.
We passed by the monorail station, and because it was a Sunday, there's no service. The monorail was small, and connected to Yoshino station, so if commuters go up to the mountain, they could take the monorail from the train station.
Nearby there's a covered rest stop and we stayed there waiting for my partner's sister. The view from here was also nice, with all the hydrangeas blooming and so colorful. Moments later, the car arrived and that's our cue to bid farewell to a few hours of exploration in the Yoshinoyama.
It was such a fine day, not so hot even for a summer so it was kinda the perfect weather to be hiking in this sacred mountain. I never knew Yoshinoyama could be so different in every season, and it's surprisingly refreshing in summer. I wish to be back, especially during the cherry blossoms season, but I think the crowd would discourage me but we'll see. 😌
Thanks for reading!
See you around! じゃあ、またね！
With love,
All photos are taken using my phone unless stated otherwise.