Mount Tsukuba
Encyclopedia
Mount Tsukuba is an 877 m (2,877 ft) mountain located near Tsukuba
, Japan
. It is one of the most famous mountain
s in Japan, particularly well-known for its double peaks, Nyotai-san 877 m (2,877 ft) and Nantai-san 871 m (2,858 ft). Many people climb the so-called "purple mountain" every year for the panoramic view of the Kantō plain
from the summit. On clear days the Tōkyō
skyline
, Lake Kasumigaura
and even Mount Fuji
are visible from the mountain top. Most mountains in Japan are volcanic
, but Mount Tsukuba is composed of non-volcanic rocks such as granite
and gabbro
. The area surrounding the mountain is known to produce beautiful granite, and many rock quarries
still mine it today.
As legend has it, thousands of years ago, a deity descended from the heavens and asked two mountains for a place to spend the night. With its great summit and almost perfect cone, Mt. Fuji refused, believing with pride and arrogance, that it does not need the deity's blessings. Mt. Tsukuba, on the other hand, humbly welcomed the honored guest, even offering food and water. Today, Mt. Fuji is a cold, lonely, and barren mountain, while Mt. Tsukuba bursts with vegetation, and is filled with colors as the seasons change.
Ancient chronicles say that the sacred progenitors of the Japanese race are enshrined here, the male divinity, Izanagi-no-Mikoto
, at Mt. Nyotai, and the female divinity, Izanami-no-Mikoto
, at Mt. Nantai. Legends say that the two deities wed and gave birth to other deities, and even to Japan
herself.
are both a source of blessing for the Japanese people and a must-see attraction to both local and foreign tourists. As the peaks (male and female) make a couple, they are worshipped as kami
in the Shinto
religion and are believed to bestow marital harmony and conjugal bliss. At the foot of the southern face lies the main shrine
called “Tsukuba-san-jinja” (筑波山神社). This ancient shrine is a popular destination for tourists, festival (まつり) attendees and the occasional Japanese-style wedding. It is from here where the main hiking
trails up the mountain begin. One can choose to go straight up the mountain
via the Miyukigahara course (御幸ヶ原コース), which parallels the Swiss
-made funicular
, to the notch between the peaks. Or one can follow the Shirakumobashi course (白雲橋コース) up to the east ridge, where it joins up with the Otatsuishi course, and then continues on up to Mt. Nyotai. In addition to the funicular there is also an aerial tramway
which follows the east ridge up the mountain, paralleling the Otatsuishi course (おたつ石コース). At the top of the mountain there are many gift shops and food stalls in the area between the two peaks. Here one can purchase ramen (ラーメン)
, omiyage (お土産), beer (ビール)
and the local cure-all, toad oil (がま油). At both Mt. Nantai-san and Mt. Nyotai-san are small shrines
devoted to their respective gods.
The mountain is a popular starting point for parasailing.
, mountain cherry (山桜)
, Japanese cedar (杉), Japanese red pine (赤松) and Hinoki cypress (檜). Higher in elevation, one can find species such as beech (ぶな)
, Japanese mountain maple (山紅葉) and a variety of conifers. Below these giants of the forest, the mountain is also home to hydrangea (紫陽花)
, rhododendron (つつじ)
, hosta
, bush clover (ヤマハギ), 5-leaf Akebia (アケビ)
, fern
, gold-banded lily (ヤマユリ)
and the dog-tooth violet (片栗)
, to name a few. Amongst these exist a myriad of insects, including hairy caterpillars (毛虫)
, centipede
, giant hornets (スズメバチ), stick insects, praying mantis (カマキリ), cicada (セミ)
, a number of amphibian
s and over 70 species of butterfly (蝶)
. Larger animals such as the Japanese Hare
, Mamushi pit viper (蝮)
, Sika Deer (鹿), Japanese boar (猪)
, raccoon (洗熊)
, Eurasian badger (穴熊) and the Japanese red fox (狐)
can be occasionally spotted. In addition, over 700 bird species are known to Mt. Tsukuba, these include the Japanese robin (駒鳥)
, Japanese Pheasant
, Japanese White-eye (目白)
, Japanese Grosbeak
, Cinnamon Sparrow (すずめ)
, Japanese Quail
and the Japanese Green Woodpecker.
Tsukuba, Ibaraki
is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It is known as the location of the , a planned city developed in the 1960s.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 207,394 and a population density of 730 persons per km². Its total area is 284.07 km².Mount Tsukuba, particularly well-known...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is one of the most famous mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s in Japan, particularly well-known for its double peaks, Nyotai-san 877 m (2,877 ft) and Nantai-san 871 m (2,858 ft). Many people climb the so-called "purple mountain" every year for the panoramic view of the Kantō plain
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
from the summit. On clear days the Tōkyō
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
skyline
Skyline
A skyline is the overall or partial view of a city's tall buildings and structures consisting of many skyscrapers in front of the sky in the background. It can also be described as the artificial horizon that a city's overall structure creates. Skylines serve as a kind of fingerprint of a city, as...
, Lake Kasumigaura
Lake Kasumigaura
is the second-largest lake in Japan, located 60 km to the north-east of Tōkyō. Lake Kasumigaura is actually the name given to a group of contiguous lakes, which includes the main lake, Nishiura , and two smaller lakes, Kitaura is the second-largest lake in Japan, located 60 km to the...
and even Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji
is the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
are visible from the mountain top. Most mountains in Japan are volcanic
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
, but Mount Tsukuba is composed of non-volcanic rocks such as granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
and gabbro
Gabbro
Gabbro refers to a large group of dark, coarse-grained, intrusive mafic igneous rocks chemically equivalent to basalt. The rocks are plutonic, formed when molten magma is trapped beneath the Earth's surface and cools into a crystalline mass....
. The area surrounding the mountain is known to produce beautiful granite, and many rock quarries
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
still mine it today.
History
Ancient chronicles say that the sacred progenitors of the Japanese race are enshrined here, the male divinity, Izanagi-no-Mikoto
Izanagi
is a deity born of the seven divine generations in Japanese mythology and Shinto, and is also referred to in the roughly translated Kojiki as "male-who-invites" or Izanagi-no-mikoto. It is also pronounced Izanaki-no-Okami....
, at Mt. Nyotai, and the female divinity, Izanami-no-Mikoto
Izanami
In Japanese mythology, is a goddess of both creation and death, as well as the former wife of the god Izanagi-no-Mikoto. She is also referred to as Izanami-no-kami.-Goddess of Creation:...
, at Mt. Nantai. Legends say that the two deities wed and gave birth to other deities, and even to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
herself.
Attractions
Mt. Tsukuba is famous not only for the legends that have appeared in poetry anthologies since 710 A.D. Today, the mountain and its centuries-old Shinto shrineJinja (Shinto)
A Shinto shrine is a structure whose main purpose is to house one or more Shinto kami....
are both a source of blessing for the Japanese people and a must-see attraction to both local and foreign tourists. As the peaks (male and female) make a couple, they are worshipped as kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
in the Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
religion and are believed to bestow marital harmony and conjugal bliss. At the foot of the southern face lies the main shrine
Jinja (Shinto)
A Shinto shrine is a structure whose main purpose is to house one or more Shinto kami....
called “Tsukuba-san-jinja” (筑波山神社). This ancient shrine is a popular destination for tourists, festival (まつり) attendees and the occasional Japanese-style wedding. It is from here where the main hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
trails up the mountain begin. One can choose to go straight up the mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
via the Miyukigahara course (御幸ヶ原コース), which parallels the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
-made funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
, to the notch between the peaks. Or one can follow the Shirakumobashi course (白雲橋コース) up to the east ridge, where it joins up with the Otatsuishi course, and then continues on up to Mt. Nyotai. In addition to the funicular there is also an aerial tramway
Aerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
which follows the east ridge up the mountain, paralleling the Otatsuishi course (おたつ石コース). At the top of the mountain there are many gift shops and food stalls in the area between the two peaks. Here one can purchase ramen (ラーメン)
Ramen
is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings such as , , kamaboko, green onions, and occasionally corn...
, omiyage (お土産), beer (ビール)
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
and the local cure-all, toad oil (がま油). At both Mt. Nantai-san and Mt. Nyotai-san are small shrines
Jinja (Shinto)
A Shinto shrine is a structure whose main purpose is to house one or more Shinto kami....
devoted to their respective gods.
Fauna and Flora
Mt. Tsukuba is blessed with an abundance of nature which covers the entire mountain. At lower elevations of the mountain are trees such as live oak (赤樫)Live oak
Live oak , also known as the southern live oak, is a normally evergreen oak tree native to the southeastern United States...
, mountain cherry (山桜)
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes the plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds. There are around 430 species spread throughout the northern temperate regions of the globe. Many members of the genus are widely cultivated for fruit and ornament.-Botany:Members of the genus...
, Japanese cedar (杉), Japanese red pine (赤松) and Hinoki cypress (檜). Higher in elevation, one can find species such as beech (ぶな)
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
, Japanese mountain maple (山紅葉) and a variety of conifers. Below these giants of the forest, the mountain is also home to hydrangea (紫陽花)
Hydrangea
Hydrangea is a genus of about 70 to 75 species of flowering plants native to southern and eastern Asia and North and South America. By far the greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably China, Japan, and Korea...
, rhododendron (つつじ)
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
, hosta
Hosta
Hosta is a genus of about 23–45 species of lily-like plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae, native to northeast Asia. They have been placed in their own family, Hostaceae ; like many 'lilioid monocots', they were once classified in the Liliaceae...
, bush clover (ヤマハギ), 5-leaf Akebia (アケビ)
Akebia quinata
Akebia quinata is a shrub that is native to Japan, China and Korea.It grows to 10 metres or more in height and has compound leaves with five leaflets. The inflorescences are clustered in racemes and are chocolate-scented, with three or four sepals. The fruits are sausage-shaped pods which contain...
, fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
, gold-banded lily (ヤマユリ)
Lilium speciosum
Lilium speciosum, sometimes called the Japanese lily , is a lily native to Japan. It grows up to around 1.5 m in height. The flowers are white to pink in colour, and strongly scented. It is later flowering than most other species...
and the dog-tooth violet (片栗)
Erythronium japonicum
Katakuri is a species of lily native to Japan, Korea and northeastern China.-Uses:Katakuri starch, or katakuriko , is a starch originally processed from the corm of katakuri. Despite having kuri , lit...
, to name a few. Amongst these exist a myriad of insects, including hairy caterpillars (毛虫)
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
, centipede
Centipede
Centipedes are arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda of the subphylum Myriapoda. They are elongated metameric animals with one pair of legs per body segment. Despite the name, centipedes can have a varying number of legs from under 20 to over 300. Centipedes have an odd number of pairs of...
, giant hornets (スズメバチ), stick insects, praying mantis (カマキリ), cicada (セミ)
Cicada
A cicada is an insect of the order Hemiptera, suborder Auchenorrhyncha , in the superfamily Cicadoidea, with large eyes wide apart on the head and usually transparent, well-veined wings. There are about 2,500 species of cicada around the world, and many of them remain unclassified...
, a number of amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
s and over 70 species of butterfly (蝶)
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
. Larger animals such as the Japanese Hare
Japanese Hare
The Japanese Hare is an Asian hare.-Geographic range:The Japanese Hare is found on the continent of Asia. It is found primarily in 5 countries even though it is named for Japan. The Japanese Hare is found in Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea, and Russia.-Habitat:The Japanese Hare is mostly...
, Mamushi pit viper (蝮)
Mamushi
Gloydius blomhoffii, commonly known as the mamushi, or Japanese mamushi, is a venomous pitviper species found in China, Japan, and Korea. There are four subspecies including the nominate subspecies described here....
, Sika Deer (鹿), Japanese boar (猪)
Boar
Wild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
, raccoon (洗熊)
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
, Eurasian badger (穴熊) and the Japanese red fox (狐)
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
can be occasionally spotted. In addition, over 700 bird species are known to Mt. Tsukuba, these include the Japanese robin (駒鳥)
Japanese Robin
The Japanese Robin or komadori is a songbird. Recent research suggests that the East Asian robins belong into a new genus uniting them with some East Asian Luscinias such as the Siberian Blue Robin.The name "Japanese Robin" is also sometimes used for the Red-billed Leiothrix .The specific name...
, Japanese Pheasant
Green Pheasant
The Green Pheasant, Phasianus versicolor, also known as Japanese Pheasant, is native to the Japanese Archipelago, to which it is endemic. The male is distinguished from that species by its dark green plumage on the breast and mantle. The male also has an iridescent violet neck, red bare facial...
, Japanese White-eye (目白)
Japanese White-eye
The Japanese White-eye , also known as the mejiro , is a small passerine bird in the white-eye family. The specific epithet is occasionally written japonica, but this is incorrect due to the gender of the genus. Its native range includes much of east Asia, including Japan, China, Vietnam, Taiwan,...
, Japanese Grosbeak
Japanese Grosbeak
The Japanese Grosbeak, Eophona personata, is a finch native to East Asia....
, Cinnamon Sparrow (すずめ)
Cinnamon Sparrow
The Russet Sparrow , also called the Cinnamon or Cinnamon Tree Sparrow, is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae. A chunky little seed-eating bird with a thick bill, it has a body length of . Its plumage is mainly warm rufous above and grey below...
, Japanese Quail
Japanese Quail
The Japanese Quail, also known as Coturnix Quail, Coturnix japonica, is a species of Old World Quail found in East Asia. They are a migratory species, breeding in Manchuria, southeastern Siberia, northern Japan, and the Korean Peninsula, and wintering in the south of Japan and southern China. They...
and the Japanese Green Woodpecker.