Mt. Tatsuwaresan

Mt. Tatsuwaresan (竪破山, 658 m) in Jūō, Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture is one of the 100 Famous Mountains of Kantō. A low mountain at the southern end of the Abukuma range, it is dotted with great boulders and strange rocks — Tachiwari-ishi, Kabuto-iwa, Tegata-iwa and more — along the path to Kurosaki Shrine on the summit. Tachiwari-ishi (“sword-split rock”) is a famous stone said to have been cleaved in two by Minamoto no Yoshiie with a great sword, and Tokugawa Mitsukuni is said to have called it “most extraordinary.” With a virgin beech forest and a tour of the rocks, it offers plenty to see despite its modest height.
The nearest station is Jūō on the JR Jōban Line, but as there is no through public transport to the trailhead, take a taxi from the station to the Tatsuwaresan car park.

Mt. Tatsuwaresan is one of the 100 Famous Mountains of Kantō. The trailhead is the Tatsuwaresan car park in Kurosaka, Jūō (about 20 spaces). As no bus runs through to the trailhead, the practical way is to take a taxi from Jūō Station on the JR Jōban Line. From the car park the trail tours the strange rocks — Fudō-ishi, Tachiwari-ishi and others — up to the summit (658 m) with Kurosaki Shrine.

*Information last checked: unverified

1. [Outbound] Jūō Station → Tatsuwaresan car park (trailhead) → Mt. Tatsuwaresan (taxi + on foot)
2. [Return] Mt. Tatsuwaresan → Tatsuwaresan car park → Jūō Station
3. Routes, recommended plans & area info

1. [Outbound] Jūō Station → Tatsuwaresan car park (trailhead) → Mt. Tatsuwaresan (taxi + on foot)

The gateway is Jūō Station on the JR Jōban Line. As no route bus runs through to the Tatsuwaresan car park, take a taxi from Jūō Station (booking ahead is reliable). The car park (about 400 m elevation, about 20 spaces, with toilets) is the trailhead; passing strange rocks — Fudō-ishi, Eboshi-ishi, Tatami-ishi and Tachiwari-ishi — it is about 40–50 minutes to the summit (658 m) with Kurosaki Shrine. By car, use the Hitachi-Kita or Takahagi interchange on the Jōban Expressway.

Reference: Hitachi Tourism Association — Tatsuwaresan hiking course

2. [Return] Mt. Tatsuwaresan → Tatsuwaresan car park → Jūō Station

To descend, retrace the route and take a taxi from the Tatsuwaresan car park back to Jūō Station. Even touring the rocks, the descent takes about an hour. The trailhead is in the hills with poor mobile reception, so tell the taxi your expected descent time and book a pickup before you start climbing.

Reference: Hitachi Tourism Association — Tatsuwaresan

3. Routes, recommended plans & area info

Standard plan (rock-tour loop): Tatsuwaresan car park → Fudō-ishi → Eboshi-ishi → Tatami-ishi → Tachiwari-ishi → Kurosaki Shrine and summit (658 m) → descent, touring the rocks, about 2 hours 30 minutes round trip. From the summit observation point you can see the Pacific Ocean and the Abukuma hills.
Highlights: Tachiwari-ishi (the legendary boulder split clean in two), strange rocks such as Kabuto-iwa and Tegata-iwa, and a virgin beech forest. Each November a “Wind Concert” is held at Kurosaki Shrine.

Reference: Yamareco — Tatsuwaresan

Photo by Koda6029 / CC BY-SA 4.0