Godaisondake

Godaisondake (825 m) lies in Totsukawa Village, Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, and is one of the 100 famous mountains of Kansai; it is a rocky peak on the Ōmine Okugake-michi (the southern Okugake route), part of the World Heritage “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.”
Despite its modest height it is a sharp peak with a cliff on its eastern face, a mountain of Shugendō asceticism whose name is said to derive from China’s Mount Wutai. It is usually climbed by traversing from Mount Tamaki (Tamaki Shrine) via Mount Ōmori, and can also be reached from Kirihata on the Hongū side; either way it is a long, advanced route for fit hikers. By public transport, take the Nara Kotsu Yagi–Shingū line to Totsukawa Onsen, then the World Heritage reservation bus to the Mount Tamaki car park.

The starting point is the Mount Tamaki car park (just before Tamaki Shrine, about 1,000 m). The standard route is Mount Tamaki car park → Tamaki Shrine → Mount Tamaki (1,076 m) → Mount Ōmori → Godaisondake, a round trip of about 6 hours 40 minutes total walking over roughly 13 km with about 1,275 m of cumulative gain. The Okugake route has large ups and downs, and the eastern face of Godaisondake is a cliff with a knife-edge ridge, so it suits advanced hikers prepared for a long day.
The World Heritage reservation bus to the Mount Tamaki car park runs only on weekends and holidays from April to November, by full reservation, with one morning service from Totsukawa Onsen (the return from the car park is before noon)—so its schedule does not allow a round trip to Godaisondake. To reach Godaisondake, it is realistic to stay overnight at Totsukawa Onsen and take an early taxi to the car park, or to traverse the Okugake route over several days. The season is late autumn (when the Asama gentian blooms). Always check the latest bus and trail conditions before you go.

*Information last verified: June 14, 2026

How to access the trailheads

1. [Outbound] Yamato-Yagi / Shingū → Totsukawa Onsen → Mount Tamaki car park
2. [Return] Mount Tamaki car park → Totsukawa Onsen → Yamato-Yagi / Shingū

1. [Outbound] Yamato-Yagi / Shingū → Totsukawa Onsen → Mount Tamaki car park

The base for Mount Tamaki is Totsukawa Onsen. There is no railway station, so take the Nara Kotsu “Yagi–Shingū line” (Kintetsu Yamato-Yagi Station ⇔ JR Shingū Station, Japan’s longest local bus route) to Totsukawa Onsen. It is about 4 hours 30 minutes from Yamato-Yagi Station and about 2 hours 30 minutes from Shingū Station. Services are infrequent, so always check the departure and arrival times in Nara Kotsu’s official timetable (no reservation needed).

From Totsukawa Onsen to the Mount Tamaki car park, take the Nara Kotsu “World Heritage reservation bus (Mount Tamaki course).” It runs only on weekends and holidays from April to November, by full reservation (book by 5 p.m. the day before / Nara Kotsu Hiraya Office ☎0746-64-0408), and is suspended from December to March.

Taxi: Because the reservation bus’s schedule does not allow a round trip to Godaisondake, it is realistic to stay overnight at Totsukawa Onsen and take an early taxi to the Mount Tamaki car park (about 30–40 minutes by mountain road; booking ahead is reliable). Arrange it through a taxi or your inn at Totsukawa Onsen. By car: you can drive to the Mount Tamaki car park (with toilets); start early for a long day trip.

Reference: [Nara Kotsu (Yagi–Shingū line / World Heritage reservation bus)] / [Tamaki Shrine — Access]

2. [Return] Mount Tamaki car park → Totsukawa Onsen → Yamato-Yagi / Shingū

After descending, take the World Heritage reservation bus (Mount Tamaki course) from the Mount Tamaki car park back to Totsukawa Onsen. The return also runs only on weekends and holidays by reservation, with one service before noon from the car park. From Totsukawa Onsen, take the Yagi–Shingū line to Yamato-Yagi or Shingū Station. If you go all the way to Godaisondake you will not make the reservation bus’s return, so plan around a taxi or car, or an overnight stay at Totsukawa Onsen.

Reference: [Nara Kotsu (Yagi–Shingū line / World Heritage reservation bus)]

Climbing routes and safety notes

Route: Mount Tamaki car park → Tamaki Shrine → Mount Tamaki (1,076 m) → Mount Ōmori → Godaisondake (825 m). The round trip is about 6 hours 40 minutes total walking over roughly 13 km with about 1,275 m of cumulative gain—an advanced course with the large ups and downs of the Okugake route. There is also a route from Kirihata on the Hongū side (about 5 hours from Kirihata to the summit, or about 7 hours 40 minutes descending to Kumano via Rokudō-no-tsuji).

Rocky peak and narrow ridge: The eastern face of Godaisondake is a cliff, and there are knife-edge ridges and steep climbs and descents around the summit. This is a World Heritage Shugendō route but it is only minimally maintained, with few escape routes and long times, so an early start, ample fitness and gear, and a map/GPS are essential. Do not push on in rain, strong wind or fog—turn back.

Planning note: The World Heritage reservation bus runs only on weekends/holidays with a morning departure, so it cannot be used for a same-day round trip to Godaisondake. Plan around an overnight stay at Totsukawa Onsen plus an early taxi, a private car, or a multi-day Okugake traverse. Water is scarce, so carry plenty, and as bears live in the area, carry a bear bell. The season is late autumn.

Emergencies: In an accident, call 110 (police) or 119 (fire/rescue).
・Totsukawa Village Office 0746-62-0001 / Gojō Police Station 0747-23-0110

Photo by Yama0904 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0