Mt. Eboshiyama

Mt. Eboshi (Eboshiyama, 909 m), a sharp peak of Kumano on the border of Shingū City and Nachikatsuura Town in Wakayama Prefecture, is one of the 100 Famous Mountains of Kansai and the New 100 Famous Mountains of Japan. It stands at the source of the Nachi Falls (the Nachi Forty-Eight Falls).
West of the summit is Eboshi-iwa, a rock you climb by chains, said to be the cap left by En no Gyōja turned to stone — an ascetic crag with a view over the mountains of Kumano. It is a strenuous mountain of about a 6-hour round trip from the Takada district of Shingū, passing the stone walls and former terraced fields of the abandoned village of Tawaraishi. As the Nachikatsuura side is closed after typhoon damage, the course from Takada in Shingū is now the main one, with a long forest-road walk, so combine it with an overnight stay or a car.

The trailhead is the parking area at the end of the forest road deep in the Takada district, from where you climb past the former settlement of Tawaraishi to the summit of Mt. Eboshi and Eboshi-iwa.
Eboshi-iwa is a crag climbed by chains with a fine view over the deep ranges of Kumano and the Pacific. The best seasons are spring to autumn with fresh greenery and autumn colour; watch for leeches and heat. The area is a sacred place of the Kumano faith, and the stone walls of the abandoned village of Tawaraishi recall its past. The forest road is narrow and rough, so take care both driving and walking.

*Information last checked: unverified

1. [Outbound & return] Shingū Station → Takada (Mt. Eboshi trailhead)

1. [Outbound & return] Shingū Station → Takada (Mt. Eboshi trailhead)

By public transport, take the Kumano Gobō Nankai Bus Takada Line from JR Shingū Station on the Kisei Main Line to Takada, and from Takada walk the rough forest road to the Mt. Eboshi trailhead at Tawaraishi. There is a bus, but the trailhead is far and services are limited, so check the operating days and times with Kumano Gobō Nankai Bus and combine it with a taxi or an overnight stay. By car, there is a free parking area (a few spaces, no toilet) at the trailhead up the forest road from Takada, but the road is narrow with fallen trees and rockfall; the Nachikatsuura side is closed. Shingū Station can be reached by the Nanki and Kuroshio limited expresses from the Nagoya and Osaka directions.

Reference: [Kumano Gobō Nankai Bus — route buses]

Relief map: GSI Japan