Recommended Mountains in Kochi

A view from Bandagamori

   It is said that 84% of Kochi Prefecture is mountainous, which is good news for hiking fans! The countless mountain ranges offer great variety for the avid hiker. However, it makes it impossible to introduce all of Kochi’s mountains without writing a book, so here are seven mountains from all over Kochi with their basic information and features as a starting point.

○Bandagamori, Sakawa Town and Susaki City
   Height: 769.3m Time to peak: 2 hours
   Nearest station: 10min. from JR Aso Station
   Parking: Sodayama Shrine
   Best season: Cherry blossoms in mid-February to mid-March
   Chrysanthemums in mid-October tomid-November
   Features: Easy climbing, 360 degree view, famous Yukiwari cherry blossoms

○Tengu-no-mori, Tsuno Town
   Height: 1484.9m Time to peak: 1hour
   Transport: Bus from Susaki City
   Parking: Tengusou parking lot
   Best season: Flowers in late May and September
   Features: Beautiful views of the Shikoku Karst, the vast Tengu Plateau, expansive variety of flora and fauna

○Kajigamori, Otoyo Town
   Height: 1399.6m Time to peak: 3hours
   Nearest station: 10min. from JR Toyonaga Station
   Parking: JR Toyonaga Station or JR Ootaguchi Station
   Best season: All seasons. Flowers in April and May, camping and stargazing in summer, foliage in autumn, and rime ice in winter
   Features: Year-round easy access, stargazing at the Kajigamori Lodge’s Observatory (reservations required)

○Sanrei (also known as Miune), Tosayamada, Kami City
   Height: 1893.4m Time to peak: 4hours
   Parking: Hikari-ishi Starting Point
   Best season: Azaleas mid-May to early June, foliage late October to early November
   Features: Tallest mountain in Kochi, challenging hike, mountain hut lodging

○Senbonyama, Umaji Village
   Height: 1084.4m Time to peak: 2hours
   Parking: Senbonyama Starting Point
   Best season: Fresh greenery in April
   Features: Expansive forests of the beautiful Yanase Cedar, one of Japan’s top three forests

○Kuishiyama, Kochi City
   Height: 1176.4m Time to peak: 90minutes
   Parking: Kuishiyama Seishonen-no-ie
   Best season: All seasons. Flowers in spring and summer, foliage in autumn, beautiful snowfall in winter
   Features: Japan’s first recreational forest, easy climbing, great all year round

○Iyofuji, Ino Town
   Height: 1756.0m Time to peak: 70minutes
   Parking: Old Kanpuzan Tunnel Starting Point
   Best season: Autumn foliage in mid-October
   Features: Views of Seto Inland Sea, autumn foliage and snow may be seen together

Taken from vol.38 PDF