Burj Khalifa in Dubai, Eiffel Tower in Paris, CN Tower in Toronto, Empire State Building in New York City...
These are the worldt's most famous tall towers, known as the icons of their respective cities.
People are excited to see the panoramic views from the top of the buildings.
Is there such a skyscraper in Shimane?
No....., but we have the Kitayama Mountains!
⬆ The north part of the Shimane peninsula has a mountain range, which is called Kitayama, meaning "the north mountains." The Kitayama mountains lie along the northern edge of the Shimane peninsula and these peaks are about 500 meters high.
The mountains rise sharply from Izumo Plain and the view from the top along the ridge is like a view from a tower in a city.
Here, I will write about the western block of the Kitayatama Mountains, in the north of Izumo city. (We simply call that Kitayama.)
A one day hike along the ridge of the Kitayama Mountains would be really exciting!
Park your car at the Misen Parking Area near the famous sightseeing spot, the Izumo Taisha, and start walking from there. The Misen Peak, about 500m, is the nearest peak from your start point, and it is the second highest peak in Kitayama. You can enjoy a walk along the ridge from the Misen Peak to the Tabushi Peak, the east end. Then, you can easily reach a train station by going down from there. The entire hiking course takes nearly a whole day.
The steep slope to the Misen Peakâžž
After the treacherous slope to the Misen peak, the course gets much easier along the ridge, and you can keep enjoying the view on both sides, to the city in the south and to the Sea of Japan in the north.
At the end, you can stand on the Tabushi Peak, the east end. If you are lucky and the sky is clear, you can see Mt. Daisen in the east, over Lake Shinji.
After walking down the mountain, you can easily reach the Tabushi Station of Ichibata Railway. Enjoy a short ride on the local train back to the Izumo Taisha Mae Station, in front of Izumo Taisha. You can easily go back to the place you parked your car.
The convenience of the local train along the mountains is one of the nice points of this hiking course. Plan a visit to Izumo area with your hiking shoes if you are a hiker👟
⬆ The panoramic view from the Misen Peak