Ushita Alps Part 1

September 18, 2015June 16, 2016 Paul Walsh 6995 Views Hiking, Ushita-yama

Ushita-yama, unsurprisingly, looks over the neighborhood of Ushita in Higashi-ku. The summit is only 261m, but offers nice views over the city and out to Etajima and Miyajima.

The well-maintained and popular 7km trail runs between Yamane-cho, on the mountain north of Hiroshima Shinkansen Station, where MAHOGANY restaurant is located, and Higashi-ku Sports Center and the Big Wave swimming pool and skate rink consists of a series of fairly steep, but short up and downs interspersed with some pleasant (but also short) flat sections.

Distance: Approx 7km with escape routes along the way

Difficulty: Moderate

Time required:

Yamane-guchi to Onaga-yama 20 minutes (Part 1)
Onaga-yama to Ushita-yama 40 minutes (Part 2)
Ushita-yama to Mitate-yama 40 minutes (Part 3)
Mitate-yama to Ushita Astram Line Station 30 minutes (Part 3)

This series of 3 posts describes the trail as it runs from east to west, starting at the Yamane-cho trail head. You can get to the trail head by following the Futaba-yama/Peace Pagoda hike or by walking up the narrow, winding road that climbs the mountain from Hikari-machi and passed Sakuragaoka High School. It also includes a short out and back (only a few hundred meters) to Mitate-yama, the hike up to which from Ushita (Big Wave) Astram Line station is described here.

This trail runs above local neighborhoods and is fairly near the train lines. Noise of the trains and traffic does carry up here, but you’ll also hear birdsong (and screeching cicadas and chirping crickets in summer) as well as the sounds of school sports practices, neighborhood announcements and, sometimes, the sound of classical Japanese music being practiced in local meeting halls. There are vending machines at the start and finish of the hike, but there is no water on the mountain. Cell reception isn’t bad, though Softbank does struggle on sections between Ushita-yama and Mitate-yama.

You’ll see ample evidence of inoshishi wild boar activity and there is a good chance you’ll spot the odd boar if you hit the trail near dusk. I have seen many boars (and heard many more), but have not had any confrontation yet – even on one occasion when I was caught between a mother and a swirling group of excited babies. That said, avoiding dusk is probably advisable.

Yamane-guchi Trail head to Onaga-yama

We start at the 5-way intersection on the corner of which MAHOGANY is located, and which ends our description of the Peace Pagoda Hike. Get to the trail head by walking up the road that climbs next to the restaurant parking lot – you’ll see a hiking map on the left.

Head up the road for about 200m following it around as it bends left. You’ll see a small trail heading straight along a wall as the road makes a sharp right. This is the trail head, indicated by a small sign on the wall.

Follow the red arrow to Onaga-yama [尾長山] and Ushita-yama [牛田山]

Looking back, you’ll see Futaba-yama and the Peace Pagoda.

The trail makes it’s way behind some apartment buildings and then begins to climb quite steeply. In wet conditions it can get quite slippy so watch your footing.

There are ropes in a couple of sections which can be helpful if it is slippery, especially if you return this way.

There are some larger rocks as your near the top of Onaga-yama, but they are pretty easy to negotiate.

After about 500m of walking you reach the top of Onaga-yama (185.7m) so named, it is thought for the long spur that extends to the southeast. On a good day, this rocky outcrop makes for a great picnic spot!