Mt. Takatsuki Walk
Zamami Moonwalk
A brisk hill climb with views of a historic bay by way of a WWII monument
Route: Zamami Harbor – Mt. Takatsuki – Zamami Harbor
Distance: 3 km (round trip)
Total time: 40 mins +
Level: Easy
Overview
This walk goes from Zamami Harbor up to Mt. Takatsuki Viewpoint by way of the Tower of Peace War Memorial and back again. You will ascend from sea level to 137 meters, so be warned that on a warm day the uphill part can get pretty sweaty! The hike takes around 20 minutes each way, but you should probably budget for longer, as chances are you will want to spend time enjoying the view at the top. The name of the walk comes from the translation of Takatsukiyama, “Mt. High Moon,” but don’t expect any lunar landscapes!
Itinerary
With your back to the sea, walk inland through Zamami Village past the Zamami Village Office and the school. After about 10 minutes when you are already some way up the hill, a small diversion up a path will take you to the Tower of Peace, a memorial to the 1,200 islanders and soldiers who lost their lives in World War II, in a grove of ironwoods overlooking Zamami.
After exploring the war memorial, return to the road and continue your ascent for a further five minutes until you see a wide flagstone path directly in front of you and a set of steps off to your right. Both routes lead to the summit of Mt. Takatsuki. The sensible thing is to go up by one route and down by the other to make a little circuit.
From the summit, there is a panoramic view over the serene Agonoura Bay to the east. In the days of the Ryukyu Kingdom, sailing vessels that traveled between Okinawa and China dropped anchor here to wait for favorable winds. (If you like the look of it, Agonoura Beach is also an excellent place for a walk.) To the west you can see the elegant arc of Furuzamami Beach.
When you’ve cooled off a bit, go down, rejoin the road and return to Zamami the same way you came. If you’re in the mood for a full body workout, you can rent Nordic walking poles at the gift shop in the port building.
SUGGESTED PHOTO(S)
1. Picture from Summit
2. In town pictures
3. Turn off to Tower of Peace
4. Tower of Peace
5. Both paths
6. View to East
7. View to West