Mt. Kurotaki Trekking
Mt. Kurotaki, with its coastal views and religious artifacts, is a symbol of Tadanoumi, a historic port town located in Takehara. The 266-meter mountain peak has panoramic views of the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, including Okunoshima (Rabbit Island), and Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s four major islands. The Shimanami Kaido Bridge, which connects Hiroshima Prefecture on the main island of Honshu and Ehime Prefecture on Shikoku, can also be seen from Mt. Kurotaki. Along the trail, scenic spots are marked, offering views of the Seto Inland Sea.
Rai Sanyo (1780–1832), a prominent local Confucian scholar, historian, artist, and poet, is known to have climbed the mountain. He coined the expression sanshi suimei (purple mountains; light shimmering on the water) to describe the scenery of the Seto Inland Sea from Takehara at dusk.
There is a rest stop at the trailhead called sakurado (cherry tree hall), which features a grouping of cherry trees that blossom in the spring, creating a “hall.”
Along the trail are 33 stone Kannon statues that were placed there around 1820. Two miniature torii gates are just off the main path on the way to the summit. It is said that anyone who can manage to squeeze through them will receive good luck.
The mountain also has some unusual rock formations near the peak.
The sakurado rest stop at the trailhead is about a 30-minute walk from Tadanoumi Station. The hike from the trailhead to the summit takes around 40 minutes.