Mount Yahiko

Hike at Niigata’s Most Famous Shrine Town

Table of Contents

1 Hiking trail
2 The View
3 Popular Season
4 Foods at Top of the Mountain
5 Information

Hiking trail

Mount Yahiko (弥彦山) rises 634 metres above the ground – as high as the Tokyo Skytree – and is a popular location for hikers of all levels.

The walking trail starts 15 minutes walk from Yahiko station, which is one of the few stations in Japan that looks more like a Shinto shrine than a station.

After 15 minutes walk from Yahiko Station, you will arrive to Yahiko Shrine, the shrine is said to have more than 2400 years of history. and it is in a sacred atmosphere, surrounded by the forest.
From Yahiko Shrine to Mt. Yahiko it need to walk another 10 minutes. But there is free shuttle bus between the two.

It takes about 90 minutes to walk to the top of the mountain.
We went there at August, when it was incredibly hot. So we choose the easy way to the top of the mountian. Which the top is also accessible by the Yahikoyama Ropeway.
The mountain ropeway is also available if you would prefer to climb one-way.

The View

At the peak of the mountain, there is another small shrine. And it offers a breathtaking panorama of the Echigo Plains, along with a lookout over the Sea of Japan.

The Panpramic View

Another Shrine at the peak of the mountain

Some of the part of the Mountain route

Popular Season

The mount is popular during spring and autumn. Thousands of cherry blossoms dye the scenery a majestic pink in early April. And from November, you can enjoy the vivid reds of Japanese maple trees.
We was there in the green season of the hot summer in August, and there was still few Hydrangea flowers , which still bloom beautifully even if their season ended in most of Japan.