This morning I went to Takatoriyama to set up my trail camera. I parked my car at Fukuchiyama dam.
There are 2 courses from Fukuchiyama dam. The course from Torino shrine is wild and a little dangerous, so since it was still dark, I took the more relaxing Uchigaiso course.
This course follows a nice stream and some small waterfalls. Some of it is along forest road and the Kyushu Nature Trail.
About halfway up I found a good spot for my trail cam, set it up, then continued on to the peak.
Near the top is a junction (Agano koshi). Left will take you to Fukuchiyama and right will take you to Takatoriyama.
I reached the peak in just under an hour and had the place to myself. I didn’t check out the Takatori-jo Castle ruins this time, but it is definitely worth seeing if you haven’t already.
There are nice views from the peak of Nogata city and Tagawa. Being a castle mountain, there’s lots of space. It’s a great place to have some lunch, or in my case, some breakfast. Have a look at the peak in the video below.
On the way down I met a young 60-year-old man. We had a nice chat along the way back to the dam. He told me about some kiln ruins on the mountain from around 70 years ago. I’d like to learn a little more about these and check some out. He strongly recommended I climb Mt. Okue in Miyazaki. It’s a little far from me, but it’s on my “to climb” list.
These course is not so exciting, but it’s nice and relaxing. Great view from the peak, too. Usually hikers climb this mountain as part of a Fukuchiyama hike.
| Time | Distance | Up | Down |
| 2:08 | 4.8km | 45m | 452m |
For full activity data and trail map, visit my YAMAP activity page here: https://yamap.com/activities/7720958
ACCESS:
I parked my car at Fukuchiyama dam close to the trailhead. Google map link: https://goo.gl/maps/yYyZ3AX5GhrRreub6
There is a bus stop at the dam. Google map link: https://goo.gl/maps/t82bttk8B8mE5J5k7
Buses run from Nogata train station to the dam.
Thanks for reading!
Kyushu Trail 