See & Do
Mt. Ryuo

6^th century to 16^th century

One day of hiking, ten centuries of history on a sacred mountain.

With a wide view of the picturesque mountains across the Nara basin, centuries of history, and easy access, Mt. Ryuo is the most popular mountain to hike in Tenri City.

A relatively low mountain, it typically takes two or three hours from the base in Yanagimoto Town to the summit, where a castle once watched over the area. Named after the dragon deity of water, Mt. Ryuo was the source of water for local farmers going back to ancient times. The mountain’s two unique routes allow us to feel both its history and how precious of a place this has always been for local people.

One is the Chogakuji Route, which begins near the historic temple. Though there are a few spots that require careful climbing, this route is considered the easier of the two to climb up. Sunlight spills through the forest that surrounds us. Part way up, a sign points us to the Okunoin, the inner sanctuary of Chogakuji Temple. It leads us down a small path that branches off the main route, to a large stone statue of Acala, or Fudo Myoh-oh in Japanese. With the cool green forest and sound of water trickling by, it is a very peaceful place to take a break during our climb.

In addition to the Chogakuji Route, there is also the Sujin Route. Beginning from behind the great keyhole-shaped tomb of Japan’s tenth emperor and continuing into the forest of the mountain, the path is surrounded by some dirt mounds and large boulders, sometimes with a visible opening. Those are actually kofun tombs! The Mt. Ryuo Kofun Tomb Cluster has over 600 tombs, constructed along the slope of the mountain from the mid 6th century into the first half of the 7th century. As you climb, we hope you can take your time, and imagine what kind of a place this mountain was for people in those days.

In addition to the mountain breeze and wide view, the summit of Mt. Ryuo also has its own history. From 1532 to 1554 CE, military commander Toichi Totada had a mountain castle on the southern and northern summits. Daimyo Matsunaga Hisahide controlled the castle from 1558 to 1569 CE, but in 1580, Oda Nobunaga closed all castles in the Yamato region except for Koriyama Castle, and today, just a few stone steps of the Mt. Ryuo Castle remain. Though we can access both the southern and northern summits, the southern summit is the one with the great view of the basin, allowing us imagine what people of the 16^th century may have seen from here.

Today, locals and people from all over Japan come to southern Tenri City to climb Mt. Ryuo. We recommend wearing shoes and clothing that are easy to climb in. We also recommend taking enough water for the whole day. Refreshing for the body and mind, we hope you have the chance to climb this sacred mountain.

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