Mt. Homan 宝満山, Mt. Tokin 頭巾山 and Mt. Sangun 三郡山 2018.8.12

Mt. Homanzan 宝満山, Mt. Tokin 頭巾山 and Mt. Sangunsan 三郡山 2018.8.12

Access: Sangunsan is reachable by following the Homanzan trail almost to the top. When you reach a signpost that points to the campground follow that. After reaching the camp ground the route to Sangunsan is just a little further. 

After a short walk past the camp ground I came to this sign. Sangunsan is a further 2.4Km so I checked my water supplies and continued on.

Not far past the sign is a small Buddha statue

And a small stone shrine

The path is a mix of easy flat trails and quite steep sections. It is a contrast to the stone steps which characterise the Homan route.

Mt. Tokin Summit sign post

After a lot of walking and clambering I came to a sign which indicated another peak just 100m from the path. This is the peak of Mt. Tokin  頭巾山 there is no view to speak of but as it was such a short distance from the main path it was worth a visit.

After emerging from the forest I came to a tarmac road which lead to a bunch of antenna and what I think might be a weather station. I would have been stumped at this point but luckily I found an older group of hikers. I needed to follow the road around and walk down the side of what looked like a dead end to reach  the summit.

Summit sign

View from the Summit

Tsukushi Onsen

I followed the path back to Homan and started the descent. I was covered in sweat so it was good when I finally reached the bottom and get to the Onsen. Tsukushi onsen is nice and the feeling of having a shower after such a long climb is wonderful.

Kazashiyama 風師山 2018.8.11

Kazashiyama 風師山 2018.8.11

Mt. Kazashi overlooks the Kanmon strait on the Kyushu side. From its popular viewpoint Kazagashira 風頭 you get wonderful view of the one of the most important shipping lanes in Japan and a great view of the surrounding area of Kitakyushu. 

We decided to take the Shinkansen for this years "Yama no hi" (Mountain day) and visit this mountain and the pretty little seaside town of Mojiko. 

Access: Take the JR Kagoshima line to JR Mojiko station  門司港駅.  From there head up to the mountain to Kiyotaki park. 

The Moji ward office actually publish a very good guide map which I have scanned the main pages of. You can pick it up from Mojiko station or from the ward office which is not too far. 

Hike route map

Map at the base of the mountain.

After walking for a short while we came to the start of the hike. You can actually drive a good way up the mountain and you often find yourself walking on the tarmac road for long periods.

Quite a lot of road walking. Need to be careful of cars coming down.

After some more road walking we came to the entrance to the Momiji valley on the left. However in the summer the area was nothing special.

The Momoji valley must look great in Autumn

The first view  point. Much better still to come.

Finally off the road. We followed the track to the last car park and the summit trailhead.

Busy wildlife sorting out the forest fires.

After a little while we hit a large group. It seems as though Moji ward office had organised the group for this years mountain. Some very friendly people that gave he kids ice and cookies when we got to the view point.  Summit sign post. The summit is actually off track through some long grass. The view is not too great but still worth a visit.

Another sign for the summit

The view from the summit.

After talking in the summit we returned to the trail to continue on and rejoin the group at Kazagashira.

The view from Kazagashira is simply stunning and very impressive.  We got the binoculars out to check out the ships passing through the strait.

The mountains in the distance looked great. With the too on the right looking like clones.

The beautiful ocean colours and clear skies.

The group all having a spot of lunch

Lots of large ships could be seen

On the way back down there is a smaller viewpoint which shows the other side of the mountain and the dense forests of the area.

After taking in the view and eating the ice it was time to head back down and enjoy Mojiko for a little bit.  The people in the group said we could enjoy watermelon smashing in the parking area but as we were pressed for time we had to decline the kind offer.

As we walked away I took one final shot from across the road of the mountain.  Overall a nice hike with some seriously wonderful views. And with Mojiko right at the bottom it makes for a great day out.

On the road on the way back down we found a friend. A praying mantis.

Beaches and coastal walking Summer 2018

Beaches and coastal walking Summer 2018

Summer is in full swing and I thought it would be a good opportunity to look at the beaches and coastal area of the area. Here are some pretty nice places to visit for enjoying the coast. I already have another post with details of Ooshima Island and Koga beach so check them out. Here are two other spots which are worthy of your attention. They are not hiking really although there is plenty of beach walking to be done in both locations. 

Nata Beach 奈多

Access: Take the JR Kagoshima line to JR Kashii from there change to the Saitozaki line to JR Nata 奈多駅. It only takes about half a hour. After leaving the station head to Shishiki shrine 志式神社 for an easy access point to the beach. When I went we tried to enter the beach further down and came out on the top of a small cliff. 

View from the top of the cliff

Climbing down the sandstone cliffs over the dunes

The sand was soft and warm, very soothing

Birds of prey circle over head

I like the view of the sand dunes

The path from the shrine to the beach through the sand dunes

Shishiki shrine and impressive sea shrine

Iki Island 壱岐島

Iki Island is located just about an hour away by ferry from Hakata port. It is a beautiful Island with access to caves, clear shallow seas, sandy beaches and a rich history. 

Access: Take the Nishittetsu bus from either Hakata or Tenjin to Hakata port. From there you can catch a ferry to Iki Island. Getting around the Island is not really hikeable (although there are plenty of places to walk around the Island) instead the best choices are to rent a car or to rent a bicycle. We rented a car so it was easy to zip around the Island. 

The port area is pretty dull with little to sea or do. The best beaches are a little way away and there are some interesting historical sights more inland.  Kojima Shrine 小島神社 only accesable during low tide

View from Kojima Shrine

A boat trip around the small Islands. The colour and clarity of the sea wa amazing

Dolphin park was actually kind of depressing

A Kofun, burial mound. Iki has a number of these and they are very well kept.

Saruiwa 猿岩A rock that is said to be shaped like a monkey

More wonderful sea views

We finished the day at Tsutsukihama beach 筒城浜 which is listed as one of the 100 best beaches in Japan. It wasn't too crowded and the sea was amazing.