Mount Tsukuba is an mountain located near Tsukuba, Japan. It is one of the most famous mountains in Japan, particularly well known for its double peaks, Nyotai-san and Nantai-san. Many people climb the so-called "purple mountain" every year for the panoramic view of the Kantō plain from the summit. On clear days the Tōkyōskyline, Lake Kasumigaura and even Mount Fuji are visible from the summit. Japanese mountains are mostly volcanic, but Mount Tsukuba is non-volcanic granite and gabbro in origin. Renowned beautiful granites are produced in the northern quarries even today.
Etymology
The Fudoki of Hitachi Province, a national geography completed in 721 AD, says Mount Tsukuba was named after a noble called Tsukuha no Mikoto. According to this account, the area around Mount Tsukuba was once called Ki no kuni. Under the reign of Mimaki no Sumeramikoto, Tsukuha no Mikoto from the Uneme clan was appointed as its governor. He had a strong desire to leave his name in history, so he renamed the area "Tsukuha", which is now pronounced Tsukuba.
History
As legend has it, thousands of years ago, a deity descended from the heavens and asked two mountains for a place to spend the night. With its great summit and almost perfect cone, Mt. Fuji refused, believing with pride and arrogance that it does not need the deity's blessings. Mt. Tsukuba, on the other hand, humbly welcomed the honored guest, even offering food and water. Today, Mt. Fuji is a cold, lonely, and barren mountain, while Mt. Tsukuba bursts with vegetation and is filled with colors as the seasons change. Ancient chronicles say that the sacred progenitors of the Japanese race are enshrined here, the male divinity, Izanagi-no-Mikoto, at Mt. Nantai, and the female divinity, Izanami-no-Mikoto, at Mt. Nyotai. Legends say that the two deities wed and gave birth to other deities, and even to Japan herself. In antiquity Mt. Nyotai served as location for kagai − harvest festivals associated with fertility − allowing people to participate in the mountains' marriage and promoting marriage between people. A poem by Takahashi no Mushimaro in the anthology Man'yōshū implies that these festivals also permitted adultery:
“Washi no sumu / Tsukuha no yama no / Mohakitsu no / sono tsu no ue ni / adomohite / wotome wotoko no / yukitsudohi / kagafu kagahi ni / hitozuma ni / ware mo majiramu / waga tsuma ni / hito mo kototohe / kono yama wo / ushihaku kami no / mukashi yori / isamenu waza zo / kefu nomi ha / megushi mo na miso / koto mo togamu na”
“On the Mountain of Tsukuba / Where the eagles dwell / Near the Wells of Mohakitsu, / Seeking each other, in song of Kagai, / I will seek the wives of other men / And let other men woo my own. / The gods dwelling in these mountains / Have allowed this / Since olden times; / Do not make exception today / And do not reproach the lovers / And blame them not.”
Attractions
Mt. Tsukuba is famous not only for the legends that have appeared in poetry anthologies since 710 A.D. Today, the mountain and its centuries-old Shinto shrine are both a source of blessing for the Japanese people and a must-see attraction to both local and foreign tourists. As the peaks make a couple, they are worshipped as kami in the Shinto religion and are believed to bestow marital harmony and conjugal bliss. At the foot of the southern face lies the main shrine called “Tsukuba-san-jinja”. This ancient shrine is a popular destination for tourists, festival attendees and the occasional Japanese-style wedding. It is from here where the main hiking trails up the mountain begin. One can choose to gostraight up the mountain via the Miyukigahara course, which parallels the Swiss-made funicular, to the notch between the peaks. Or one can follow the Shirakumobashi course up to the east ridge, where it joins up with the Otatsuishi course, and then continues on up to Mt. Nyotai. In addition to the funicular there is also an aerial tramway which follows the east ridge up the mountain, paralleling the Otatsuishi course. At the top of the mountain there are many gift shops and food stalls in the area between the two peaks. Here one can purchase ramen, omiyage, beer and the local cure-all, toad oil. At both Mt. Nantai-san and Mt. Nyotai-san are small shrines devoted to their respective gods. The mountain is a popular starting point for parasailing.
Fauna and flora
Mount Tsukuba is blessed with an abundance of nature which covers the entire mountain. At lower elevations of the mountain are trees such as live oak, mountain cherry, Japanese cedar, Japanese red pine and Hinoki cypress. Higher in elevation, one can find species such as beech, Japanese mountain maple and a variety of conifers. Below these giants of the forest, the mountain is also home to hydrangea, rhododendron, hosta, bush clover, five-leaf akebia, fern, gold-banded lily and the dog-tooth violet, to name a few. Amongst these exist a myriad of insects, including hairy caterpillars, centipedes, giant hornets, stick insects, praying mantis, cicada, a number of amphibians and over 70 species of butterfly. Larger animals such as the Japanese hare, mamushi pit viper, sika deer, Japanese boar, raccoon, Eurasian badger and the Japanese red fox can be occasionally spotted. In addition, over 700 bird species are known to Mt. Tsukuba, these include the Japanese robin, Japanese pheasant, Japanese white-eye, Japanese grosbeak, cinnamon sparrow, Japanese quail and the Japanese green woodpecker.
