# Mount Iwaki

> A lone 1,625-meter volcano west of Hirosaki that people in Tsugaru call Tsugaru Fuji. A toll road with 69 bends climbs to the 8th station, a lift continues to the 9th, and the summit is about 30 to 40 minutes on foot from there; hikers can also start at Iwakiyama Shrine and walk the whole way.

- Prefecture: Aomori
- Type: Mountain
- Address: Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
- Hours note: The Tsugaru Iwaki Skyline toll road is open from late April to mid-November, 8:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:00), depending on snow. The lift from the 8th station runs 9:00 to 16:30 (last ride up 16:00, last ride down 16:20) until early November and has scheduled days off, so check the official site.
- Official site: http://www.iwaki-skyline.jp/

From Hirosaki Castle's moat the mountain fills the western sky, a broad cone standing alone above the apple orchards, which is why it gets called Tsugaru Fuji. The quick way up is the Tsugaru Iwaki Skyline, a 9.8 km toll road opened in 1965 with 69 hairpin bends through beech forest. It ends at the 8th station, where on a clear day the view runs along the Shichiri-nagahama coast to the Tsugaru Peninsula and, on good days, Hokkaido. A two-seat lift goes on to the 9th station near the Torinoumi crater, and from there the summit at 1,625 meters is roughly 30 to 40 minutes over rocky ground. The full hike takes longer: the Dake route is about 4 hours, the Hyakuzawa route from Iwakiyama Shrine about 5, and the shrine's inner sanctuary sits on the summit. Each autumn, on the first day of the eighth lunar month, local people climb for the Oyama Sankei pilgrimage. Take the operator's rules seriously: it asks people not to start up from the 8th station after 13:00, and any car still parked there after 16:30 is reported to the police as a possible missing climber. Phone signal can be patchy on the mountain.

## FAQ

### How much does it cost to drive up and take the lift?

The Tsugaru Iwaki Skyline toll is 2,000 yen round trip for a standard car and 1,700 yen for a kei car. The lift costs adults 1,500 yen round trip or 1,200 yen one way; high school and junior high students pay 800 yen round trip, elementary students 600 yen, and preschoolers ride free.

### How long does it take to reach the summit?

From the top of the lift at the 9th station, about 30 to 40 minutes over rocks. Hiking from the bottom, allow about 4 hours on the Dake route or about 5 hours on the Hyakuzawa route from Iwakiyama Shrine.

### When is the road open?

Usually from late April to mid-November, 8:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:00; snow can change the dates. The lift starts a little later in spring and usually stops in early November.

### Is there a time limit for climbing from the 8th station?

The operator asks climbers not to start from the 8th station after 13:00. If a car is still in the 8th station parking after 16:30, staff report it to the police as a possible missing person, so plan to be back before then.

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Source: Mount Iwaki — Japan Voyage