Mount Nantai

Mount Nantai, 2,486 meters, is the sacred mountain of Futarasan Shrine, and the whole mountain counts as shrine land. That sets the rules. The one way up starts inside Futarasan Shrine Chugushi on the north shore of Lake Chuzenji, and the shrine opens it only from 25 April to 11 November. In season the gate opens at 6:00. You register and pay the climbing fee, 1,000 yen for adults from high-school age, cash only, free for junior-high students and younger, any time from 6:00 until noon, and you are expected to be down before dark. The route is short and unforgiving. It gains about 1,200 meters from the lake in what is close to a straight line, first through forest, then up loose volcanic rock. The shrine puts the round trip at six to seven hours and warns that there is no water and no toilet on the way, so carry plenty of water, plus a headlamp and a bear bell. On top is the shrine's inner sanctuary, with Lake Chuzenji far below. Each summer, around the start of August, the shrine's climbing festival opens the gate at midnight for night ascents. Lake Chuzenji, Kegon Falls and Futarasan Shrine in central Nikko have their own entries.