Castle Town, Samurai Houses, Temples, Mountain Castle, Stone Monkey
A hike through an old castle town and up to a powerful 700-year-old mountain castle, stopping along the way to enjoy the serene atmosphere of quiet countryside Buddhist temples, beautiful farmland, and peaceful cedar forests.
* No payment required at this time. Osaka Day Tours will soon contact you and confirm tour date availability. If your chosen date is available, you will be able to lock in your tour at that time.
Tour Time: 8:30-17:30 (9-hour tour)
Tour Guide: Kevin Riley
Included: All transportation from Osaka City to trailhead, a Kuma’s Kitchen prepared lunch, and a celebratory beverage on the return trip.
Standard Hike to the Castle in the Clouds
- Train ride through Japanese countryside and towns, crossing from Osaka Prefecture into the Nara Valley.
- Walk though an ancient castle town and spot the surviving samurai houses.
- Look for the special tiles that commemorate the plants that were harvested for herbal remedies here in the village that was nicknamed “Medicine Town”.
- Walk past orchards and farm fields as we start the climb to the powerful mountain castle.
- Stop for a peaceful break at a tiny Zen temple and enjoy the view it commands over the farms and terraced fields below.
- Enter the family temple of the lords of the mountain castle and visit the graves of these feudal lords.
- Go on a sand-stepping pilgrimage of the 88 sacred sites of Shikoku – a pilgrimage that takes minutes rather than days.
- Pass through the Seven Bends and a number of stone fortifications, where you’ll realize how difficult it would have been to attack this castle.
- Detour to Kunimi (Country View) to enjoy the fantastic vista that gives you a look over the whole Nara Valley, and all the way back to Osaka on a clear day.
- Enjoy a rewarding lunch, prepared by Kuma’s Kitchen, on top of the old castle keep. Truly “lunch with a view”.
- Stop by to say “Hi” to the Monkey Stone and discover why this simian statue is sitting here all alone in the forest.
- Descend through a large bamboo forest and experience the difference between a wild bamboo forest and the manicured bamboo groves of Kyoto.
- Visit a late 7th century burial mound that is famous for its murals of the four divine creatures of the compass points and a full astrological map on the tomb’s ceiling.
- Celebrate your adventure with a complimentary beverage on the train ride back to Osaka.
* No payment required at this time. Osaka Day Tours will soon contact you and confirm tour date availability. If your chosen date is available, you will be able to lock in your tour at that time.
Special Requirements
- This is a moderately challenging hike, with climbs and a mountain trail. Good hiking boots or shoes are required.
- There can be stronger winds and cooler weather on the mountaintop. A light windbreaker is recommended.