60 minutes to the summit! ? There is also a spectacular view of the ocean from the mountaintop! Introducing "Mayama" where you can enjoy the mountains and sea of Ise-Shima at the same time

Article production / Mie Travel Ambassador TAKA

[Things to keep in mind when climbing]

Climbing involves dealing with nature, so there is a good chance that uncertainties and unexpected situations will occur. Be prepared, plan well, and have fun.

① When climbing, give yourself plenty of time and choose a mountain that suits your experience and physical strength.
② Make a climbing plan in advance and submit a climbing report to the nearest police station or mountain climbing post by the day of the hike. Don't forget your map and compass on the day.
③ There is a possibility of encountering dangerous wild animals such as bears and hornets. Bring along equipment to deal with them, such as a bear bell.
④ Check the weather information beforehand. The climate in the mountains is subject to rapid changes. Be sure to prepare clothing that can handle sudden changes in temperature, including rain gear.
⑤ Bring water and portable food, take precautions against heat stroke, and take adequate breaks.
⑥ When climbing the mountain in winter, be sure to bring snowy mountain climbing equipment such as crampons. Even if there is no snow at the foot of the mountain, there may still be snow and ice near the top of the mountain.

~table of contents~

• About Masan
• Can beginners climb Mt. Masan?
• Introducing Masan mountain climbing routes
• Access to parking lot
• About recommended spots around Masan
• in conclusion

About Masan

The mountain I will be introducing this time is ``Mayama'' located in Minamiise MinamiiseTown Prefecture.

Where on earth did the name “Masan” come from?

There are various theories

It has origins such as ``because the overall shape of the mountain resembles the back of a horse'' or ``because the military commanders of the Sengoku period used to practice horseback riding.''

It definitely looks like a horse's back! ?

…how is it? (lol)

Because the mountain has the word "horse" in its name, it was said to be crowded in years when the Chinese zodiac sign was the Horse.

By the way, in 2022, the NPO Nanse Tech-Tech Association and MinamiiseTown Hall installed information signs, steps on steep slopes, and a sign at the top, making the mountain even easier to climb.

Can beginners climb Mt. Masan?

Is this mountain suitable for beginner climbers? In conclusion, Masan is a mountain for people who want to climb a mountain in the future.

The reasons are mainly these two

・It is only about 200m above sea level and can be reached in about an hour.

・The view from the top was amazing and I'm glad I climbed the mountain! I feel a sense of accomplishment such as

This was my first time climbing the mountain, and I was able to reach the top in no time, and the view from the top was so spectacular that I couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow!"

Introducing Masan mountain climbing routes

This time we will be walking along a route that starts from Aisu no Yakata, which is considered to be a popular route for climbing Masan.

``Aisu no Yakata'' displays old documents related to ``Aisui Kosai Hisatada,'' who is considered the founder of kendo. It is also unique in that it has a place where you can enjoy learning by "looking, listening, and touching."

There is a mountain trail behind Aisu no Yakata, and you can follow this route.

It is divided into two routes, the blue arrow on the left of the photo and the yellow arrow on the right, but you can basically go to the top of Mt. Masan from either direction, and if you follow the route on the left...

There is a statue of an ushi-oni that appears in folklore passed down in this area, as well as an old well.

It's quite difficult to climb the stairs at the start, but let's do our best.

As you continue along the road, you will arrive at the Gokasho Castle Ruins, which was the castle of the Aishu clan that I introduced earlier.

This place has been designated as a historic site by Mie Prefecture, and was once a mountain castle in the Middle Ages, so there are remains of a moat and mansion, but no stone walls.

Regarding the mountain trail ahead, if you reach the Gokasho Castle Ruins, you will have gone too far, so you will have to go back a little.

It's a little difficult to find as there are no signs showing directions, but there is a signboard with a picture of a swordsman about 100 meters before the road to Gokasho Castle Ruins.

If you look closely, you'll see that there's a road on the other side that leads to the mountain trail, so if you're lost here, please use this as a reference.

~For your reference~

The blue line is the road to Gokasho Castle Ruins, and the yellow line is the road to the trailhead.

After walking through the bamboo forest for a while, you will see a house.

As you head to the left, you will see the sign in the photo, so proceed straight according to the sign (proceed to the yellow line).

Red signs like this will appear here and there, so I think it would be a good idea to use them as a guide to know if this is the right path ^ ^

After walking for about 30 minutes from the Aisu no Yakata parking lot, you will finally (?) arrive at the trailhead.

You may have thought, “Hmm, let’s start from here!?” (lol)
At the top of the mountain, you will be rewarded with a wonderful view, so let's do our best ^ ^

Basically, the road to Masan is covered in forest, but as you can see in the photo, there are some areas that are wide open, so you can enjoy a sense of openness.

From the sign that says trailhead, there is a climb that seems like mountain climbing, but it's okay to take it slow, so just take it step by step.

In places where the climb is difficult, there are ropes as shown in the photo, so you can rely on them while climbing.

Once this rope comes out, the summit is almost there!

It takes about an hour from Aizu no Yakata to reach the peak of Masan.

There is a wonderful view right in front of you, and the view of the sea from the top of the mountain is exceptional♪

I think seeing this scenery in a photo is completely different from actually seeing it, so I hope you can see it with your own eyes ^ ^

Access to parking lot

As for the parking lot, you can use the parking lot at ``Aisu no Yakata'', which was our base this time.

Please refer to the information below for access.

Aisu no Yakata

About recommended spots around Masan

You'll be hungry after climbing, right?

Here are three recommended spots that you'll want to stop by after climbing Masan.

Western food and coffee tower FIVE

``Yoshoku to Coffee Tower FIVE'' is a restaurant where you can enjoy delicious coffee and Western food, and is visited by many locals and people from far away.

I ordered the famous "Special Fried Shrimp" here.

Two large fried shrimp served with homemade tartar sauce!

You can choose from 2 to 4 fried shrimp.

The prices are 1,600 yen (2 animals), 2,000 yen (3 animals), and 2,400 yen (4 animals).

I was surprised that the fried shrimp was bigger than it looked!

It went perfectly with the tartar sauce, and for a moment I was worried that I wouldn't be able to finish it all (since it was a large fried shrimp), but I was able to enjoy it without any problems (lol)

*Fried shrimp comes with salad, rice, and miso soup.

We also offer fried horse mackerel made with fresh horse mackerel from MinamiiseTown, seasonal homemade sweets, and carefully hand-drip blended coffee, each cup of which you can enjoy while accompanied by high-quality music.

Western food and coffee tower FIVE

Taiyaki Marusho

Next, we would like to introduce Taiyaki Marusho, a hidden gem located a little off National Route 260.

The special feature of this taiyaki is that they are particular about the ingredients used, and the dough is made with wheat bran from MinamiiseTown and pearl salt nurtured by the sea in MinamiiseTown.

This time I had two dishes: red bean paste and cream taiyaki, and the red bean paste was also made with 100% domestically produced ingredients, and I believe the cream was also homemade, but it wasn't your average cream. It was so delicious that even I could tell ^^

The prices are 180 yen for Kokura, 200 yen for cream, and 230 yen for matcha.

The owner also greeted us with a smile!

Thank you very much ^ ^

Taiyaki Marusho

Gokasho Mikan Direct Sales Shop/Tomiki

The last place we would like to introduce is the Gokasho Mikan Direct Sales Shop Tsumiki, which sells products produced in MinamiiseTown, such as the Minamiise brand Gokasho Mikan.

You can purchase the shop's original processed products, so it would be perfect as a souvenir when you come here ^ ^

I bought this mandarin orange juice (590 yen per bottle)

The taste of mandarin orange was rich and delicious♪

There were many other products related to mandarin oranges, so I love mandarin oranges! I think this is a store you should check out.

Gokasho Mikan Direct Sales Shop/Tomiki

in conclusion

How was it.

This time we introduced Mt. Masa, which towers over MinamiiseTown.

We recommend it because it is a low mountain, less than 200m above sea level, and you can reach the top in about an hour's walk, and the sea view from the top is also spectacular.

There are food shops and souvenir shops that are unique to MinamiiseTown, so I hope you will visit them as a detour while sightseeing in Ise-Shima ^ ^

Thank you for reading until the end!