Mt. Heiji and The Pink Flowers of Kyushu

By John Perry

Hey everyone, glad to be back in the pages of Fukuoka Now! I heard that my last article about Mt. Okue in Miyazaki had some good reviews so this time I decided to write about another favorite hike of mine that is especially beautiful at this time of year, Mt. Heiji in the Kuju Highlands of Oita Prefecture. The mountains of Kuju, as I'm sure some of you know, are one of the most popular outdoor recreation areas in Kyushu and home to Naka Dake, which at 1,791m is the highest mountain on Kyushu. The area is a hiker's wonderland with a web of trails connecting all its peaks. Mt. Heiji, located in the northeast corner, is a great mountain to hike any day but what makes it such a beautiful place to visit at this time of year are the Miyamakirishima Azaleas that turn the slopes of this usually green mountain into a flowering sheet of pink.

To give you a bit of background information on Miyamakirishima Azaleas, they were originally Mountain Azaleas but were altered over time by the harsh volcanic environment typical to Kuju, to become their own species endemic to Kyushu. As with other azaleas they need lots of sun and acidic soil but what sets them apart is that the Miyamakirishima are more tolerant of the volcanic gas that plumes out of the ground - so where other plants can't survive, the Miyamakirishima flourish. Miyamakirishima bloom from late May to mid June and can not only be seen in Oita but throughout the mountainous volcanic areas of Kyushu namely; Kirishima in Kagoshima, Mt. Aso in Kumamoto, and Unzen in Nagasaki. However, they are most abundant in Kuju, especially on Mt Heiji where we'll be visiting today.

There are many routes to Mt. Heiji with varying levels of difficulty but the route I'll be taking you on is the Yoshibe trail,(吉部登山口). It's a little harder to get to but it's worth the effort as it's the easiest to hike and, as far as I'm concerned, the most beautiful. The trailhead starts from the Taisen Forest road and follows the Naruko river through forests of cedar, oak, and Katsura trees. After your first 10 minutes you'll hit a bit of a steep portion but don't let that discourage you as it will soon level out into a really enjoyable trail. About 40 minutes up the trail there is a short path off to the left down to the beautiful Kurazome taki (暮雨ノ滝), a 5m waterfall that is just breathtaking. Watch your step as the side trail down is a bit slippery but it's definitely worth checking out. I always stop there on my way back as it's a great spot for a coffee break and the minus ions rejuvenate your muscles.

About another 40 minutes up the trail the forest unfolds into one of Japan's largest sphagnum moss bogs called Bogatsuru. This huge area is nestled in a basin surrounded by mountains and is another great place to take a break and soak up the scenery. Even better, set up a tent and make it an overnight trip, as the area is a full service campground with running water, BBQ pits, and toilets. The moss makes for a really soft mattress and there is even an onsen a little further along the trail so you can get nice and warm before climbing into your sleeping bag.

If you look off to the northeast from Bogatsuru you can see Mt. Heiji and if you timed your trip right you should clearly see the pink fields of Miyamakirishima covering the mountain. From this point it will take you just over an hour to reach the Otogoshi pass (大戸越) and the last checkpoint and rest stop before the final assault to the summit. Peak season for climbing Mt. Heiji is when the Miyamakirishima are in bloom, so don't be surprised to see other people and sometimes A LOT of other people. The mountain is so popular at this time that I've personally seen a solid line of people hiking up from the pass to the summit. Normally you might think that this would lead to a lot of congestion along the trail with people going up and people coming down but not to worry, this is Japan remember! There are two trails, one for the people going up, and one for the people coming down, how efficient eh!

From the pass it's about a 20～30 minute hike to the summit but don't rush it - take your time as you walk through these luscious pink blossoms. As you work your way up you'll hit the southern summit first but don't stop there, make sure you go all the way to the actual summit as it is from there that you get the best views and absolutely awesome photo opportunities.

When you're ready, just head back to the south summit to find the trail taking you back down to the pass and from there head back the way you came to finish up a spectacular hike. The total distance is about 13.5 km and the travel time is about 6 hours - get an early start so you can take your time and enjoy it to the full. Try to make it during the Miyamakirishima season - even with all the other people around it is still a truly wonderful sight to see.

I recommend getting there by car - from Fukuoka take the Kyushu expressway and take the Oita Expressway from Tosu junction. Get off the highway at the Kokonoe exit. From the interchange take a left on the No. 210 road and follow that for about a minute or two until you see signs for Chojobaru and the No. 40 road. Turn right and follow the No. 40 until you reach the intersection at the Handa Jr. High School where you will go left on the No. 621. Stay on the 621 through the Handa Kogen intersection and follow it until it takes a 90o bend to the left where you will keep going straight. Don't get too stressed out, we're almost there! Take your 3rd right and from there your 1st left. Keep going straight until the road forks - at that point stay to the right and follow it until you hit the parking lot and off you go!

Oita-Ken no Yama Japanese Guide pg. 21-22 (Shin Bunken Tozan Guide 43 ￥1,500)
Aso, Kokonoe, Yufudake Map (Yama to Kogen Chizu 56 ￥800)

John Perry, native of Vancouver is the owner – operator of Amarok Outdoor Adventures, a Fukuoka based outdoor guiding service. In addition to guiding day hikes and wilderness tours, John also teaches scuba diving and is an experienced search and rescue dog handler with his certified SAR dog Mana.
Visit the Amarok website: http://www.amarok-outdoors.com

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