Among hiking enthusiasts, the autumn foliage of Mt. Kurikoma is said to be “the best in Japan.”
Here’s a picnic course starting from Sukawa Onsen that even beginner hikers can enjoy along with this fall color.
A sightseeing course where you can enjoy the mountain’s nature together with a historic hot spring resort.
We’ll introduce photos of the autumn leaves, the best viewing season, and access information!
Mt. Kurikoma straddles the three prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi, and Akita.
At 1,626 meters, it’s one of Japan’s 200 Famous Mountains, but there is a course that even beginner hikers or those without much stamina can enjoy in about an hour and a half!
With almost no steep ups and downs, it’s a walk where you can enjoy nature, history, and hot springs.
This time, ahead of the autumn foliage season, we scouted out this easy-to-walk picnic course, and we’d like to introduce it to you.
The Scenery of Mt. Kurikoma, Home to Japan’s Best Autumn Foliage
This kind of magnificent autumn foliage scenery can be enjoyed on the picnic course we’re about to introduce!!
The best time to view the autumn colors on this picnic course is October.
Enjoy Mt. Kurikoma Without Climbing to the Summit!
Now, let’s set off on our picnic♪
We’ll introduce a picnic course that takes about an hour and a half and loops back to the same starting point.
~The autumn foliage is spectacular, but Mt. Kurikoma is also one of the “100 Famous Mountains of Flowers.”
From the spring snowmelt onward, you can observe many alpine flowers in bloom.
Since this was a scouting trip, we enjoyed the fresh greenery and the flowers.~
The main peak of Kurikoma Quasi-National Park is called Mt. Kurikoma, but it’s also known as Mt. Sukawa in Iwate Prefecture, Mt. Dainichi in Akita Prefecture, and Mt. Komagatake in Miyagi Prefecture — they all refer to the same mountain.
The starting point is the entrance to one of Japan’s most famous autumn foliage spots, at an elevation of 1,126 meters.
First, let’s visit the Sukawa Visitor Center to learn a bit about Mt. Kurikoma (Mt. Sukawa) before heading to the trailhead.
As you start walking along the trailhead, you’ll see plenty of sulfur hot-spring water flowing between the rocks.
There are two routes, the Zetta course and the Oiran course, but for a picnic, the Oiran course is recommended.
About 10 minutes up, you’ll find the Oiran-buro (a steam bath), so please be sure to stop by.
On a clear day, you can see Mt. Chokai.
From there, past the observation deck, follow the wooden boardwalk laid across the wetlands and you’ll reach the junction at Nagori-ga-hara.
This boardwalk lets you enjoy viewing various alpine flowers according to the season.
If you turn right, you can enjoy a walk with views of Mt. Tsurugidake, a former crater. This area was once mined for sulfur in the Meiji era, and you can still see traces of the old sulfur mining sites here and there.
It seems the former Mitsui sulfur factory was located in this area, and you can still find precious bricks used at that factory scattered here and there.
For safety while walking the trail, we recommend wearing shoes suitable for trekking.
This Mt. Kurikoma course we’ve introduced is easy to walk for everyone from children to the elderly, and even for beginner hikers, but mountain weather can change quickly, so don’t forget to bring water, food, and rain gear!
Access Information for Mt. Kurikoma
The starting point of the picnic course, the Sukawa Visitor Center, is about a 1-hour drive from BELLINO HOTEL ICHINOSEKI.
Alternatively, you can use the scheduled bus from Ichinoseki Station to Sukawa Kogen Onsen. (There are two bus services a day, in the morning and evening.)
