North Japan Alps, Tsurugi ‘the sword’ normal route 2 days

Mount Tsurugi (剱岳, Tsurugidake) is one of the most beautiful peaks in Japan which is famous for very rocky trails and wild ‘onsen’ hot springs in skirt.

In 1907, Yoshitaro Shibasaki of the Land Survey Department made the first ascent for surveying.
It was the most difficult ascent for the age as the film tells.
At the summit which was thought to be a unexplored, they made a discovery unexpected. A spear and a staff, and traces of fire. It seems to be from the Nara period (1,200 years ago).
It was probably the sacred place of the examination path along with Tateyama.

Hiking Mount Tsurugi (剱岳) in Japan

To get there I choose Murodo as Tony san at Climb Japan describes,

Access to Tsurugidake requires getting up to Murodō (室堂) on the large plateau below the summit of Tateyama (立山) in the North Alps.  If travelling from Tokyo on public transport there are a couple of ways you can do this, none of them easy, but the quickest and cheapest way is as follows.

Take a Chuō Line limited express Super Azusa from Shinjuku station to Matsumoto (松本), then change onto the Ōito Line (大糸線) for a local train to Shinano-Ōmachi (信濃大町). From there you’ll need to take a bus to Ōgisawa (扇沢, 45mins, ¥1330). At Ōgisawa, queue up at the ticket office and buy a return ticket for the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (立山黒部アルペンルート, timetables here). This convoluted but impressive series of stages will take you through a trolley bus up to the famous Kurobe Dam (黒部ダム), followed by a funicular railway, a ropeway and then a final trolley bus through Mt Tateyama to Murodō.

 

On the way to the summit of Tsurugi

Tsurugi summit with a Shugendo monk

Snowy trail to the Tsurugi

One of the best part of Tsurugi is Raicho Zawa Onsen hotsprings after activities.

Some onsen is wildly without complete wall (even for woman). Choose the facility carefully!