A loop from Aokikosen, climbing the waterfall-studded Dondoko-sawa to bag the three summits of Jizodake, Kannondake and Yakushidake.
Source: GSI tiles (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan) ／ The route is the editor's measured YAMAP activity track (GPX).Scroll-zoom is enabled after you click the map.
Location & access
Coordinates are the trailhead and summit points from the editor's own GPS track.
Watch
Editor's note
Houou Sanzan is a Southern Alps ridge walk linking the three peaks of Jizodake, Kannondake and Yakushidake. Above all, the Dondoko-sawa route starting from Aokikosen is a varied path where the famous falls come one after another — Minami-Shojigataki, Shiraito-no-Taki and Goshiki-no-Taki. In return, steep climbing continues from early on and both the distance and elevation gain are large, so a day trip is for strong, experienced hikers, and a hut stay is the realistic choice for most.
The crux is the length of the climb, and the Obelisk that is the symbol of Jizodake. Reaching the top requires a rope and it is not generally climbed, but even just looking up at the great granite tower is overwhelming. From Jizodake to the highest peak, Kannondake, there is a surprising amount of re-ascent, so you want to keep some energy in reserve. If it is clear, from Kannondake you can look all the way around to Mt. Fuji, the Shirane Sanzan of Kitadake, Ainodake and Notoridake, Kaikomagatake, and even Yatsugatake.
The editor had looked up at this ridge every day from his home in Hokuto City, always thinking "someday." Setting off while it was still dark and taking care through the narrow rocky sections and easily-lost stretches, when he finally climbed it through, it was a day on which he felt from the heart that this is a luxurious traverse where you can see the whole of the Southern Alps at once.
On a day trip, above all, do not overreach. Be thorough about an early start, and if you cannot allow a comfortable margin for your descent time, choose a night at a hut such as Houou-goya. Planning your route and schedule to match your fitness and experience is the safe way.
Routes
A varied path where the famous falls come one after another — Minami-Shojigataki, Shiraito-no-Taki and Goshiki-no-Taki. In return, the steep climbing is long and both the distance and elevation gain are large, making it a true test of stamina. The editor walked this route as a day trip.
Fewer waterfalls to see, but the forest belt and ridgeline are easy to walk, making it the classic route for planning a hut stay using places like Minami-Omuro-goya. Its advantage is that it is easy to choose according to your fitness.
Editor's record
The editor's actual timings on this hike (from the video record). Use them as a guide to course times.
History & culture
Houou Sanzan is made up of three peaks named after Buddhist figures — Jizodake, Kannondake and Yakushidake — and has long drawn religious devotion. There are several theories about the origin of the name: one likens the spire "Obelisk" standing atop Jizodake to a phoenix's beak, while another holds that "Houou-zan" is a corruption of "Houou-san" (法王山), which associated this great rock with the Buddha Dainichi Nyorai.
Geologically, too, this is a special mountain. In the Southern Alps, where brown-red rock predominates, Houou Sanzan is one of the few "white granite mountains," alongside Kaikomagatake. The white sand underfoot and the weathered granite crags create a uniquely bright ridgeline. The Obelisk of Jizodake is said to have been first climbed by Walter Weston, the father of modern mountaineering, in the late Meiji era; because reaching the top is a rock climb requiring a rope, it is no longer climbed by the general public today. At Sai-no-Kawara, the col between Jizodake and Akanukezawa-no-Atama, many stone Jizo statues stand in rows, and a faith in praying for children lives on to this day.
From early summer into summer, the rare alpine plant Houou-shajin (a species designated as endangered on the Ministry of the Environment's Red List), which bears the name of the phoenix, comes into flower. When you learn that stories like these overlay that white ridge you look up at every day from Hokuto at the foot of the range, the very same step you take should feel a little different.
Photos
All photos were taken by the editor on the actual hike. Tap to enlarge.
Steep climb through the forest belt (early section)
A famous waterfall on the Dondoko-sawa
Emerging from the forest onto the scenic ridge
The snow-clad Shirane Sanzan seen from the ridge
The Obelisk, symbol of Jizodake
The snow-clad main ridge of the Southern Alps
The Houou ridge where white granite sand spreads out
The view from the highest peak, Kannondake
The grand panorama around Kannondake
On the ridge heading for YakushidakeFAQ
