Mount Iwadono

At 634 meters high, Mount Iwadono is the same height as the Tokyo Skytree. Its northern and southern sides consist of precipitous cliffs. The hike to the summit is reasonably short, with the occasional steep section, and on clear days offers spectacular views of Mount Fuji along the way and at the top.

At the flat, wide summit, visitors will find the ruins of a fortress used during the Warring States period (1467-1568). The stronghold was built as a base for border defense. It guarded the roads in the valley below, served as an important smoke signaling station, and overall played a critical strategic role in defending Kai Province (present-day Yamanashi) from invaders. Before it came to host a fortress, Mt. Iwadono was the site of Iwadono Gongen, a famous thirteenth-century Buddhist temple complex.

Partway up the mountain is a building that resembles a medieval Japanese mansion. This is the Fureai no Yakata, which exhibits some impressive and beautiful photographs of Mt. Fuji and has toilet and water facilities. Visitors may also pick up free pamphlets for the city of Otsuki and a map of the Mt. Iwadono hiking trail.