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This is a nice hike around Yoshino, which for two weeks in spring is the most crowded place in Japan, but nearly empty the rest of the year. From Kintetsu Yoshino station, a 300 yen cable car (or short and steep trail) leads to the quaint little town of Yoshino, complete with the impressive Kimpusenji temple, notable with the steeply angled roof showing distinct Chinese influence, in addition to more souvenir shops than you could ever want in a lifetime. But this is Japan so they are all small.
This hike will wrap around the hills surrounding Yoshino and connects with numerous other long distance trails in the region. Start at Kintetsu Yoshino station. Outside of the station in the parking lot there are poster maps; look at this for the Kinki long distance trail, it is marked throughout the length of the trail with green dragonflies. Kinki kind of means Kansai. This will be your trail. But before you find the actual trail you must walk up the main road for 200m, turn a soft right at the apartment building (turn is marked). Follow signs. After 4 km, trail splits to Miyataki trail to the left and on up Yoshino Mountain to the right. Climbing up you will pass picturesque farms, later to be replaced higher up by thick cedar forest. Omine trail is at the top of the mountain, this trail goes really far in multiple directions. Go back down through Yoshino village to make a loop and return to the station. As of 2006, a bus ran from Yoshino station towards the top of the mountain, but it might be only during cherry season. This hike is more of an adventure, not many people seem to know about it.
Akame 48 waterfalls (4-8km)
From Kintetsu Akameguchi train station (semi-express on the Nabari line), take a bus to Akame (10 minutes), and from the last bus station walk 10 minutes uphill through the village to the salamander museum, which is the beginning of the park. The trail is paved, you will see lots of waterfalls, oden shops, and obachan mouthing “oishii.” This is a popular destination so its pretty easy to get to. Apparently there was an independent Japanese film named after this site.
http://www.kansaiscene.com/2007_06/html/getaway.shtml
http://www.eco.pref.mie.jp/english/shizen/keshiki/05_e.htm
Around Asuka. (3-12km from Asuka or Yagi)
Abe no Monjuin – easy to find on a bicycle around Yagi. On the grounds are a beautiful pond, small cave with Jizo statuettes, a giant flower-decorated figure of the present Zodiac, and a miniature tunnel of Toris. All this for free, pay an extra 700 yen to get in the temple and see the big Buddha lion, and get free matcha! Nearby are some stone tombs dating from a really long time ago: Ishibutai and Takamatsu. And of course any self respecting visitor cannot forget the incomparable Asuka-dera temple, site of the first Buddhist temple ever in Japan. The temple is a reconstruction, but the Buddha inside is original, dating from the 7th century, and if you follow his line of vision he is looking at an angle out of the temple and across the rice fields of Asuka to Tachibanadera temple, the supposed birthplace of Prince Shotoku, the founder of Buddhism in Japan. Asuka is a great place to have a bicycle and cruise around the rice fields and the somewhat scattered historical spots. Asuka is not too far from Yagi or Kashihara Jingu-mae.
http://www.pref.nara.jp/nara_e/area04/index.html
Kashihara Jingu-mae (~3km from shrine to top of Unebi-yama)
A great place for a jog or half day break from Yagi, this shrine is the mythical birthplace of Jimmu, the first emperor of Japan. Unebi-yama, the hill just to the north of the shrine, has a couple of trails ascending to a nice lookout over the plains of Yamato. The shrine is five minutes west of Kintetsu Kashihara station, or a short bike ride south of Yagi. This shrine is a great place to be at the New Years, weather on New Years Eve or the next day; half of Kansai will be there dressed in their finest kimonos.
Tanzen ji.(~10km one way) – mountain top shrine, take a bus (#4) from Kintetsu Sakuri station or go on a ridiculous adventure in the Japanese countryside: from Ishibutai burial mounds in Asuka, walk uphill towards the east, find the giant highway that is incomplete and not being used, at some point at the beginning of this road find a steep narrow path and take this shortcut straight up the mountain, once you are ¾ of the way up you will get back on the highway that will take you the rest of the way to the top. These directions may seem hazy, but if you just go straight up to the top of the mountain you’ll be all right.
Yama no be no Michi 12-15km
This is a fantastic hike through farms and countryside just a little south of Nara city. It also happens to be the only trail near Nara city that is detailed in Lonely Planet’s hiking in Japan book. From Kintetsu or JR Tenri station, walk east through the city or the arcade until you get to Tenri-kyo, the New Life Church of Buddhism, where you definitely need to stop. Everyone you ask about this place will give you a different answer, but its some sort of new branch of Buddhism that is headquartered here. Their temple, with free entrance, has the biggest tatami room I have ever seen in my life. From Tenri kyo head south and keep looking for sign markers, the trail does a few turns before leaving Tenri and joining the Yama no-be-no Michi. For the next 10 kilometers, the trail weaves around rice, persimmon, and mikan farms, and you will have to work to stay on it. Just keep looking for signposts, and stay at the foothills of the mountain. Eventually the trail comes to Omiwa jinja, a beautiful shrine set back in the woods. Just down the road from here towards Sakurai is an enormous concrete Torii hanging over city streets, where they have a nice fireworks festival in August. The trail continues to Sakurai along roads, alternatively you can take a bus or hop on the fantastically slow and diminutive JR local to Tenri or Sakurai.
Koya stone markers- (Choishimichi) 22km
From Namba, get on the Nankai line towards Koya-san and get off a few stations before Koya-san at Kudoyama station. From here ask for directions to walk through the city to get the one km to Jison-jin, the temple at the base of the trail. From here the trail is well marked, hence the name, and you will see a large stone marker approximately every 109 meters, the measurement of “cho,” the same “cho” that is used for your address if you live in Japan. The beginning of the trail will pass through hot, unshaded persimmon and mikan orchards, but soon the trail will enter the woods, and stay there until it reaches the Daimon (great gate) of Koyasan. If you hate the idea of taking trams to the top of holy mountains, this trail is for you. It makes for a long day. Of course, the tram is already there, so it makes for an easy way to get back to Osaka in the evening. Alternatively, Koya-san has hundreds of charming dwellings to spend the night in.http://www.katuragi.or.jp/tyouisimiti/e-gaidosimasyou.htm
http://kanko.wiwi.co.jp/world/english/history/worship.html
Omine: 2-4 days
This is an epic adventure, its well detailed in LP’s Hiking in Japan so if you’re thinking about going make sure you got one of those. In October it is freezing cold, but the solitude can't be beat. I left from Nara at dawn, took a two hour bus ride from the Kintetsu station, the north end of the hike, and began hiking mid morning. We reached Omine temple in mid afternoon, continued on to a small hut to spend the night, and came back the next day.
Yagyu road. (17km one way to Hotokuji)
This is a nice hike behind Nara park, and ends at the handsome Hotokuji temple in the town of Yagyu. You can also hike part of the way and return from Enjoji. From Kintetsu Nara, take a bus towards Shin Yakushiji and get off before the Nara Woman’s College. Walk east through some neighborhoods until you enter the woods and begin climbing behind Nara park. The route weaves in and out of trails and small roads and passes tea plantations, sake shops, and stone carvings before arriving at the temple. Hop on a bus to return to Kin Nara station. There have been reported sightings of monkeys in these parts, although farmers insist that they only come into civilization when people are not around, in order to steal food.http://www.pref.nara.jp/nara/kaido/kokaido/eg/yagyu.htm
Nara park waterfall (~15km round trip)
This hike runs parallel just to the north of Yagyu road. Walk through the main road of Nara park, between Todaiji and Kasuga taisha. Behind the hideously designed Nara Prefectural Public Hall, you will come to an intersection, continue straight (east) past souvenir shops into the woods. If you were to turn left 100 meters up the hill is a nice and extremely expensive French restaurant with a great view. The trail winds up a wide path and comes to a small waterfall after ~7km. Near the waterfall is road access from the north side of Nara Park (near Nigatsu-do), an onsen is also nearby. This trail is beautiful in autumn leaves, and is a great place for jogging when you get bored of Nara park.
Ikoma-san (~8km from Ishikiri to peak)
The front of Ikoma mountain is lined with a beautiful staircase climbing through a neighborhood, ending at the magnificent and free Hozanji temple. From Kintetsu Ikoma station walk out the main exit, one block along the main road towards the mountain, and turn left at the Century 21 office (caddy corner to the Kinsho). From here walk straight about five blocks until the staircase begins. Its about 30 minutes from the train station to the temple. There are also cable cars decorated in pet motifs. The backside (facing Osaka) of the mountain is a longer, proper hike in the woods, take the train one stop closer towards Osaka and get off at Ishikiri. From here walk a few blocks east towards the mountain and you will find a trail that leads up the mountain. At the summit you will find, what else, but an amusement park (rarely if ever open). You can take the tram down the opposite side.
http://www.quirkyjapan.or.tv/osaka.htm
A few other random spots:
Shigi-san
An amazing temple nestled in the mountains near Horyuji, often passed over in the Nara circuit. From Ikoma or Oji, take the Kintetsu train to Shigi san shita station, and take a bus from there. Just a few stops away, at Motosanjogushi station, you can take a bus up to Nodoka-mura, a tourist farm where you can pick fruit (in season) and go for some walks around more farms.
http://www.asia-planet.net/japan/nara.htm
Additional Links:
A great guide to rural Japan made by some gaijin: http://www.ease.com/~randyj/rjjapani.htm#jtofcx
Outdoor Japan: http://www.outdoorjapan.com/oj/contents/home/?language=english
The best Japanese language instruction out there: http://learnjapanesepod.com/newsite/
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