Mount Ushiroyama

Mount Ushiroyama (後山, Ushiroyama) is, at 1,344.56 metres, the highest mountain in Okayama Prefecture. It rises on the border between Mimasaka City in Okayama and Shiso City in Hyogo, deep in the Chugoku Mountains, and it appeals to hikers who want a genuine summit rather than a roadside lookout.

The view from the top comes as the payoff for a demanding climb. From the ridgeline near the summit, the tangled ranges of the eastern Chugoku Mountains roll away into Hyogo and Tottori, wave after wave of forested peaks including neighbouring Funakiyama and Hinakurayama. There are no cities crowding the foreground, just a sea of mountains, which gives the panorama a wild, remote character rare among Okayama's more accessible viewpoints. On the clearest days the long sightlines stretch far across the interior of western Honshu.

Ushiroyama has a strong spiritual history. It was long revered as a training ground for mountain ascetics (shugendo), and the temple hall Gyojado stands on the approach; part of the traditional route passes through an area historically kept as a nyonin kekkai, closed to women under old religious custom. That heritage still colours the mountain, and signs and shrines along the way remind you that this was a sacred place long before it was a hiking objective.

The experience is that of a real mountain day, not a casual stop. From the Ushiroyama trailhead the path climbs steadily through cedar plantation and then beautiful natural beech and broadleaf forest to the summit ridge, typically a round trip of around four to five hours with meaningful elevation gain. The trail can be steep, muddy and rooty, and the upper mountain is exposed to wind and sudden weather, so proper boots, layers, water and a map or GPS are essential. There are no facilities on the mountain itself beyond the trailhead.

Seasonally, autumn is the finest time, when the beech woods turn gold and copper from roughly late October into mid-November and the cool, clear air opens up the long views. High summer is lush and green and gives the widest visibility on stable days, though it can be hot on the lower slopes. Winter brings snow and serious conditions suited only to experienced, well-equipped mountaineers.

Getting there demands planning and, realistically, a car. There is no bus to the trailhead, which lies up a mountain road near Gyojado, reached from the Awakura Onsen area of Mimasaka. The nearest railway station is Awakura-Onsen, but it is on the Chizu Express, a private third-sector line that is not covered by the Japan Rail Pass and lacks IC-card gates, and it is still a long way by road from the trailhead, so a rental car or taxi is required for the final stretch. Many hikers base themselves at Awakura Onsen and soak in its hot springs after the descent, a fitting reward for climbing to the roof of Okayama.