After riding camels in Tottori and swimming in the timeless ocean of Iwami, I set my sights on climbing Mt. Daisen which is about an hour away from Tottori Station. Daisen-Oki National Park is quite expansive and has beaches, mountains, and the remnants of a volcano that is said to be inhibited by the gods. There is also a lot of interesting wildlife you can see here such as salamanders and beautiful flora. I even ran into a herd of cows on my way to the top. Although I didn’t make it all the way up due to fog and visibility issues, I had the chance to explore some temples buried deep in the forest and bathe in a natural hotspring. Though it’s quite remote from the major cities of Japan, Daisen is the perfect place for a hiking retreat or those who want to explore places outside of Fuji. You could spend anywhere from a day to a week hiking around all of the trails here.
Exploring Mt. Daisen
The main trail to Misen Peak takes about 3 hours to climb, making the total climb around 4-6 hours. I came here on a humid day in August, and unfortunately thick fog covered a lot of the trail so I only climbed for about 1.5 hours. However, in that time I was able to make it to all of the temples and attractions that this trail is famous for. I first stopped at the Daisen Farm Home of Milk to gaze at the cows living their peaceful farm life and try some of the famous ice cream here. It was amazing as expected. Next, I ventured to the two famous temples here: Daisenji and Enryuin. Due to the fog I got lost on the way to Enryuin and accidentally walked through someone’s backyard in the forest, but they were thankfully kind enough to point me in the right direction. I arrived in yokai heaven:
Daisenji is classic Buddhist temple that can only be viewed from the outside, where as Enryuin has an immaculate interior design and is designed for meditation. Both are worth checking out to see the history and connection between them. It is said that although yokai are monsters, they are viewed as gods here because they have the power to scare people and drive out their impure desires for the greater good. At Enryuin, you can lay on your back and meditate by looking at the artwork of yokai painted on the ceiling. They were drawn by Shigeru Mizuki, who is also the author of the manga series GeGeGe no Kitaro. The monk here was very nice and welcomed me with kindness.
After having my fill of yokai watching (punny), I decided to seek out some food. Hinokami Goen Yuin is a really handy place because it has hotsprings, guesthouses, food, and campground access. I bought a soba set there and also bathed in the hotspring for an hour. It started raining on the mountain so I came at the ideal time. It was relaxing to watch the rain fall off the plains of the mountain while I relaxed at a sheltered outdoor hotspring. This is peak mountain life (/end pun).
For a full list of attractions you can see in Daisen, please see their official website. Usually the weather here is quite pleasant, but unfortunately I came during a rainy time. If I come back I definitely want to explore the beaches and more of the volcanoes.
The Ghost Town of Yonago
Once the rain cleared, I decided to head to the ghost town of Yonago to see what it had to offer. Since I prayed at Enryuin and survived the storm, I figured I could get through this. Yonago is only an hour away from Daisen and is said to have a spiritual influence. It is also the hometown of previously mentioned manga artist Shigeru Mizuki, so you can find his yokai artwork all over the place by walking around the streets from the station. Did I see any ghosts here? Many. Take a look for yourself:
The design of this town is extremely aesthetic which is why it initially attracted my attention. Everything from the streetlamps to the outdoor gardens to even the vehicles have some kind of strong yokai influence. Though these are anime versions he created of the scarier yokai depicted in old Japanese folklore, they have an artistic sense that attract a number of visitors to the town. I have never watched or read GeGeGe no Kitaro, but I can see why it’s so popular in Japan. It’s a good way to get younger audiences interested in studying the myths behind these strange creatures. Now I want to study more too!
I should also note that there is some amazing aesthetic food here including eyeball mochi, yokai oden, and all sorts of spooky sake:
This town is somewhat touristy, but visiting a yokai town is something that not many people can say they’ve done. I had a lot of fun doing photography here and can gladly say that it was worth my time. During this trip I learned that ghosts can definitely be your friends.
Access
From Tottori Station, I road the San-In Line to Yonago Station. This took about one hour and cost 1600 yen.
Daisen has three main points of access. I came here from a bus from Yonago Station. Please see the Daisen Guide for more information. Getting here should only take 40 mins – 1 hour, just be sure to watch the time tables. You can also take a taxi.