Mt Azuma-Kofuji: A 15-Minute Stroll to a Volcanic Crater

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Looking west from downtown Fukushima City, you'll notice a mountain that closely resembles Mt Fuji. This is Mt Azuma-Kofuji, part of the Azuma mountain range — an active volcano rising 1,707 meters (about 5,600 feet).

Its original name, Suribachiyama ("mortar mountain"), comes from its large, bowl-shaped crater. What makes this mountain special is that you can reach the crater without any serious climbing. With almost no hiking experience myself, I decided to go and see the dramatic view firsthand.

A Scenic Drive

The Bandai-Azuma Skyline, a 29-kilometer (18-mile) scenic road linking Takayu Onsen in western Fukushima City to Tsuchiyu Pass, is famous for its spectacular views and is listed among the "100 Best Roads of Japan." Roughly halfway along, at an elevation of 1,600 m (5,250 ft), lies Jododaira, a highland plateau with a large parking lot and resting area popular with visitors.

Next to the parking area spreads a marshland that's great for a stroll. Jododaira is also the trailhead for Mt Issaikyo (1,949 m / 6,395 ft), attracting many well-equipped hikers. By contrast, Mt Azuma-Kofuji rises right beside the parking lot, and most people who head there are tourists in everyday clothes.

Easy Climb to the Crater

From the parking lot, it's only about a 100-meter (330-foot) climb to the crater, with a wooden staircase of around 270 steps. The stairs are wide, so passing others is easy. Seeing the entire slope at once can feel intimidating, but it takes just 15 minutes to reach the rim.

*You can walk around Mt Azuma-Kofuji's crater in about an hour. (©Sankei by Nobuo Serizawa)*

The crater measures about 450 m (1,475 ft) across, with a circumference of roughly 1.5 kilometers (1 mile). It takes around an hour to walk the whole loop. There's no lake inside, so you can see clearly down to the bottom — about 70 m (230 ft) deep — a sight so striking it almost feels like you're being drawn in by an invisible force.

On the day I visited, the parking area was calm, but strong winds whipped around the crater rim. Standing at the edge, I felt as though I might be blown away. While the parking lot was hot, the crater rim was chilly. Even in such conditions, I was surprised to see some tourists in short sleeves and shorts.

Safety Tips from the Visitor Center

"Mt Azuma-Kofuji is unusual because you can easily see a volcanic crater up close. I hope many people will come and experience this magnificent nature," says Yasuhiro Kikuchi of the Jododaira Visitor Center. Still, he warns: "Even though it feels easy, it's still a mountain. Sandals or high heels are dangerous." At minimum, sneakers are recommended.

*The stairs leading up to Mt Azuma-Kofuji's crater are wide and easy to climb. (©Sankei by Nobuo Serizawa)*

When walking around the crater, clockwise is the safer choice. Kikuchi explains, "Most people who get injured were walking counterclockwise. The reason is the steep downhill slope."

Descending into the crater is strictly forbidden. Going clockwise, the first section is a rocky, unstable uphill climb. If you go counterclockwise, that same stretch turns into a downhill at the end, making slips much more likely.

A 55-year-old office worker visiting from Sendai said with amazement, "I was surprised at how close you can get to the crater. It was much larger and more impressive than I imagined. I was glad it was such an easy climb from the parking lot."

The Jododaira parking lot is about a one-hour drive from either the Fukushima-Nishi or Fukushima-Iizaka interchanges on the Tohoku Expressway.

Author: Nobuo Serizawa, The Sankei Shimbun

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