Takamaru Yama

Overview

Takamaru-yama is a 1,438.8-meter mountain rising on the boundary between Kamikatsu Town in Katsuura District and Naka Town in Naka District, Tokushima Prefecture. Part of the Chubu Sankei Prefectural Natural Park and counted among the Hundred Famous Mountains of Shikoku, it is beloved by hikers and nature lovers alike. Its eastern slope is especially notable, having been developed as the Tokushima Prefectural Takamaru-yama Millennium Forest, where visitors can experience up close a rich woodland of primeval beech and more. Rather than sheer ruggedness, it is a mountain to visit for time spent enveloped in deep green and silence, a representative peak of Tokushima's remote highlands.

Highlights

• ●A remote Tokushima peak of 1,438.8 meters, counted among the Hundred Famous Mountains of Shikoku
• ●The primeval beech woods of the Tokushima Prefectural Takamaru-yama Millennium Forest on the eastern slope
• ●A rich natural setting within the Chubu Sankei Prefectural Natural Park
• ●A silence-filled mountain area on the boundary of Kamikatsu and Naka Towns

History

Takamaru-yama, sitting at the boundary of the two towns of Kamikatsu and Naka as a natural landmark, has long been tied to the life and faith of this region. As part of the Chubu Sankei Prefectural Natural Park and a designated peak among the Hundred Famous Mountains of Shikoku, the value of its nature has come to be widely recognized. In recent years its eastern slope has been conserved and developed as the Tokushima Prefectural Takamaru-yama Millennium Forest, with ongoing efforts to protect and pass on its precious forest ecosystem to future generations. That a primeval forest has survived here, spared the waves of development, is itself the clearest testament to this mountain's history. For details on trail conditions and facilities, please confirm with official information.

Map

33.8867, 134.3250 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Drive by rental car from central Tokushima toward Kamikatsu and Naka, reaching the trailhead via forest roads
2. 2Set off from the trailhead and climb toward the summit while enveloped in the Millennium Forest's primeval beech woods
3. 3At the 1,438.8-meter summit, savor the view over the Shikoku mountains and a sense of accomplishment
4. 4After descending, experience the rural scenery and local products of Kamikatsu and Naka on your way home

Did you know?

💡 This mountain's distinctive highlight is the Tokushima Prefectural Takamaru-yama Millennium Forest spreading across its eastern slope. The primeval beech forest, left untouched by human hands, is precious even among the mountains of Shikoku and evokes the vast span of time befitting the name Millennium Forest. More than the figure of 1,438.8 meters, it is the living forest itself that takes center stage; quietly savoring the wildflowers of the forest floor and the changing expressions of the trees through the seasons is truly the way to enjoy Takamaru-yama.

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