Daisen and Mt. Sanbe Hiking Weekend

Daisen weekend! I didn't know that I can just visit Tottori that easily, or I would have had done it before! I mean, it's a 12 hour bus one way, but definitely doable in any weekend (doesn't have to be a three day weekend). I'll be back for sure. 

Budget (JPY23,935: Transport portion is JPY13,610)

• JPY4,000. Friday. Bus fare, allocated via JBL Bus Pass. 
• JPY11,020. Saturday. Daisen Hike and trip to Izumoshi (including food)
• JPY8,915. Sunday. Mt. Sanbe Hike and return to Tokyo (including food)

Friday, Tokyo to Tottori
Budget

• JPY4,000. Bus fare, allocated via JBL Bus Pass. 

Itinerary

• 07:32pm. Boarded the bus to Tottori. The bus terminal is at right across the New South Exit of Shinjuku Station. In my case, boarding was at A3. No wifi on the bus unfortunately. I also booked my hotel quickly (talk about last minute booking). 

Saturday, Mt. Daisen
Budget: JPY11,020

• JPY1,460. Roundtrip bus, Yonago Station to Daisenji. (JPY730 one way)
• JPY1,170. Train, Yonago Station to Izumoshi Station. 
• JPY1,000. Lunch, Daisenji. 
• JPY2,000. Dinner, Izumoshi Station. 
• JPY5,390. Hotel, Izumoshi Station. 

Itinerary

• 06:45am. Arrived at Yonago Station. The bus stop was very close to Yonago Station, so I walked to the bus stop. Bus Stop 5, wait for bus number 57. The bus does not accept IC cards. No ticket needed if coming from Yonago Station.  There's a 7-11 close to the entrance of Yonago Station, less than a minute walk from the bus stops. 
• 07:20am. Bus, Yonago Station to Daisenji. 
• 08:11am. Arrived at Daisenji National Park Center. It's a big parking lot, and the park center is definitely top line. It has a shower, fast wifi, plenty of coin lockers. I  explored a bit, went to the restroom, and tried to figure out my way. 
• 08:19am. Started my hike. I decided to do the clockwise loop, where I have to cross the Daisenji Bridge (google maps pin). 
• 08:25am. Arrived at the trailhead, right next to the road. Started walking up the stairs. 
• 08:39am. Arrived at the first station. Apparently the entire trail was marked from the trailhead (first station) to the summit (tenth). It was a very much well curated set of stairs from here on. 
• 08:51am. Second station. Still stairs. 
• 09:01am. Third station. Still stairs. 
• 09:11am. Fourth station. Still stairs. There's a bit of a view. 
• 09:21am. Fifth station. Still stairs. Got into the fork - straight up to the summit, left turn for the descent trail. 
• 09:36am. Sixth station. Mountain hut! This was a nice mountain hut, protected from the winds and having a view of the imposing Daisen ridge. There's a space for portable restroom - which means nothing but a chair with a hole. Back to stairs. But this time, above tree line, so the view is amazing and it just kept getting better. 
• 09:49am. Seventh station. Stairs are not as well curated, and the view is still amazing. 
• 10:07am. Eighth station. Not as steep, there are some flat sections now, and soon I got into the planks and turned left for the summit. 
• 10:17am. Ninth station. Gently sloping planks! Soon arrived at the emergency mountain hut which has a store in it, took some pics and walked the 10 meters or so to the Misen summit marker. 
• 10:27am. Summit! Not as good as the views around eighth station, but it is likely due to the fenced off sections. Took plenty of pictures and snacked. 
• 10:34am. Started my descent. This time I took the left turn of the fork. They will all meet up either way, but the view here was great too. 
• 11:37am. Arrived back at the emergency hut in Sixth Station. I took the turn to the right for the descent. 
• 12:57pm. Arrived at the first shrine right at the exit of the trail. 
• 01:12pm. Arrived at the official Daisenji (Daisen Shrine)
• 01:19pm. Arrived at the lunch place near the bridge, had lunch. I still had plenty of time to kill after lunch, so I spent the rest of the time soaking my feet in the free foot onsen (google maps pin)
• 03:20pm. Bus, Daisenji to Yonago Station. 
• 04:28pm. Train, Yonago Station to Izumoshi. 
• 05:47pm. Arrived at Izumoshi Station. I found this restaurant called Tonki, had dinner, went to my hotel, soaked in the onsen, and slept for the night. 

Sunday, Mt. Sanbe
Budget: JPY8,915

• JPY580. Breakfast at Hotel. 
• JPY1,180. Train, Izumoshi Station < > Odashi Station
• JPY1,800. Bus, Odashi Station < > Trailhead (JPY900 ish one way)
• JPY1,355. Sanbe Burger. 
• JPY4,000. Bus fare, allocated via JBL Bus Pass. 

Itinerary

• 08:00am. Headed out of my hotel, took the train from Izumoshi Station to Odashi Station. 
• 08:41am. Arrived at Odashi Station. I used my IC card to tap in at Izumoshi Station, but they don't recognize that at Odashi Station. So I had to pay my fare via credit card, but pass on my IC card so they can remove my tapping in at Izumoshi Station. 
• 08:52am. Bus, Odashi Station to Seishonen Koryu-no-ie. The bus stop is at the left of the exit, bus stop 2. Bus only accepts cash, so I took my ticket and sat down. 
• 09:50am. Arrived at Seishonen bus stop, started walking to the trailhead. No signs in the area, so I looked at the map.
• 09:58am. Arrived at the official trailhead. There was a warning about crossing between Osanbe (male peak) and Mesanbe  (female peak), but unless you have beginners in the group, you can ignore that. It's not technical at all. Either way, the hike was pleasant throughout, and it was a gentle ascent with the gentlest switch backs and greenest foliage I've ever had the pleasure to hike. 
• 11:11am. Arrived at the Osanbe. Took the turn left to the emergency hut. 
• 11:16am. Arrived at the emergency hut. No restrooms unfortunately, but the hut is clean and very much well maintained. 
• 12:05pm. Arrived at Mesanbe, the female peak. Started descending back to Seishonen Koryu-no-ie. 
• 01:10pm. Back at the trailhead. I had to figure out how to go to Sanbe Burger. Just follow google maps haha. I had my burger, and when I searched in google for the bus back I learned that there's a bus stop closer to Sanbe Burger (Sanbe-shizenkan-mae bus stop). Google maps is a bit off on the bus stop, here's the google maps pin.
• 02:51pm. Bus to Odashi Station. 
• 03:47pm. Back at Odashi Station. I paid for my train ticket via credit card again. 
• 05:34pm. Back at Izumoshi Station. I walked to Tonki for dinner. 
• 06:20pm. Boarded the bus next to Izumoshi Station back to Tokyo. 

Monday, Back to tokyo
Budget: None.

• None.

Itinerary

• 07:20am. Arrived at Shinjuku Bus Terminal. Headed back home, and straight to work!

Walking to the 4F for boarding. 

My space for the night

Saturday, Daisen Hike 

Hello Yonago! That bird statue weirded me out a bit.

Waiting at the bus stop. 

Bus schedule for Daisenji (大山寺)

Hello Daisen! (in hindsight, no that is not the summit)

Bus schedule for the return trip. 

Plenty of coin lockers. Make sure you have JPY100 coins. 

Walking to the trailhead. I had to turn right after the post office box. 

Crossing the bridge. 

The trailhead right next to the road. 

Stairs!

Weirdest leaf I've seen. 

First station. 

Well manicured trail. 

Second station. 

Third station. 

Fourth station. A bit of a view across it. 

Fourth station. 

The view across it. 

Fifth station. 

Arrived at the fork, noted that the way down is to my left (下り=way down)

The signs at the fork, summit is still 1.4km away. 

Whoa, that's gorgeous. 

Continuing on. 

Sixth station. 

The entry to the hut. 

Inside the hut is a small space but good enough to sleep 2-3 people. 

Plus a loft. So another 2 people. or 3 if they squeeze in. 

The toilet. Yup, bring your own bag and bring your waste down with you. 

The view is getting better and better. 

Would love to cross that ridge. 

Seventh station. 

I kept on looking back at the ridge haha. I think that little bump in the middle is a mountain hut too. 

Eighth station. 

One of the few flat spots. 

Ninth station. Finally no more stairs!

The emergency hut near the summit. 

Pretty big. 

Plenty of room, with shelves too. There's a second floor too, and that's way more room. 

Summit marker! Behind it is likely the actual highest point that is not safe to go to. 

The view behind the marker. Doesn't seem like it's dangerous, right? haha. 

Ok, time to go back. 

Descending down the planks.

Some leftover snow. 

The view was gorgeous. 

Darn. I really wished I could go across that ridge. 

View down. 

The cart that pulls the supplies up til around 6th station. 

Taking a different way down. 

Still a lot of stairs. 

Bear warning!

Another mountain hut nestled in the forest, with a great view of Daisen ridges. 

A little bit down the road. 

Shot from my drone. 

Got into a fork, turned left to follow the trail. 

No more stairs!

Back to town. 

Looking back at the shrine. 

Continuing my descent. 

I was supposed to go straight, but followed the sign and turned left. 

Which was a good idea! I managed to see Daisenji. 

Ok going down to go back to the bus stop. 

Sigh this was a long, slightly sloping road. 

Spot for lunch, right next to the bridge. 

Lunch!

Foot onsen! Free!

Soaked here for about an hour. 

Near the foot onsen is a spot to clean shoes at. 

Ok, back to the park center (bus stop)

The center has a pretty wide shower room. 

And the bus is here!

On my way to Shimane. View of Shinji Lake from the train. 

Street Piano! Right outside the turnstiles at Izumoshi Station. 

Dinner at Tonki. Yum. 

Sunday - Mt Sanbe Hike

Train to Odashi. 

Odashi Station. 

Bus stop right outside the station. 

Bus stop 2. 

Empty bus. All for me. 

Sanbe!

Hello Mt. Sanbe!

Bus stop. I started walking. 

Walking to the trailhead.  

I think people cycle and loop around Mt. Sanbe, and this is the path they use. 

At the official trailhead. 

The warning that beginners shouldn't cross from Osanbe (male peak) to Mesanbe (female peak)

Plenty of signs showing the distance to the summit and the current elevation. 

Distance from Osanbe. 

Gorgeous, gorgeous green forest. 

At 650m elevation. 

Seriously enjoyed the way up given the lush forest. 

A