Kanto, Japan · Mountain, Sea / Beach
The western side of the Boso Peninsula, with Japan's largest seated Buddha carved directly into rock (31m), 1,500 rakan statues scattered along forest trails, and the 'Jigoku Nozoki' viewpoint ('peering into hell'): a narrow rock ledge jutting out over the cliff, with views of Tokyo Bay, the Pacific, and, on clear days, Mt. Fuji.
Train — JR Sobu Line Rapid to Kimitsu (or Soga/Kisarazu) + transfer to the JR Uchibo Line to Hamakanaya, ~2h, ¥1,980, both legs fully JR. From the station, it's a 6-minute walk to the base of the mountain; a 4-minute ropeway to the summit (¥950 round-trip) or a 1-1.5 hour hike up. Nihonji Temple admission ¥600.
'Peering into hell': a narrow rock ledge jutting out over the cliff, with views of Tokyo Bay, the Pacific, and, on clear days, Mt. Fuji.
Japan's largest seated Buddha carved directly into rock, about 31 metres tall, within the grounds of Nihonji Temple.
About 1,500 stone statues of Buddha's disciples scattered along Nihonji Temple's wooded trails, many weathered by time and covered in moss.
Founded in the year 725 by the monk Gyoki at the request of Emperor Shomu, it is the temple that gives the whole mountain its meaning; Minamoto no Yoritomo planted a cycad here and writers such as Soseki left records of their visits.
Four minutes suspended over Tokyo bay to the summit: the comfortable way up with children or reduced mobility, instead of the stairway.
Several establishments at the harbour open their baths to day visitors, some with thermal rotenburo looking straight out to sea.
From December to February the neighbouring valley is covered with millions of wild daffodils along a country road, one of the few midwinter flower displays in Japan.
A hiking route as an alternative to the ropeway (about 50 minutes on foot), passing an old Edo-period stone quarry reclaimed by the forest, with inscriptions and small buddhas carved into the rock.
About 3 km along the old ramp down which stone was hauled by cart, passing a cat carved into the rock, up to the summit viewpoint at 329 m.
Next to Kanaya harbour: fish of the day, souvenirs from the Boso peninsula and an internationally awarded baumkuchen bakery.
Forty minutes of crossing with gulls, Fuji in the background on clear days and the sawtooth profile of the mountain drawing closer: getting there is part of the outing.
A museum devoted to stone and art, with a boshu stone warehouse listed as a cultural property, explaining where the mountain's quarry landscape came from.
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