Oct 13, 2013 - 1 min read

Nasu Mt. Chausu-dake Climb

Covered with an autumn carpet…or a heavy mist

By Tomoko Kamishima

Community writer

The weather changes easily on this mountain. This was the most beautiful moment of the day

When people reach the summit, they go through this torii, a Shinto gate

Rough rocky surface of the mountain near the summit

Ropeway station at the 9th stage of the mountain

The packed parking lot near the ropeway, with the Kanto Plain in the background

In October, autumn leaves start changing in the north of Japan. And one of the first changes in the Kanto Area can been seen at Mt. Chausu-dake (Cha-usu-dake), Nasu in Tochigi. This is an active volcano, formed 16,000 years ago. Here, the weather is quite changeable. Even if pleasantly fine at the bottom, the summit might be foggy, chilly and windy, with zero visibility. So please be prepared. You can reach the 9th stage via a 4-minute ropeway ride, and after that, it’s a 40-minute climb to the summit. There is direct bus access to the ropeway from Nasu-yumoto Hot Springs, or JR Kuroiso Station (Utsunomiya Line) or JR Nasu-Shiobara Station (Tohoku Shinkansen Line).