The trail is a gentle, but steady climb up the 497.1 m / 1,631 ft mountain. This is a trail for all seasons, as the path is wide and well maintained. There were lots of people hiking on this beautiful Saturday, but it never seemed crowded. I still can't get over how many people we see when we are hiking in Japan, but maybe we just aren't going rural enough.
We stopped a couple times just to relish in the view, as it was super pretty.
I wanted to go on this trail because I wanted to see the wintersweet blooms that can be found at the top. A grove of wintersweet trees, also known as robai or yellow wax plums, is right at the summit. Now, I know you can take a ropeway straight to the top to see the blooms, but hiking up only took about an hour (it's much faster without little legs) and is a worthwhile stroll.
The blooms live up to their name by releasing a sweet scent into the cold air. It was lovely at first, but got a bit strong as we walked through the trees.
When my husband had seen enough of the yellow topped trees, he wandered over to the shrine at the top of the mountain. It is part of Hodosan Shrine at the base of the hill. The one on top is not colorful or adorned with carvings like the other one is, but it still feels like a special place.
After we were all done enjoying the flowers and shrine, we headed down the ropeway. While I am not a big fan of being high in the sky, I wasn't bothered by the height of this particular gondola. Maybe it was because I was in the middle of the car, I don't know. But I enjoyed watching the town get closer and closer.
Beyond the benefits of being in nature and enjoying the views of everything from small blossoms to calming scenery, the best part of hiking Mount Hodo was spending time with my family. Nagatoro was a lovely little town with lots of beautiful nature. I'd love to go back in other seasons, as the town is well know for several types of blooming trees.
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