Mt. Akagi-yama, one of the Jomo Three Mountains and Japan’s 100 Fine Mountains, located in the center of Gunma Prefecture, is the generic name for mountains including Kurobi-san, Komagatake, Jizo-dake Choshichiro-yama, and Nabewari-yama.
It is a double-rimmed caldera volcano. There are three beautiful lakes near the mountaintop; Lake O-numa (an atrio lake), Ko-numa (a crater lake) and Kakuman-fuchi (a high moor).
The north wind known as “Karakkaze,” which is characteristic to the Kanto Plain in winter, is also called “Akagi Oroshi,” because it blows from Mt. Akagi-yama.
Mt. Akagi-yama has been worshipped by local people since the ancient times. It is a symbol of Gunma Prefecture.
The Fudo-Otaki Waterfall in Kasukawa-machi, Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture is the most magnificent waterfall in the prefecture. It is counted as one of Japan’s 100 Fine Waterfalls. It is in the upstream of the Kasukawa River, which flows out of Lake Ko-numa near the top of Mt. Akagi-yama. The waterfall has a height of 50 m. The water dynamically falls down with roaring sounds.
With dark green leaves and acacia blossoms in early summer, fantastic mist and rainbows in summer, autumn foliage, and ice pillars in winter, the waterfall shows different scenery from season to season. Surrounded by the steep cliff formed by erosion, it is nothing but an exquisite work of natural art.
There are places of interests around the waterfall such as the rock cave where Kunisada Chuji (the Japanese Robin Hood) hid himself and Takizawa Fudoson Temple, which had been a training ashram for mountain practitioners in Mt. Akagi-yama until the Edo period (1603-1868).
Mt. Haruna (1,449 m) is an active volcano in Harunako-cho, Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture. Together with Mt. Akagi and Mt. Myogi, it is one of the Three Mountains in Jomo (present-day Gunma Prefecture). The volcano has a summit caldera, which contains over fifteen peaks including the symmetrical cone of Haruna-Fuji, along with a crater lake, Lake Haruna. Although it has been inactive for a long time, it eruppted many times from the 5th to the 6th centuries. At Kuroimine Ruins in Shibukawa City at the eastern foot of the mountain, the intact remains of dwellings in the late Kofun period (A.D. 300-700) were excavated under the 2 m deposition of volcanic ashes.
The mountain itself had long been worshipped as the deity that symborizes the town, and it has Haruna Shrine and Mizusawa Kannon Temple inside the mountain area. There also remain many legends and folk tales, which include the tales of the Giant Daidarabocch and the well that was dug by Kobodaishi. There are a lot of hot springs around the mountain including Ikaho Hot Springs.
Mt. Myogi (1,114 m) is in the border of Shimonita-machi, Tomioka City and Annaka City in Gunma Prefecture. It is a representative scenic spot in Myogi-Kogen Quasi-National Park.
Along with Mt. Akagi and Mt. Haruna, it is counted as one of the Three Mountains in Jomo (present-day Gunma Prefecture), and along with Yabakei Gorge in Kyushu and Kankakei Gorge in Shikoku, counted as one of Japan’s three most noted places of rugged beauty.
Composed of the tree peaks, Hakuun, Kondo and Kinkei, the whole mountain is made up of the towering rugged rocks. There are many hiking courses, among which the most exciting is the course set in Kondo Peak, or popularly called Nakanodake, where hikers go through four rock arches and can enjoy viewing oddly-shaped huge rocks of Rosoku-Iwa (Cabdle Rock), Taiho-Iwa (Cannon Rock), Fudegashira-Iwa (Brush Head Rock), Yurugi-Iwa (Swinging Rock) and Komuso-Iwa (Komuso-monk Rock) on their way.
The mountain shows different scenery in each season with cherry blossoms in spring and fresh green in summer. When the foliage changes color in fall, there are especially splendid views to be seen.
