Begin your day by meeting your guide at the Shiiba Village Community Centre “Katerie.” Then, drive to the trailhead, making a rest stop along the way. Once you arrive, prepare for your hike with some stretching exercises.

Set off on your hike, following a gentle mountain ridge. Walk beneath the beech canopy, passing moss-covered trees, small streams, and the soft filtered light of the mountain forest. The pace is relaxed, allowing time to notice the quiet details of the landscape.

Along the trail, stop at Miike, a quiet mountain wetland surrounded by deep forest. Local tradition regards this place as sacred, remembered as a site where prayers for rain were once offered. Today, the water rarely appears on the surface, and the area remains a soft wetland beneath the forest floor.

If conditions allow, continue towards the summit. In early May, delicate mountain peonies bloom quietly across the forest floor, briefly brightening the deep green landscape. For lunch, enjoy a Japanese bento made with local ingredients from Shiiba, a simple mountain meal prepared for the trail.

After the hike, pause for a cup of Kuromoji tea, a fragrant herbal tea made from a native forest plant. Its gentle aroma offers a quiet moment to rest and reflect after the journey.