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Mt. Omuro’s vivid green mountain surface features a beautiful silhouette
Mt. Omuro, which stands at 580 meters above sea level with its distinctive bowl-shaped silhouette, is a symbol of Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
“Yamayaki”, a traditional festival which began as a way to preserve the mountain, is held on the second Sunday of February every year and has become a springtime tradition in Ito City that attracts many tourists.
In February 2020, Mt. Omuro, which has been designated as a national natural monument, was awarded one star in the world-renowned Michelin Green Guide Japan (revised 6th edition).
It was also recognized as a UNESCO World Geopark in April 2019 and is one of the most well-known geosites in the Izu Peninsula.
We recommend taking a pair lift to the summit of the mountain where you can enjoy an exhilarating 6-minute stroll through the air.
At the summit, visitors can enjoy taking a walk through the approximately 1-km volcanic crater and take in the wonderful view of Mt. Fuji, the Seven Islands of Izu and Sagami Bay.
The area where you can take a commemorative photo with Mt. Fuji in the background is a very popular spot on a clear day!
The origin of Mt. Omuro
Mt. Omuro is a volcano with a mortar-shaped crater 250 to 300 meters in diameter that was created by an eruption that occurred approximately 4,000 years ago. It is the largest scoria cone in Izu-Tobu, and the traditional “Yamayaki Festival” (mountain burning festival) has beautifully preserved the mountain’s bowl-shaped silhouette and topography (climbing up on foot is prohibited for the protection of the mountain).
In the eruption of Mt. Omuro that occurred approximately 4,000 years ago, it only formed the scoria cone, but also created the scenic Jogasaki Coast when a portion of the large amounts of lava that flowed out from the foot of the scoria cone poured into the sea.
Mt. Omuro is often referred to as one of the most famous examples of a scoria cone in Japan because of its well-formed and well-preserved state, and on August 5, 2020, it was designated a national natural monument as a typical example of a monogenetic volcano.
Traditional event: Yamayaki of Mt. Omuro
The “Yamayaki of Mt. Omuro” is a well-established spring event in Ito City. It is said to have started for the purpose of preserving the mountain and collecting high-quality Japanese nutmeg trees. Tens of thousands of visitors come every year to see the spectacular view of the entire mountain being set on fire.
After the fire is lit, the sight of the bright red flames running up from the foot of the mountain to the 580-meter-high summit is breathtaking!
From Sakura no Sato, you can see the surface of the mountain burn down and reduced to ashes.
In fact, visitors can participate in the igniting of the mountain fire during the Yamayaki festival on a first-come, first-served basis (for a fee). It’s an extremely rare experience, so we recommend that you come take part in it!
Today, Yamayaki is held on the second Sunday of February each year as a tourist event.
Since it is an area with snow on the ground, the festival may be postponed due to weather conditions depending on the year.
The crackling sounds and the heat that you can feel emitting from the fire when watching from nearby is also unique to the Yamayaki festival.
When ignited, the flames rush up from the foot of the mountain to the summit, burning the surface of the mountain black in about 30 minutes.
Enjoy the exciting scenes of the mountain being burned to the ground.
During the annual Yamayaki festival, the surrounding area is congested with many tourists, so please allow plenty of time when visiting.
Mt. Omuro Lift
The mountain lift connects the foot of Mt. Omuro to the 580-meter-high summit in just six minutes one-way. Enjoy the pleasant breeze while taking a stroll in the air. On a clear day, you can experience the impressive panoramic view of Izu Oshima and the Seven Islands of Izu, Mt. Fuji, Hakone and the Amagi Mountain Range, as well as the blue and beautiful sea as seen from the summit.
The summit is hollowed out like a mortar, with a large crater 70 meters deep, 300 meters in diameter and 1 km in circumference, and the ridge line serves as a hiking trail, and you can experience a majestic 360-degree panorama by leisurely circling the summit of the mountain. One round-trip around the summit takes about 20-30 minutes, and we recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes for the hike.
The lifts are specially operated from early in the morning on New Year’s Day to enable visitors to enjoy the first sunrise of the year, and they are so popular that people line up to ride them every year.
Enjoy a leisurely visit to the crater while taking in the spectacular view from the summit of the mountain, learning about the blessings of geosites and feeling the pleasant breeze.
Sakura no Sato: One of the best cherry blossom viewing spots in the Izu Peninsula can be found at the foot of Mt. Omuro
At the foot of Mt. Omuro is “Sakura no Sato,” a popular spot for viewing cherry blossoms where several varieties of cherry blossom trees bloom continuously from September to May.
The vast 40,000-square-meter park boasts over 1,500 cherry trees of 40 varieties, and it is famous as a spot can view various types of cherry trees throughout the long blooming period from September to May.
In February, the winter cherry blossoms and Kawazu-zakura cherry blossoms bloom, followed in March by early-blooming Oshima cherry blossoms, Jogasaki cherry blossom and Ito cherry blossoms, and in April, the beautiful Somei-Yoshino cherry blossoms are in full bloom.
Sakura no Sato, which welcomes many cherry blossom viewers with different types of cherry blossoms each season, has been recognized as one of the 100 best cherry blossom viewing spots in Japan.
In recent years, it has become possible to enjoy the lavender fields as well, and the area is also popular as a summer resort thanks to its beautiful greenery.
We recommend bringing a picnic lunch with the entire family when visiting Sakura no Sato, which attracts many tourists throughout the year.
It is a quiet and vast park where you can spend a day relaxing and enjoying the great outdoors.
Summary
Mt. Omuro is the symbol of Ito City. See its beautiful silhouette from the foot of the mountain and take the Mt. Omuro Climbing Chairlifts all the way to the summit. It is a very relaxing spot where you can reaffirm your visit to Ito City while surrounded by the beautiful natural landscapes of the sea and mountains.