There is a very limited bus service going from Ikeda towards Tsurigi although this is one of those hikes that would easily descend into a nightmare day if you rely on public transport. Highly recommend having your own means of transport to get to the base.
Head towards Tsurugi from any of the four capitals in Shikoku and Route 438 and Route 439 will then connect directly into East Iya from where the road is well signposted towards Tsurugi where the trails start at the second parking lot at Minokoshi (みの越).
The Climb
There are a number of courses to reach the peak which at 1955 metres is the second highest in Shikoku after Ishizuchi. For those seeking a quick hike up, there is a chair lift that takes you up from Minokoshi at 1420m to Seishima(西島) at 1750 metres for an altitude change of 330 metres.
The chair lift costs 1000 yen for a one way ticket or 1900 return.
http://www9.ocn.ne.jp/~turugi/
〒779-4101徳島県美馬郡つるぎ町貞光字西山35-1
Tel 0883-62-2772
For those who would prefer to hike from the base, it is suggested that the path should take 60 minutes to the top of the ropeway, however with good fitness it can be completed in considerably less time, about the same time it takes the chairlift to get up if your legs are up for the thrill. The whole course is a very well marked track utilised regularly by pilgrims on the 88 temple path.
The trail head begins up the stairs at the temple, which is located slightly down the road from the chair lift ticket box past the tourist shops on either side of the street. If you are facing the temple, you will see to the right the typical temple gate that denotes the start of the trail.
Once you reach the chair lift station there is a large map outlining three possible courses to the summit. There three courses to the peak vary in length- below you will find the times as suggested which we found to be quite generous.
Short course (Left hand side on the map) - 900 metres (suggested time 45 minutes)
Mid course - (Mid point on the map)- 1200 metres (suggested time 60 minutes, it has more steep sections)
Long Course - (Right hand side on the map)- 1980 metres (suggested time 80 minutes)
At the half way point on the short course there is a 700 metre detour towards a temple complex which is popular with pilgrims .
On the longer course there is a simple shrine about halfway up that is popular older hikers as it next to a spring that has been named as one of the top 100 water sources in Japan. Best to give it a pass to avoid getting disappointed, the actual source is a mere trickle with a lot of tourists having their photos taken with the information board in the background.
As you might expect with such a short hike and easy accessibility, there are many people on the paths. However mid week when we visited, it was still pleasant and possible to walk without running into too many other groups of people too often.
Despite the name Tsurugi (which means sword), the peak of Tsurugi is actually a rounded plain. Legend has it that the warriors of the Heike clan used it for training their horses in preparation for battle and hence the name Heike no Baba (平家の馬場) which literally means "horsegrounds of the Heike"
It is a little strange to see large radio towers as you walk up to the top of Tsurugi, but the excellent views do help you to quickly forget about all of that.
We were lucky enough to visit during Autumn when nature was putting on a spectacular show of colour, and it was truly spectacular.
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