"Mountains, Appetite and Me" is a manga series that has been serialized on the web manga site Kurage Bunch since 2015. It depicts the mountaineering of the protagonist, Hibino Ayumi, a self-proclaimed solo mountaineer who hates being called a "mountain girl," and the meals she eats at the summit. It is an outdoor gourmet story that will make you want to climb mountains and get hungry while reading it. The dishes depicted are so authentic that an official recipe book has been released, and as the author's own hobby is mountaineering, the descriptions of mountaineering that draw on her own experiences have become a hot topic. In this article, we will introduce our own ranking of the mountains that appear in "Mountains, Appetite and Me" that will make you want to go!
10th Place: Hakone Old Highway & Outer Crater
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
Ayumi Hibino had been hooked on foreign TV dramas and hadn't gone mountain climbing for a month. She was trying to rehabilitate herself with some light trekking, and decided to go on the Hakone Old Highway & Outer Crater Historical Trek. The starting point for the first day of the trek is Hakone Yumoto (96m), and the destination is Hakone Sekisho (731m). After passing Wariishizaka, you'll apparently find stone pavement from the Edo period. It's a place where you can really feel the history. Once you pass the "Nanamagari" (Seven Magnitudes), you can see as far as Odawara and Shinjuku Subcenter.
9th Place: Mount Tsukuba
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
Ayumi Hibino and Komatsubara Koiko decided to go to Mount Tsukuba in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, for a "mountain meet-and-greet" (a group date where men and women meet and socialize through mountain climbing or hiking). It has two peaks, Mt. Nantai (871m) to the west and Mt. Nyotai (877m) to the east, and halfway up the mountain is Tsukubasan Shrine, which is said to grant blessings in love, named after the gods enshrined on the two mountains, male and female. From Koma Observatory you can get a panoramic view of the Kanto Plain, and on clear days you can even see Mt. Fuji.
8th Place: Tanzawa Mountains
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
This large mountain range dominates western Kanagawa Prefecture. Its highest peak is Hirugatake (1,673m). With its complex and intricate topography, this mountain range is beloved by advanced climbers who enjoy river climbing. Also, since the mountain range is less than 2000m high, it is famous as an introduction to mountain climbing. Many deer appear to live near Mt. Tanzawa, which is part of the Tanzawa Mountains. From the summit of Mt. Hirugatake, you can get a panoramic view of the Kanto Plain.
7th Place: Kamikochi
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
Kamikochi, located in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, is known as the "place where the gods descend." Located at an elevation of about 1,500 meters, it attracts approximately 1.5 million visitors annually, and offers a wide variety of accommodation options and hiking trails. Further on you'll come across the Hotaka mountain range and Mount Yari, and the area serves as the gateway to serious mountain climbing courses in the southern Northern Alps. There are also monkeys here and there. Beyond Kamikochi you'll come to Yokoo (1,620m), from which you can see the eastern face of Mount Maehotaka.
6th Place: Mt. Kintoki
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
Ayumi Hibino had been hooked on foreign TV dramas and hadn't gone mountain climbing for a month. She was trying to rehabilitate herself with some light trekking, and decided to go on the Hakone Old Highway & Outer Rim Historical Trek. On the second day of the trek, we headed to Mt. Kintoki (1,212m). Along the way, there is a large rock called Kintoki Yadori Stone, which is apparently a popular photo spot. As Mt. Kintoki is located southeast of Mt. Fuji, there are no mountains blocking the view, and on clear days it makes a great observation deck.
5th Place: Mt. Asama
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
Mt. Asama is located about 20km southeast of Mt. Kumotori, said to be the highest peak in Tokyo. Its elevation is about 903m. It is located in Hinohara Village, Tokyo. At the summit is a shrine called Fuji Sengen Shrine, and as the name suggests, you can get a view of Mount Fuji from there. Further north, you can see the mountains around Okutama, and to the south, you can see a row of Okutama's famous peaks, including the Tanzawa Mountains. The Asama Ridge, which is the hiking trail, was an industrial road connecting surrounding settlements and towns during the Edo period, and is said to have been a popular route for cows and horses.
4th Place: Kaikoma-ga-oka in the Southern Alps
Hibino Ayumi took on the famous peaks of the Southern Alps, Kaikoma-ga-oka and Senjoga-oka, over a three-day, two-night trip. On the first day, she stayed the night at the Nagaegoya campground at Kitazawa Pass, located between Kaikoma-ga-oka and Senjoga-oka. On the second day, she tackled Kaikoma-ga-oka with fellow solo climber, Kayama Eira, whom she met at the campground. Ayumi and Ebi started their ascent at 5:00, choosing a route that passes Mt. Futago (2,649m) and Mt. Komatsumine (2,752m) to Kaikoma-ga-Oka (2,967m), located on the border between Nagano and Yamanashi prefectures. Around 6:40, the pair passed just before Mt. Futago. From there, they could see Mt. Kita-dake, the second-highest mountain, and Mt. Aino-dake, the third-highest. After passing Mt. Futago around 7:00, they could see the Northern Alps, the Central Alps, and even Mt. Ontake. Around 7:30, once they passed Mt. Komatsumine, the geology changed, revealing a unique landscape formed by granite. Ayumi and Ebi reached the summit of Kaikoma-ga-Oka at 9:20. This mountain offers views of many mountains and the unique granite mountain surface.
3rd Place: Mount Takao
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
At an elevation of about 599m, this mountain is said to be a Shugendo mountain. Its proximity to central Tokyo and cable car access make it a popular destination, attracting over 2.5 million visitors annually. Ayumi Hibino and her friends chose Mount Takao's Route 1 (Omotesando Trail) and summited. From the summit, they could see the Tanzawa Mountain Range and Mount Fuji. Takaosanguchi Station is directly connected to a hot spring facility, offering a wide range of amenities.
2nd Place: Yatsugatake
Yatsugatake is a mountain range that straddles Nagano and Yamanashi prefectures, with a series of peaks. Its range stretches 30km from north to south. With easy access from the Tokyo metropolitan area, this is one of Japan's most popular hiking areas, with its main peak, Akadake (2,899m). The magnificent view from the summit of Akadake is a sight to behold. The Yatsugatake Mountains can be divided into Northern and Southern Yatsugatake Mountains, separated by Natsuzawa Pass, each with its own unique characteristics. The charm of Northern Yatsugatake is said to be its endless, carpet-like mossy forests. From near Tengu no Okuniwa (2,400m), you can see the Northern Alps glowing golden in the sunset.
No. 1: Mount Hotaka and Karasawa Cirque
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
The main peak is Mount Okuhotaka (3,190m). The Hotaka Mountains also include the rocky peaks of Mount Kitahotaka, Mount Karasawa, Mount Maehotaka, Mount Nishihotaka, and Mount Myojin. Karasawa Cirque, nestled within the mountains, is known as a glacial valley. The abundant remaining snow even in summer and the autumn foliage visible from the rocky hills are Karasawa's specialties. Another sight to see is the Morgenrot phenomenon (the phenomenon in which the morning sun dyes the mountainside red) at Mount Okuhotaka.
Mountains, Appetite, and Me: A Ranking of Mountains I Want to Visit!
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
Did you enjoy this article? This time, we've ranked the mountains featured in the outdoor and gourmet manga "Mountains, Appetite, and Me" that will make you want to visit them. As mentioned, some real-life mountains appear in the work. You can make a pilgrimage to the sacred sites, and if you are interested, why not try mountain climbing? You might enjoy it even more if you actually make the same dishes as the main character, Hibino Ayumi, and others in this work. Thank you for reading to the end.
