Mount Shinobu

Mount Shinobu (信夫山）is a tiny mountain that sits right in the middle of Fukushima City.  It's kind of like Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, AZ.  No matter where you are in Fukushima City, chances are you can see Mount Shinobu.  When we went hiking up in Mount Azuma last year (the same mountain that boasts the famous "Snow Rabbit"), we could look down and see Mount Shinobu - a small green hill in the middle of skyscrapers and other buildings. 

福島市信夫山

Haidee and I both enjoy hiking, and ever since I'd heard from a friend here in Fukushima that there are some pretty good trails that lead to the top of Mount Shinobu we've wanted to check it out.  We had some nice weather today (Monday, our day off) so we threw some water and snacks in a backpack, hopped on our bikes and headed off towards the center of the city. 

It took a little exploring (past a shine and some graveyards), but we eventually found a path that looked promising.  Not long into our hike we saw the following sign:

We laughed as we realized that we (meaning Haidee) can read just enough Japanese to know that the above sign means one of two things:  "don't kill the bugs" OR "beware of the killer bugs."  Either way, we didn't encounter any on our hike, thankfully!  The hike was steep but short and well maintained.  It only took us about 30 minutes to reach the top.  A paved road also winds its way up to nearly the summit, in case someone wants to enjoy the view without putting in the leg work. 

Haidee, and the view to the north of Mount Shinobu

Eric, and a view to the south of Mount Shinobu

Here's a good picture the two of us and the skyscrapers in downtown Fukushima.

My best attempt of a panoramic view, looking south at downtown Fukushima.

On the way down we walked on the paved road at a nice leisurely pace.  We passed a funny looking slide that almost looked like something out of a Dr. Seuss book, so we took a picture!

It was a fun afternoon.  A hike up Mount Shinobu would be a great activity for anyone who would like to come to Fukushima City for a visit!  (hint, hint)