Mt. Atago

If you are in the downtown of Kyoto city or somewhere nearby, please rear up and look toward the north-east direction. You could see a mountain like the photo above.
The name is Mt. Atago.
It is the one of the most famous mountains in Kyoto.
There is a small shrine on the 924-meter top of the mountain.　Many people climb the mountain to visit the shrine on every July 31st and Dec 31st every year. If is not that special occasion, people enjoy casual hiking in the mountain.

The mountain is familiar with people life of Kyoto.
You may see this tag in the kitchen of a restaurant or in your friend's house in Kyoto. This tag is sold at the shrine.

Also, Kyoto people forecast daily weather by watching the mountain. For example, if the mountaintop is covered by clouds in the mourning, it should rain in the afternoon, etc …
In winter, cold wind blows from Mt. Atago-san. We call the wind "Atago-Oroshi" = "Atago Wind" in English.

At the foot of the mountain, a limpid stream flows from the east to the west. We can enjoy "firefly watching" in June. In summer, the area becomes very busy for swimming and barbeques.

If you get bored visiting temples, would be good idea to try Atago-san.
From J-Hoppers Hostel to the mountain, it takes about 1 hour using JR and the city bus. And also it takes about 2-3 hours to the top. Please take good shoes.

I guarantee it will be a very physical day for you !!