Mt. Yasaburodake
Mt. Yasaburodake (or simply Yasaburodake), with an elevation of 1,058 meters, sits on the border between Kofu City and Kai City in Yamanashi Prefecture. Located to the north of the Senga Falls within the Mitake Shosenkyo Gorge area, it lies behind Kakuenpo Peak. Utilizing the nearby ropeway, one can reach the summit in about 10 minutes. From the peak, visitors are rewarded with grand views encompassing Mt. Kinpu, Mt. Fuji, the Southern Alps, and the Kofu Basin.
Yasaburodake is the tallest among the three peaks collectively known as Rakanji-san (Mt. Rakanji), which includes the nearby Rakanji Temple where people pray for the reduction of their sins. This area once hosted one of the nine routes to Mt. Kinpu, but the path fell into disuse after the Mitake New Road was carved in the 19th century.
Legend has it that Yasaburo, a temple servant from Rakanji, was a master sake brewer who crafted the victory sake for the Takeda clan. Despite his skill, he could not abstain from drinking. When he vowed to give up alcohol, it's said he transformed into a Tengu demon and vanished. To this day, sake brewers dedicate new sake here, continuing the prayers for good fortune.
There are multiple hiking routes to Yasaburodake. Besides using the Shosenkyo Ropeway, trails from Kajikazawa in Kai City or Miyazawa Bridge are available. There's also a path following the ropeway line and a ridge trail starting south of the Nagatoro Bridge in Shosenkyo Gorge. The hike takes about 2 hours from Kajikazawa, 1 hour and 30 minutes from Miyazawa Bridge, 40 minutes along the ropeway path, and around 3 hours for the ridge ascent from Nagatoro Bridge.