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Chichibu-Tama-Kai NP, Yamanashi
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When the ropeway was built, no road reached the summit, so a large helicopter carried construction materials up to build Panorama-dai Station. The ropeway began operating on November 1, 1964.
A shrine near the summit honors Yasaburo, a legendary sake brewer. Local lore says he vowed to stop drinking, then vanished from the peak as a tengu; he is still revered here as a deity of sake.
Near the lower station, Sennin Chaya serves an “edible crystal ball”: clear water jelly made with Me-tori spring water, paired with kinako and black-sugar syrup—a sweet nod to Shosenkyo’s quartz heritage.
From the ropeway summit, you can see Fuji, Kita-dake and Aino-dake—the 3 highest peaks in Japan—in one sweeping view. The panorama also opens over Kofu Basin and the surrounding mountains.
The summit’s Wago Gongen began as a 350-year-old oak revered near Mt. Kinpu. Locals moved it uphill when the ropeway opened in 1964; since 2011, it has rested in a hexagonal shrine made by a local master carpenter.
Before the gondolas, the steep Mitake Kodo pilgrimage route crossed Mt. Yasaburo on its way to Kanazakura Shrine. Ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Hiroshige also visited this old mountain route.
The 2 gondolas depart together, pass midway and their guides wave to each other. The ropeway gives them personalities, too: Fuku-chan is the male car, and Yume-chan the female.
At the summit, Yakumo Shrine was established in 1564 as the tutelary shrine of Ikari village. It also stood on the approach to Kanazakura Shrine, where travelers once prayed for a safe journey.
A minute from Sengataki Station, you can see the retired first gondola, Oruri. It served for 24 years: car 1 changed its nickname from Fuji to Oruri, while car 2 went from Rakan to Yamabato.
The ropeway operator says Uguisu Valley’s name comes from a local tale: even in midwinter, people could hear the Japanese bush warbler singing there. The sunny lookout faces the Southern Alps.
At Suzunage Plaza, visitors toss a small “happiness bell” toward the heart-shaped opening in a giant golden bell. According to the ropeway, a successful toss means the wish comes true.
