Mount Ibuki Driveway

Ibukiyama Driveway is a 17-km long sightseeing toll road that climbs up to the ninth station of Mount Ibuki (1,377 meters above sea level), the highest peak in Shiga Prefecture.

The entrance is located at the Ibukiyamaguchi intersection about 3 km up Route 365 from the Sekigahara IC of the Meishin Expressway. From here, climb up the southern slope to the Sky Terrace parking lot (elevation: 1260 m) near the summit of Mt.

The total length of the trail is approximately 17 km, and it is not passable. The parking lot at the summit has parking space for approximately 600 vehicles, a rest house “Sky Terrace Ibukiyama” and a statue of Kannon, the Goddess of Love.

Ibukiyama Driveway attracts many visitors not only to enjoy the seasonal alpine flora, autumn leaves, and other flowers, but also to enjoy the panoramic view overlooking Shiga and Gifu Prefectures.

Route Status

Due to the steep curves of the Ibukiyama Driveway, the speed limit is 30 km/h for the entire route, and 20 km/h in some sections.

As a general motorway under the Road Transport Law, there are some restrictions on vehicular traffic. Only cars and motorcycles over 126 cc are allowed on the road, and bicycles and pedestrians are not allowed.

The road is especially crowded with tourist vehicles during the season of autumn foliage. The road is also closed in winter from late November to early April (or until late April, depending on snowfall).

Business Hours

Opening hours vary depending on the season, with the last admission 2 hours before closing time. During the winter season (from the day after the last Sunday in November to the third Friday in April), the park is closed due to snow accumulation.

Geography

The Ibukiyama Driveway has an elevation difference of approximately 1,000 meters from the starting point to the summit parking lot at the end of the driveway. Mt. Ibuki begins to appear near the starting point, and the road wraps around the east side of Mt.

From this road, you can see the mountains of western Mino, and from the parking area below the summit, you can enjoy a beautiful view of Lake Biwa. The road approaches the summit from east to northeast for the last 4 km or so.

At the summit parking lot, there is a tourist facility called Sky Terrace Ibukiyama, which offers a panoramic view of Lake Biwa and Mount Mitake from the northwest. The Sky Terrace also has a souvenir store and space for eating, drinking, and drinking.

Mt. Ibuki

Located in the center of Japan, Mt. Ibuki is a historical mountain whose name is mentioned in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) and Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan), and also in the legend of Nihon no Musonin, and has long been famous as a treasure house of famous medicinal herbs, subalpine plants, wild birds, and insects.

Characterized by vegetation influenced by cold monsoons, it has long been known as a treasure trove of herbaceous plants and medicinal herbs, many of which are endemic to the area.

It is said that about 1,250 species of higher plants are distributed throughout Mt. Ibuki, and about 350 species can be seen in the flower fields around the summit.

A walking trail leading up from the parking lot below the summit leads to a beautiful broad-leaved grassland, which attracts many visitors during the summer blooming season. The flower garden at the summit is designated as a national natural monument.

Mt. Ibuki had good transportation access to the Kinki, Hokuriku, Tokai, and Hokuriku regions, and had strategic military advantages as well. For this reason, the Kyogoku clan, a feudal lord in the Warring States period, built a mountain castle in the Ibuki Mountains.

Mt. Ibuki is also famous as a sacred mountain, and during the Heian period (794-1185) it became one of the seven most famous mountains in Japan for Shugendo (ascetic practices), and was visited by many ascetic practitioners.