Hiruzen Highland: Enjoying Jersey Cattle and Mt. Daisen Views at the Largest Highland Resort in the Chugoku Region

Hiruzen Highland in Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture is a highland resort spreading across the southern foot of Mt. Daisen, and it is included in Daisen-Oki National Park. Amid magnificent scenery taking in the grand Three Hiruzen Peaks and the famous Mt. Daisen, a pastoral landscape unfolds in which Jersey cattle graze at leisure. It is a popular resort where you can enjoy refreshing highland air, rich nature, and delicious dairy products and local food.

How Hiruzen Highland Came to Be

Hiruzen Highland is a plateau at an elevation of about 500 meters, spreading at the foot of the "Three Hiruzen Peaks" — Kami-Hiruzen, Naka-Hiruzen, and Shimo-Hiruzen. The landscape of gently rolling grassland was formed by volcanic activity and the uplift of the land. Dairy farming, which makes use of the cool climate, flourishes here, and the Maniwa Tourism Bureau introduces Hiruzen as "one of Japan's largest Jersey cattle production areas." The scene of dairy cattle turned out onto green pasture is as beautiful as a European farm, and the view with the magnificent Mt. Daisen as a backdrop is a superb sight unique to Hiruzen.

The Blessings of Jersey Cattle

When it comes to the flavors that represent Hiruzen Highland, nothing beats the rich dairy products made from Jersey cattle. Jersey milk has a higher milk fat content than ordinary milk, and is characterized by its deep body and abundant sweetness. The soft-serve ice cream, yogurt, and cheese made from this milk are exquisite and can be enjoyed at the highland's restaurants and shops. Above all, the rich Jersey soft-serve ice cream is a specialty you should try when you visit. Together with local highland vegetables and the specialty "Hiruzen yakisoba," you can savor highland cuisine to the full.

Activities Through the Seasons

Hiruzen Highland offers different pleasures in each season. From spring to summer, you can enjoy the refreshing highland by cycling and hiking, and relax in the flower fields and pastures. In autumn the whole highland is dyed in fall colors, and it is a pleasant season for driving. In winter you can enjoy winter sports such as skiing and snowshoeing. Climbing the Three Hiruzen Peaks is also popular, and a grand panorama of Mt. Daisen and the highland spreads out from the summits. It is a resort where you can stay active all year round while getting close to nature.

Climbing the Three Hiruzen Peaks

The "Three Hiruzen Peaks" (upper, middle, lower) connecting north of Hiruzen Highland all have climbing courses developed for enjoyment as summer, autumn, and winter mountains. Autumn beech forest foliage in particular is beautiful, attracting many hikers.

Places to Stop By Scattered Across the Highland

Part of Hiruzen Highland's appeal is that facilities of different character are scattered across the whole highland. Okayama Kanko WEB, run by the Okayama Prefectural Tourism Federation, lists representative spots of Hiruzen Highland including "Hiruzen Jersey Land," "Hiruzen Winery," "Hiruzen Herb Garden Herville," "Hiruzen Kogen Center Joyful Park," "GREENable HIRUZEN," "Jersey Cattle Petting Square," and "Hiruzen Tancho no Sato." Tasting dairy products, choosing wine, viewing herbs and flowers, playing at the amusement park, meeting cattle — because you can combine these freely according to your purpose, families and adult groups alike can spend a full day here. However, the facilities are too far apart to walk between, so it is realistic to choose several and tour them by car.

Shiogama Reisen, One of Japan's 100 Famous Waters

One place you should stop by when visiting Hiruzen is "Shiogama Reisen," a cold spring welling up at the foot of Naka-Hiruzen (elevation 1,123 m), the middle of the Three Hiruzen Peaks. According to the Maniwa Tourism Bureau, the spring water forms a gourd-shaped pond 12 m east to west and 5 m north to south, with an area of about 60 square meters and a maximum depth of 1.9 m. The flow is about 300 liters per second, and the water temperature stays cold at around 11 degrees throughout the year. In 1985 (Showa 60) it was certified as one of Japan's 100 Famous Waters by the Environment Agency (now the Ministry of the Environment). It is still managed chiefly by the local Shiogama Hosankai and is passed down as household water for about 600 nearby households — a famous water tied to daily life. The waterside surrounded by trees is wrapped in cool air even in midsummer, and it is also loved as a spot to escape the heat. Because it is also household water, please follow the notices on site: do not pollute the water and do not enter the pond.

Touring Highland Scenery on the Cycling Road

It would be a shame to only pass through Hiruzen Highland by car. The "Hiruzen Highland Cycling Road" introduced by Okayama Kanko WEB is about 29 km long. It is a cycling course unique to the highland, running through pastures and woods while offering views of the Three Hiruzen Peaks and the famous Mt. Daisen. Many people get off their bicycles to take photos in the sections where the view opens up, and you can sense even the murmur of the waterways and the smell of the pasture grass that you would not notice from a car. While the high elevation makes it comfortable to ride even in summer, the sun is strong in the unshaded sections, so it is reassuring to bring a hat, sunglasses, and to hydrate frequently.

Faces of the Four Seasons and Photography Tips

Hiruzen Highland changes its expression completely with each season. From spring to early summer the pastures turn a vivid green, and the most Hiruzen-like landscape of all — Jersey cattle grazing — spreads out. In summer you can enjoy experiences that bring you close to the highland's bounty, such as lavender picking, blueberry picking, and sunflower viewing as guided by the Maniwa Tourism Bureau. In autumn the whole highland is wrapped in fall colors, and in winter it becomes a field of snow where the ski areas bustle. The fun of this highland is that you can bring home a completely different photograph from the same place depending on the season you visit.

When photographing, placing the pastureland large in the foreground with the Three Hiruzen Peaks or Mt. Daisen behind creates the depth characteristic of a highland. In the morning and evening when the light softens, the greens and pampas grass show beautiful color, and in the clear air of early morning the mountain ridgelines are sharply defined. When photographing grazing cattle, keeping your distance with a telephoto lens avoids startling them. Farms and pastures are places of production, so do not enter inside the fences, and take photographs from the designated viewing areas.

Best Season and Access

Hiruzen Highland is especially popular from early summer, when fresh greenery and activities can be enjoyed, through the autumn foliage season. In winter you can enjoy winter sports. For access, it is right by the Hiruzen Interchange on the Yonago Expressway. By public transport, the only regular service is the Maniwa City community bus "Maniwa-kun" on the Hiruzen-Kuse route (daily, but only six round trips a day); the Okayama Prefecture Tourism Federation also gives a bus bound for Hiruzen Highland from Chugoku Katsuyama Station on the JR Kishin Line (about 80 minutes). It is accessible from both Okayama and Tottori, and combining it with sightseeing at Mt. Daisen is also recommended. Because the facilities are scattered across the highland, touring by car is best suited. Enjoy the blessings of Jersey cattle and rich nature on a highland looking out to magnificent Mt. Daisen.

Practical Information

• Best season: Centered on early summer, when fresh greenery and activities can be enjoyed, through the autumn foliage season. Winter is the winter sports season.
• Access: By car, right off the Hiruzen Interchange on the Yonago Expressway. By public transport, the only regular service is the Maniwa City community bus "Maniwa-kun" on the Hiruzen-Kuse route (Kyukamura Hiruzen Kogen - Hiruzen Branch Office - Yubara Onsen - Chugoku Katsuyama Station - Maniwa City Hall), which runs daily but with only six round trips a day. The fare is 200 yen for adults and 100 yen for primary school children per ride, and there is no change machine on board, so bring the exact fare. The Okayama Prefecture Tourism Federation also gives about 80 minutes by bus bound for Hiruzen Highland from Chugoku Katsuyama Station on the JR Kishin Line, alighting at "Yubuneguchi," then about 10 minutes by taxi.
• Parking: Available (provided at each facility; check details and fees with each facility's official information).
• Clothing and gear: Because this is a highland at about 500 m elevation, temperatures are lower than in the city and mornings and evenings are chilly. Even in summer it is reassuring to have something to put on. In winter there is snow and icy roads, so winter tires and similar equipment are necessary.

*Hiruzen Highland is included in Daisen-Oki National Park. Farms and pastures are places of production; please do not enter areas outside the designated viewing areas and do not feed the cattle without permission.*

*The above is based on information published by each facility and local government. Hours and fees are subject to change, so please check official sources before visiting.*

📚 Sources

• Maniwa Tourism Bureau, "National Park Hiruzen (Hiruzen Highland)"
• Okayama Prefectural Tourism Federation, "Okayama Kanko WEB," Hiruzen Highland