One of Amakusa's Two Great Viewpoints
The Mount Ryugatake (龍ヶ岳, Ryugatake) is a mountain at the southern tip of Amakusa-Kamishima in Ryugatake-machi, Kamiamakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture, which in 1936 was designated a Place of Scenic Beauty.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a peak 469 metres high, counted with Mount Rokurouji on Shimoshima as one of Amakusa's two great viewpoints. Kamiamakusa City gives the height as 470 metres.
The city explains that the name, dragon peak, comes from a dragon god long worshipped as dwelling on the mountain, and that its shape from below also earns it the name Amakusa Fuji.
Why It Was Designated: Mountains and Sea
The designation text describes hard, little-fissured Tertiary conglomeratic sandstone, with bare boulders on the summit and no trees to block the view.
Below, the islands of Hinoshima to the east and Goshonoura to the south form the foreground. Beyond them the peaks of Amakusa-Kamishima and Shimoshima and islands such as Shishijima and Nagashima make up the middle distance, a landscape like the Inland Sea.
Across the Shiranui Sea, the mountains of Higo and Satsuma fold into the far distance, and famous peaks such as Kirishima, Aso and Unzen all come into view. The text calls this panorama of mountains and sea a rare spectacle.
What to Look For
Kamiamakusa City notes a summit park with a monument naming Toki, the area's name when it was shogunate land. Nearby are a campsite and an observatory, and a poem monument to Noguchi Ujo, who praised the view.
On clear days, Aso and Kirishima can be seen in the distance. The layered view of islands and mountains, near, middle and far, is the heart of this designated scenery.
Visiting the Mount Ryugatake
The summit of the Mount Ryugatake is laid out as the Ryugatake summit nature park. The view depends heavily on the weather, so choose a clear day.
Enquiries go to the Kamiamakusa City board of education social education section, 0964-56-3363.
Q&A
- When was the Mount Ryugatake designated?
- It was designated a Place of Scenic Beauty on 3 September 1936.
- How high is the Mount Ryugatake?
- 469 metres according to the designation text, 470 metres according to Kamiamakusa City.
- What can you see from the Mount Ryugatake?
- The islands of Hinoshima and Goshonoura, the peaks of Amakusa, and the mountains of Kyushu across the Shiranui Sea, with Aso, Kirishima and Unzen on clear days.
- Where does the name Ryugatake come from?
- From a dragon god long worshipped as dwelling on the mountain, according to Kamiamakusa City.
- What is the Mount Ryugatake also called?
- Amakusa Fuji, for its shape seen from below.
Basic Information
| Name | Mount Ryugatake (龍ヶ岳) |
|---|---|
| Location | Ryugatake-machi, Kamiamakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Place of Scenic Beauty |
| Year Designated | Designated 1936/9/3 (Showa 11) |
| Quantity | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Dimensions | Height 469 metres (Agency), 470 metres (Kamiamakusa City) |
| Owner | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Summit laid out as a nature park |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Mount Ryugatake (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/401/2819
- Cultural Heritage Online: Mount Ryugatake (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/203016
- Kamiamakusa City: Ryugatake (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kamiamakusa.kumamoto.jp/q/aview/228/1282.html
Last verified: 2026.09.28