This is the order in which I completed the 100 famous mountains:
1) Mt. Fuji – July 24, 2001
2) Odai-ga-hara – Oct. 29, 2001
3) Mt. Daisen – July 19, 2002
4) Mt. Oku-hotaka – Aug. 6, 2002
5) Mt. Yari – August 8, 2002
6) Mt. Kurobegoro – Aug. 10, 2002
7) Mt. Yakushi – August 11, 2002
8] Mt. Tateyama – August 13, 2002
9) Mt. Aso – October 24, 2002
10) Mt. Kuju – October 25, 2002
11) Mt. Kirishima – July 18, 2003
12) Mt. Asahi (Hokkaido) – August 11, 2003
13) Tomuraushi – Aug. 13, 2003
14) Mt. Tokachi – August 15, 2003
15) Mt. Tsurugi (Shikoku) – September 16, 2003
16) Mt. Shirouma – October 13, 2003
17) Mt. Ishizuchi – October 17, 2003
18) Hakusan – July 18, 2004
19) Kitadake – August 16, 2004
20) Ainodake – August 16, 2004
21) Mt. Shiomi – August 17, 2004
22) Mt. Kiso koma-ga-take – Oct 10, 2004
23) Mt. Usugi – Oct 11, 2004
24) Mt. Omine – November 2, 2004
25) Mt. Kaimon – December 23, 2004
26) Mt. Kumotori – March 20, 2005
27) Mt. Ibuki – May 20, 2005
28) Ontake – June 5, 2005
29) Mt. Sobo – July 17, 2005
30) Mt. Warusawa – August 29, 2005
31) Mt. Akaishi – August 30, 2005
32) Yatsu-ga-take – Sept. 18, 2005
33) Utsukushi-ga-hara – Sept. 19, 2005
34) Mt. Houou – Sept 24, 2005
35) Mt. Kai koma-ga-take – Sept. 24, 2005
36) Mt. Senjo – Sept 25, 2005
37) Mt. Yake – October 2, 2005
38) Mt. Norikura – October 3, 2005
39) Mt. Arashima – October 10, 2005
40) Mt. Ena – October 23, 2005
41) Mt. Amagi – December 12, 2005
42) Mt. Tsukuba – December. 25, 2005
43) Mt. Tanzawa – December. 27, 2005
44) Mt. Kiri-ga-mine – Feb. 12, 2006
45) Mt. Miyanoura – May 3, 2006
46) Mt. Tateshina – May 6, 2006
47) Mt. Akagi – May 14, 2006
48) Mt. Daibosatsu – May 26, 2006
49) Mt. Azumaya – June 4, 2006
50) Mt. Kusatsu-shirane – June 4, 2006
51) Mt. Myoko – July 16, 2006
52) Mt. Hiuchi – July 17, 2006
53) Mt. Nasu – July 30, 2006
54) Mt. Yotei – August 5, 2006
55) Mt. Hakkoda – August 6, 2006
56) Mt. Iwaki – August 6, 2006
57) Hachimantai – August 7, 2006
58) Mt. Iwate – August 8, 2006
59) Mt. Hayachine – August 9, 2006
60) Mt. Chokai – August 10, 2006
61) Gassan – August 12, 2006
62) Mt. Asahi – August 14, 2006
63) Mt. Zao – August 15, 2006
64) Mt. Jonen – August 27, 2006
65) Mt. Hotaka – September 17, 2006
66) Mt. Naeba – September 18, 2006
67) Mt. Tanigawa – September 19, 2006
68) Mt. Kasa – September 23, 2006
69) Mt. Washiba – September 24, 2006
70) Mt. Suisho – September 24, 2006
71) Mt. Nantai – October 8, 2006
72) Mt. Oku-shirane – October 9, 2006
73) Mt. Bandai – October 10, 2006
74) Mt. Mizugaki – November 21, 2006
75) Mt. Kinpu – November 21, 2006
76) Mt. Kobushi – November 22, 2006
77) Mt. Asama – December 23, 2006
78) Mt. Ryokami – January 14, 2007
79) Mt. Adatara – February 12, 2007
80) Mt. Takazuma – May 11, 2007
81) Mt. Amakazari – June 3, 2007
82) Mt. Kashimayari – June 17, 2007
83) Mt. Makihata – July 24, 2007
84) Mt. Azuma – September 17, 2007
85) Mt. Shibutsu – September. 23, 2007
86) Mt. Aizu koma-ga-take – May 2, 2008
87) Mt. Hiuchi (Oze) – May 4, 2008
88) Mt. Goryu – May 23, 2008
89) Mt. Sukai – June 27, 2008
90) Mt. Iide – July 22, 2008
91) Mt. Rishiri – August 10, 2008
92) Mt. Rausu – August 12, 2008
93) Mt. Shari – August 13, 2008
94) Mt. Meakan – August 14, 2008
95) Mt. Poroshiri – August 17, 2008
96) Mt. Echigo koma-ga-take – August 29, 2008
97) Hira-ga-take – August 31, 2008
98) Mt. Tsurugi (Kita Alps) – September 15, 2008
99) Mt. Tekari – September 28, 2008
100) Mt. Hijiri – October 13, 2008
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The Tozan Tales 
Ｃｏｎｇｒａｔｕｌａｔｉｏｎｓ on your achievement of 100 famous mountains.
お目出度うございます！
Can I ask you which of these mountains you would walk again if you could only do ten of them again? This summer I want to go hiking in Japan for about 1 week and I am wondering which of these mountains I should do. They do not have to be in close proximity because I will travel for about one month.
Regards,
Max
That’s a really good question Max. I think my experience in the mountains is closely related to the weather conditions I encountered. I think all of the peaks would be incredibly beautiful in perfect weather. That being said, I do have a soft spot for the following peaks:
Mt. Meakan
Mt. Poroshiri
Mt. Chokai
Mt. Iide
Mt. Asahi (in Yamagata)
Mt. Asama
Mt. Kaimon
Mt. Houou
Mt. Tsurugi [Kita Alps] (not from the Tateyama side, however)
Mt. Kuro
All of these peaks I’d climb again if I get the chance.
Wes
It’s amazing how similar that list is to what most people who have hiked all 100 mountains have told me (or hiked most of them at least). Poroshiri and Tsurugi are almost always on the list, as is Iide.
Meakan, Asahi, and Houou all also match up with my list of my favorite hikes. The only part that really surprises me is Kaimon, which I can’t speak from personal experience on, but which several of my acquaintances who have hiked it, ranked very low. One friend went so far as to rank it the bottom of all the Kyushu hikes. The other surprise is the lack of either Yari or Hotaka, one of which is essentially always in Japanese hikers’ list of top mountains, and the placement of Suisho instead.
Has your opinion changed over the years? I am saving Tsurugi for last, because I want to have a hike I can look forward to and (from Nagano) have relatively simple access to and can work around weather (I want number 100 to be fun and memorable), hence no Rishiri or Miyanoura.
I am beginning to accept I will need to hit Chokai again, having made a mistake in approaching it directly south, from the Yamagata side.
Cheers for checking out my blog and my list of “favorites” – yes, I would probably change my ranking now 10 years on.
One of the reasons why I put Kaimon on the list is that it’s a very unique hike, as there aren’t any switchbacks at all and you literally circumnavigate the entire volcano en route to the summit.
Tsurugi is a good one to save for #100. The main route can be a bit of a bottleneck, so I recommend the Hayatsuki One route if you want something a little more peaceful that is much safer.
If you haven’t seen William Banff’s Hyakumeizan ranking, then it’s definitely worth a look.
https://willie-walks.com/2020/01/28/japans-100-mountains-1st-to-worst/
Thanks. I actually climbed Houou 5 years ago because I read your post. For about the first two years your blog series was literally my only reference for hiking (I now know how super convenient and good for peace of mind the official hiking maps series are). I think I read nearly every post you wrote for JapanHike.
I wonder how many non-Japanese have completed Fukada’s 100 mountains list. I thought you must have been the first, but there seem to be a surprising few who have done it.
Speaking of trails with no switchbacks, that describes Asama as well. The final approach up the main volcano just goes straight up. The views from Kurofuku-yama and the J-Band are astounding as well. My friend probably didn’t like Kaimon much because he doesn’t like courses that are all slope and likes pretty varied terrain.
As for Tsurugi, much more than course, I feel like it’s hitting it at good timing. I’ve gotten Yari twice and both times been either the only person on the summit part of the time, or shared it with only one person. Getting a mountain very late in the season, or on a week day early on in the season, is my go-to strategy for dealing with the really popular peaks. I am looking forward to the thrill of the classic Tsurugi trail (and am doing the Hachimine-kiretto this summer on a traverse of Goryuu and Kashima-yari). Have you ever done the Gendarme trail through to Nishi-Hotaka in Kamikochi? it’s on my list, but looks like a very scary stretch.