Only half an hour after we left our hotel we arrived at Risshaku Temple. We could see some buildings from the parking lot but we had to climb 1000 steps to get to the top. Along the way are a lot of smaller shrines where people can rest.
Another one hour driving got us to the top of Mount Zao. The winding road passes through brightly coloured trees until we arrived at the 1700 m summit. There’s a rocky trail that can be followed for a view of Okama Crater.
Near Fukushima we stopped at Nakano Fudoson, a small bright red temple with a waterfall next to it. Unfortunately a part of the area was cordoned off for repairs so we couldn’t get a good view.