新立山は、標高326メートルほどの低山ですが、福岡県宗像市と宮若市の境界付近に位置するため、とても見晴らしが良いです。自宅からもほど近く、足が達者な方は毎日登る方もいらっしゃるくらい親しみやすい山でもあります。正助ふるさと村の駐車場から登るのが一般的なルートと思いますが、手入れの行き届いた杉林が美しく、危険な箇所もないので還暦杉野の私でも何とか楽しめる山です。
Mt. Shintateyama is a modest mountain of about 326 meters in elevation, located near the border between Munakata City and Miyawaka City in Fukuoka Prefecture. Despite its low height, it offers excellent views. Since it’s quite close to my home, it’s a familiar mountain for locals—some even hike it daily if they’re fit enough. The most common route begins from the parking lot of the Shosuke Furusato Village. The path through the well-maintained cedar forest is especially beautiful, with no hazardous areas, making it a pleasant and manageable hike even for someone like me, a man in his sixties.
こちらは新立山山頂から宗像方面を見渡した眺望です。悠に玄界灘も見ることができます。真夏は登山者も少ないようで絶景を独り占めでした。
This is the view from the summit of Mt. Shintateyama, looking out toward the Munakata area. You can clearly see as far as the Genkai Sea. In the height of summer, there seem to be fewer hikers, so I had the breathtaking scenery all to myself.
こちらは宮若方面の眺望ですが、田畑が広がってのんびりした感じです。トヨタ自動車九州の工場群も見ることができるのですが、この日は草木が茂りすぎて見えにくかったです。レクサスを生産する工場と田園風景は、一見、ミスマッチのようにも感じますが、これも日本らしい調和なのかもしれません。
This is the view toward the Miyawaka side, where fields and farmland stretch out, creating a peaceful, laid-back atmosphere. You can usually spot the cluster of Toyota Kyushu factories from here, but on this day, the lush summer foliage made them hard to see. At first glance, the juxtaposition of a Lexus-producing plant and a rural landscape might seem mismatched—but perhaps it’s a uniquely Japanese kind of harmony.
登山道は樹木に覆われ快適です。強い陽射しが差し込みますが、入射角によっては素晴らしい光線を描いて目を楽しませてくれます。これは盛夏の新立山に登る醍醐味かもしれません。
The trail is comfortably shaded by trees. Although the sunlight is strong, depending on the angle at which it filters through the canopy, it creates beautiful rays of light that delight the eyes. This might be one of the true pleasures of climbing Mt. Shintateyama in the height of summer.
中腹には用水池がありまして、見事な藍色をたたえています。この時期は蜻蛉やトンボも沢山居て、ゆらりゆらりと漂う姿は何とものどかです。ゆっくりしたいところですが、日陰は蚊も多いので、滅多に来ないごちそうになる前に退散しました。
Midway up the mountain, there’s an irrigation pond that holds a stunning shade of deep indigo. At this time of year, it’s also home to many dragonflies, gently drifting through the air in a peaceful dance. I would have liked to linger a while, but the shade was full of mosquitoes—so I made a swift retreat before becoming an unexpected feast.
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