Shōbara, Hiroshima Prefecture
Driving to Mount Dōgo A morning of autumn leaves and apples at Tsukimigaoka
Mount Dōgo sits on the border between Hiroshima and Tottori prefectures. Make Tsukimigaoka car park on the Hiroshima side a stop on your drive and take in the mountain’s autumn leaves and pampas grass.
A mid-October morning spent taking in the autumn mountain at Tsukimigaoka. I’ll get out at the car park, admire the mountain and pampas grass, and enjoy the apples I brought for a snack.
AutumnMid-October · Morning
One bite of apple, and autumn begins
My driving friend and I set off for Mount Dōgo, with apples from Saijō packed for the trip. It was mid-October, and we were driving up to Tsukimigaoka. After parking, I spotted a rounded mountain behind a brown-roofed building, its trees turning with the season.
I got out and straightened the jacket tied around my waist. I’d come in a grey sweatshirt and pink shorts, hoping to take a photo with the car in front of the mountain. But first, a snack: I pulled out an apple.
The first bite was crisp and juicy, and I was smiling before my friend even pointed the camera at me. I looked at the apple, then the mountain, then took another bite. Our break at the car park was turning out longer than I’d expected.
Pampas grass grew beside the paved path, and when I looked up, autumn trees filled the view. We started picking out what to include in our photos while taking in the mountain, where a little summer green still remained. “Let’s get the apple in there too. That would really capture the day,” my friend said, then took a photo of me beside the car.
After I finished the apple, we looked through the photos together. A shot of the mountain alone was lovely, but my favourite was the one with the red car and my snack. It felt like we’d captured the whole morning: the drive to Saijō and our time at Tsukimigaoka.
The story sections are fiction inspired by this location. For accurate information, please consult official tourism and information websites.
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Shōbara, Hiroshima Prefecture · An autumn break at Tsukimigaoka
Local specialty
Saijō apples
Apples are also grown in Saijō-chō, Shōbara City. I packed some for an autumn road-trip snack and took a bite at Tsukimigaoka. They were crisp and juicy, and I was grinning before my friend had even taken a photo.
Highlights
An autumn drive to Tsukimigaoka
Stop at the car park for mountain views, and leave yourself time to relax once you arrive.
Mountain trees and pampas grass
Look up at the autumn trees, then notice the pampas grass beside the path. There’s plenty to take in, both close by and in the distance.
A bite of an apple from Saijō
Bring an apple along and enjoy it during a snack break. I took one bite and the crisp texture and juice had me smiling before my friend could even take a photo. Looking at the mountain and taking another bite, I ended up staying longer than I’d expected.
Access and Mountain Details
Getting to Mount Dōgo and Tsukimigaoka
- Drive from Tōjō IC
- About 50 minutes
- Tsukimioka elevation
- 1,000m
Head to Tsukimigaoka car park on the Hiroshima side. Once there, get out and take in the highland scenery.
The Hiroshima Prefecture tourism site gives a driving time of about 50 minutes from Tōjō IC and an elevation of 1,000 m for Tsukimioka.
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