Mount Kintoki

It is also called Kintokiyama. It is a mountain that stands at the northern end of Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, in the southwest of Kanagawa Prefecture. It is on the border between Hakone-machi, Minamiashigara-shi, and Oyama-machi (Shizuoka Prefecture), and forms the border with Shizuoka Prefecture. It is the highest peak of the ancient outer rim of the Hakone volcano, with an altitude of 1,212 meters. In ancient times, it was called Inohana-dake, but there is a legend that Sakata Kintoki, famous as "Kintaro of Ashigarayama," the protagonist of fairy tales and children's songs, lived here with a mountain witch. It is also said to be the place where Kintoki's abilities were recognized by Minamoto no Yorimitsu when he returned from his conquest of Oshu. Since the Meiji period, when Kintaro was included in elementary school textbooks, it has been called Kintokiyama. Kintoki Shrine is located at the foot of the mountain, and the Kintoki Festival is held on May 5th.

Kintokisan is also famous as the place where the first modern plant taxonomy research was conducted in Japan in the early Meiji period. The basic specimens of Kintokisan made by the Frenchman Paul AL Savatier (1830-1891) and the research report of the Hakonekometatsutsuji (Rhododendron japonica) on the summit of Kintokisan (1870) by the Russian Karl Ivanovich Maksimovich (1827-1891) were pioneering achievements. The Goyotsutsuji (Rhododendron japonica) that blooms in May is called "Kintoki's Ubatatsutsuji". There are also many wild birds and insects in the mountains, including the voice of the Bupposo (Scissors Owl). The view from Kintokichaya on the summit is vast. Take a bus from Odawara Station to Sengoku in about 40 minutes. After getting off, there is a hiking trail from Ubagachaya to Otometoge to Nagaoyama to Kintokisan.

[Yukio Asaka September 19, 2018]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

「きんときやま」ともいう。神奈川県南西部、足柄下(あしがらしも)郡箱根町(はこねまち)の北端にそびえる山。箱根町、南足柄市、小山(おやま)町（静岡県）の境にあたり、静岡県境をなす。箱根火山の古期外輪山の最高峰で、標高1212メートル。古くは猪鼻岳(いのはなだけ)とよばれていたが、童話や童謡の主人公「足柄山の金太郎」として名高い坂田公（金）時(さかたのきんとき)が山姥(やまうば)と住んでいたという伝説があり、また公時が奥州征討から帰った源頼光(みなもとのよりみつ)にその力量を認められた地とも伝えられ、明治以後、金太郎が小学校教科書にのせられてからは金時山とよばれるようになった。山麓(さんろく)に金時神社があり、5月5日に金時祭が行われる。

　金時山はまた明治初期に、日本で最初に近代植物分類学の研究が行われた所としても有名。フランス人サバチエPaul A. L. Savatier（1830―1891）の金時山基本標本や、ロシア人マキシモビチKarl Ivanovich Maksimovich（1827―1891）の金時山頂のハコネコメツツジの研究報告（1870）は、その先駆的業績。5月に開花するゴヨウツツジは「金時のウバツツジ」とよばれる。またこの山中には声の仏法僧(ぶっぽうそう)（コノハズク）をはじめ、野鳥や昆虫も多い。山頂の金時茶屋からの展望は広大。小田原駅から仙石(せんごく)までバス約40分。下車後姥(うば)ヶ茶屋―乙女(おとめ)峠―長尾山―金時山のハイキングコースがある。

［浅香幸雄　2018年9月19日］

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