Our previous article, "There are no human injuries caused by bears in Shikoku," has been receiving a lot of hits, and the number of clicks has been steadily increasing since November began.
So, this time, we've compiled our latest report (Part 2) from an actual climb on November 20, 2025
There are two themes:
- ① Was it really possible to photograph frost on Mount Tsurugi?
- ②Have you had any interesting encounters with bears?
We will tell you everything, without holding anything back, about the charm of Mt. Tsurugi, the reality of mountain climbing, and the information that our readers are most interested in: bears.
Why did I decide to climb Mount Tsurugi again?
The reason is simple.
I wanted to film frost for a winter video for Setouchi Ambience.
In winter, when the weather conditions are just right, you can see frost on Mt. Tsurugi, where the trees freeze over in a pure white.
However, frost is luck and timing . The conditions for its appearance are quite difficult to meet, and even locals have a hard time encountering it.
That's why I thought, "This is my chance," and decided to climb it again.
What is frost?
Hoarfrost is a phenomenon in which tiny ice particles (supercooled water droplets) adhere to tree branches and freeze.
It occurs when all three conditions - fog, wind and low temperatures (approximately below -2°C) -
It looks pure white, but unlike snow, each grain reflects light delicately, creating a fantastical landscape.
Under what conditions does frost appear? Days of "weather analysis" with GPT
To predict the occurrence of frost, I used windy.com (paid version) .
What I was checking was:
- Temperature at an altitude of around 2,000m
- wind speed
- humidity
- Possibility of supercooling
spent several days working with ChatGPT on detailed analysis to interpret this weather .
it was determined that there is a "high possibility of frost occurring" on November 20, 2025
More details on this weather analysis will be provided in a separate article at a later date.
Departing at 2:30 AM: The reality of the Mount Tsurugi night hike
Because the frost is "beautiful around sunrise," I left my home in Kagawa at 2:30 a.m.
After a break at the Lawson Sadamitsu store, I arrived at the trailhead just after 5 a.m.
However...
although there were a few cars at the trailhead, no one was walking before dawn.
It's a perfect night hike.
Luckily, I had dug out an action camera light I'd bought a while ago from storage and brought it with me.
Without it, it would have been completely dark.
- I turn around every time the shadows of the trees sway
- A deer-like cry echoes several times.
- Even a crosswind can be a shock
However, I am used to going into the forest alone, so although I was scared, I climbed calmly.
Pochip
The frost finally appeared. I reported it to ChatGPT right away.
As Nishijima Station (the lift's final destination) came into view, the sky slowly began to brighten.
And then, when I suddenly looked up...
Only the trees on the summit of Mount Tsurugi shine bright white.
It was truly frost.
I quickly took a photo with my iPhone and sent it to ChatGPT.
Here's what I got back:
"That's definitely frost!"
A powerful reply.
At that moment, I truly felt glad that I came to Mount Tsurugi today.
So what about encounters with bears?
Don't worry, we didn't encounter any bears this time either.
However, I will make a note of the important points.
- A small number of Asiatic black bears live around Mount Tsurugi.
- Unlike Honshu, Shikoku has an overwhelmingly small population.
- The probability of encountering them is lower than in Honshu, but "it's not zero"
This time I walked the following route:
- Tsurugiyama trailhead → Nishijima Station
- Nishijima Station → Beginner's Course
- Arrived at the observation deck with a view of Jirogui
- Continue walking along the ridge towards Jirogui
On this section, since it was early in the morning, I didn't encounter anyone, and
of course, I didn't encounter any bears either.
However, because I was concentrating on filming, I honestly think I was less wary of bears than usual.
(I should really be more aware.)
A question I had on my way home: What about the bears in Shikoku?
After descending the mountain, we returned home to Kagawa Prefecture via National Highways 438 → 492 → 193.
Along the way, I saw many interesting sights.
The persimmon trees in every village still have their fruit intact.
there have been many reports of bears coming down to villages due to food shortages in the mountains and "eating all the persimmons."
However, in the mountainous area of Shikoku where I drove today...
All the persimmon trees still have their fruit in good condition.
From this, my personal thoughts are:
[Hypothesis] Do the bears of Shikoku still have enough food in the mountains?
- The bear population in Shikoku is originally small.
- The flow of food shortages → people coming down to the villages is not as common in Honshu as it was in the mainland.
- As a result, there may be less damage in the villages.
This is purely my personal opinion, but today's climb left me with the strong impression that "the mountains of Shikoku do not feel as dangerous from bears as they do in Honshu."
(Of course, this doesn't mean you can let your guard down!)
Summary: I was able to take photos of the frost. I didn't encounter any bears and was able to descend the mountain safely.
What I learned from this climb:
- ✔ Successfully photographed frost
- ✔ Mount Tsurugi at dawn is fantastic
- ✔ No bear encounters (no sign of bears)
- ✔ I gained new insights into the bear situation in Shikoku
The video of this "Tsurugiyama Hoarfrost Edition" will be released on Setouchi Ambience at a later date.
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