Mount Hayachine (1917 metres) is the highest peak in the Kitakami Mountains and the centrepiece of the Hayachine Quasi-National Park. It rises steeply from the inland hills of central Iwate and offers some of the best ridge-walking in the Tohoku region. It is also one of Tohoku's sacred mountains: a Hayachine Shrine has stood on its slopes since the Heian period, and the summer festival of Hayachine Kagura — a ritual dance drama unique to this mountain, performed here for over 600 years — was inscribed on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009.
The main ascent follows a well-maintained trail from the Otaki trailhead, taking around four to five hours to the summit and back. The upper slopes are noted for their alpine flowers in July, including several species found nowhere else in Japan. The panorama from the summit takes in the Kitakami River valley to the west and, on clear days, the Pacific coast to the east. The Hayachine Shrine complex — with its ancient cedar forest and stone lanterns — is passed on the approach and makes for a worthwhile pause. Snow covers the upper trails from November through May.