Kumayama has been a mountain of worship since ancient times, and the Kumayama ruins are thought to have been built in the early Nara period. The ruins are a stone masonry structure consisting of a base and a three-tier platform, with a distinctive feature of the second tier being a niche in the center of each side.

A niche is a small room in which Buddhist statues and Buddha's ashes are enshrined, and it is thought that Buddhist statues and Buddha's ashes were enshrined in the niche at the Kumayama ruins. Relics such as Nara Sansai and Sue ware have also been excavated from the ruins, indicating that it once functioned as a Buddhist temple.

It is an important ruin in understanding the Buddhist culture of the Nara period, and is one of the representative historical sites of Okayama Prefecture.

The view from the observation deck near the Kumayama Ruins is also exceptional.

The road to the summit parking lot is narrow and has many cliffs, and there are few shelter spots, so it is not recommended for those who are not confident in driving. The route from the north is particularly dangerous. If you are going by car, the best route is from the south side of Bizen.
It is about a 10 minute walk from the parking lot at the top of the mountain.

I recommend going by bike instead of by car, but if you don't have one, I think hiking is also a good option.

There are multiple mountain climbing courses and it takes about 90 minutes one way. It will take about 2 hours if you walk slowly.
The mountain trail is well maintained and easy to walk, and there are many things to see, making it a relatively easy mountain to climb even for beginners. However, there are many rocky surfaces and stones, so you need to be careful not to slip when descending.

There are no restrooms in the parking lot, but they are located next to the administration building of the Kumayama ruins.

By the way, the top of Mt. Kumayama only has an NTT radio tower and is surrounded by trees, so the view is not that good.

If you are climbing from the Kumayama Station side of the Sanyo Main Line, use the Kumayama Station Parking Lot, located about 300m south of Kumayama Station.