Hiking Around Tokyo

Hiking the Kanto Fureai no Michi

関東ふれあいの道

I wanted to explore some more of the Kanto Fureai no Michi since winter is the best season for walking these low-altitude trails. I found another promising section between Motegi Town and the Ogodo Alps that included a 1300-year old temple, a summit view, and a 20-meter high Observation Tower. It started from Mashiko station on the Moka line, requiring two transfers to get there from Central Tokyo: the first one at Oyama station on the Utsunomiya line and the second one at Shimodate station on the Mito line; for the return from Nanai, the next station on the line, I could take a bus directly to Utsunomiya station. Blue skies were forecast for the whole day, and so I was looking forward to a relaxing walk through the countryside and getting some nice views of Tochigi prefecture.

Hiking between Gongen Daira and Mashiko no Mori

View towards Nikko from the Mashiko no Mori Observation Tower

Some Japanese trains stations are quite ordinary and some are unique; Mashiko station belonged to the latter category with its soaring twin towers. I was one of the few passengers who got off there at 10am. Since today’s hike was on the short side, I enjoyed a cup of coffee at an outdoor table in front of the Mashiko Sightseeing Association. At 11am, I set off along the busy Mashiko Main Street; following the signs for the Fureai no Michi, I soon turned right onto a quiet country lane.

Saimyoji Temple Main Building

A peaceful temple on the mountain side

Soon I had views of today’s mountain on the left side, its low, rounded summit gently rising above the level rice fields. At 12h30, I reached Saimyoji Temple (西明寺) and the start of the hiking trail. I was the sole visitor and could fully enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Less than half an hour later, I reached the Gongen Daira (権現平), a grassy area with benches and a small concrete observation platform. It wasn’t the highest point, but had a view on the west side, so I sat on a bench and had an early lunch.

Approaching Gongen Daira (left) Descending from Gongen Daira (right)

View West from the Gongen Daira Observation Platform

The flat Kanto plain stretched away ahead of me, with the Nikko mountains faintly visible in the background; just a few weeks ago, I had been hiking the Fureai no Michi trail on the opposite side. After a short break, I moved on, and after a little climbing, arrived at the true summit of Mt Takadate (高館山 たかだてやま takadateyama), a Tochigi 100-famous mountain. It was completely in the trees so without delay, I continued along a trail down the other side of the mountain. After crossing a bridge over a road, I arrived at the Mashiko Forest Observation Tower.

Easy to walk trails through the forest

Mashiko no Mori Observation Tower (right) Walking to Nanai Station

I had a 360° panoramic view from the top of this wooden construction: to the south was Mt Takadate and Mt Amamaki; on the east and north sides, I could see the low hills of the Abukuma Plateau surrounding Motegi town; looking west, I had a wide view of the Kanto Plain and the mountains of Oku-Nikko. After enjoying the views, I made my way through the Mashiko forest, passing the Ajisai Suspension Bridge and ending at Suda pond. I then followed various lanes and roads, reaching Mashiko Pan Bakery at 3h3o.

View North Towards Motegi Station

Looking back at Mt Takadate

I was back on a pleasant hiking trail through the forest, a few minutes past the bakery. Just before 4pm, I emerged onto a road again, leading past Entsuji Temple (円通寺). From there, it was a short walk to Nanai station, which looked very utilitarian, the complete opposite of this morning’s station. I was surprised to discover that the Nanai-Eki-Mae (“front of Eki Station”) bus stop was actually 10 minutes away on foot. Fortunately, I arrived with time to spare and easily made it on time for the return bus at 4h30.

Ajisai Suspension Bridge in Mashiko no Mori

Walking in Mashiko no Mori Forest

I was once again surprised by how enjoyable it was to hike along the Fureai no Michi even though it doesn’t exclusively follow hiking trails. I passed many interesting sights along the way so it really felt like I was discovering the area. Since I took my time, the hike ended up taking about five hours which I felt was ideal considering that there was little up and down.

Watch a video of the Mt Takadate Hike

See a slideshow of some pictures of the Mt Takadate Hike

I was looking for a low-elevation hike close to Tokyo, suitable for a cold winter day. Looking at my hiking maps, I found 3 minor peaks in a hilly area northwest of Utsunomiya city, between Mt Kogashi and the Utsunomiya Alps. It was up and down the same way, except for the last part, where I could return via a different path. I could take the Utsunomiya line to Utsunomiya and from there, ride a bus to a stop a short distance on foot from the trailhead; for the return, I could catch a different bus back to Utsunomiya. Since there was a hot spring nearby, I could enjoy a hot bath before heading back. I was looking forward to a relaxing hike at the edge of the Kanto plain.

View South of Utsunomiya City and Mt Tsukuba from near the top of Mt Otadaki

View North towards Mt Takahara (left) and the Utsunomiya Alps (right)

It was a cold, beautiful day as I arrived at the trailhead just before 1am. After a short climb through the forest, I arrived at an impressive rock pillar. After a little bit of scrambling through a rocky section, fitted with a rope for safety, I was standing on Mt Otadaki (男抱山 おただきやま otadaki-yama). From the narrow summit, I had a 360° panoramic view: directly in front was the Kanto Plain, Utsunomiya City and Mt Tsubasa; turning around, I could see the Utsunomiya Alps, snow-capped Mt Takahara, as well as the highest point of today’s hike.

Start of the trail (left) Rock pillar near Mt Otadaki (right)

From left to right: Mt Amabiki, Mt Kaba, Mt Tsukuba

I was amazed by how quickly I could reach this spectacular viewpoint. After a short break, I carefully made my way down the other side of the rocky top. I followed the narrow trail till a junction, where I took the right branch downhill, and then continued along the mostly level trail through quiet, sunlit forest. Soon the path started to climb again, and around 2h30, passed by a huge rock, called Oiwa (大岩), standing firmly in the middle of the trees.

Mt Haguro (left) and Mt Hanzo (right)

View East towards the mountains of Ibaraki

I was surprised by how easy the final climb was, along a gentle sloping forest road through the cedars. Before I knew it, I was on top of Mt Hanzo (半蔵山 はんぞうさん hanzosan), completely in the trees. I decided to continue a few minutes to Hanzo Rock (半蔵岩) where I was rewarded with a grandiose view of the Nikko mountains to the north, half hidden by mysterious misty veils. It was nearly 3pm, so I sat down for a late lunch.

View south of the Kanto Plain

Hiking through the forest to Mt Hanzo

I felt extremely cold all of a sudden, as the wind started blowing from the north. I quickly retraced by steps to the summit and headed down the same way. Less than an hour later, I was back at the previous junction and took the trail on the right, up a short rocky section equipped with rope. At 4pm, I reached the top of Mt Fuji 富士山 ふじさん fujizan), from where I had a view of Mt Tsubasa to the southeast and Mt Kogashi to the west.

View of the Oku-Nikko mountains from Hanzo Rock

Mt Nantai (left), Mt Omanago (center) and Mt Nyoho (right)

It was a peaceful spot and I wanted to spend more time, but it was getting late and I needed to head down. The trail passed by several viewpoints on the west side before reaching the bottom of the valley and merging again with the start of the hike. At 4h30m I arrived at Tadaomi Onsen, just a few minutes from the trail entrance. After a relaxing hot spring bath , I walked to the nearby Romantic Village to catch a bus back to Utsunomiya station.

View of Mt Tsukuba from Mt Fuji (of Utsunomiya)

View South on the way down from Mt Fuji (Of Utsunomiya)

This was a relatively short hike, more than half of which was along the same trail, but the easy access, various viewpoints, beautiful forest with few hikers, and a convenient hot spring at the end made it totally worthwhile.

See a video of the Mt Otadaki, Mt Hanzo and Mt Fuji hike

I passed by this spot while hiking Mt Ohira and Mt Teruishi in 2017, and was impressed by its wild beauty at the edge of the Ashio mountains. Since it’s also the intersection with the Fureai no Michi, I felt sure I would return one day. The trail had been damaged during the powerful typhoons of 2019, but was now open again. I had done the previous section of the Fureai no Michi, while hiking Mt Karasawa and Mt Suwa in 2018, so I decided to take a bus from Iwafune station on the Ryomo line, to a stop close to Murahi Shrine, at the end of that hike. From there, I planned to walk to Tochigi station, 15 km away. I was looking forward to revisiting the area after several years via a new route, and hoping to see some plum blossoms and other winter flowers along the way.

Hiking the Fureai no Michi ふれあいの道

View of the mountains of Tochigi and Gunma from Sakura Pass

The weather was sunny but very cold at 9am, as I waited for the minibus outside Iwafune station. It took nearly an hour to reach a bus stop in the middle of the fields, from where I walked up a road running through a golf course, eventually merging with the Fureai no Michi. At 10h30, I reached the top of a hill and continued along the road down the other side, reaching the head of a valley soon after.

Start of the valley leading to Sakura Pass

I was delighted by the surrounding bucolic landscape, and tried to imagine what it would look like in spring. A little after 11am, after passing some early plum blossoms, I reached a trail near a series of small lakes. First, it rose gradually through the cedars, then more steeply up some wooden log steps through the bamboo grass, before arriving at the intersection at Sakura Pass (桜峠 さくらとうげ sakura-toge). Turning around, I could see Mt Suwa in the foreground, with Mt Akagi rising behind, its highest peaks covered in snow.

Climbing towards the pass (left) Descending from the pass (right)

I followed a pleasant path through the woods down the other side of the pass, arriving at Seisuiji Temple just before 1230, its many suisen (daffodils) and robai (Japanese Allspice) swaying in the wind that had started to blow; to the right, the Kanto plain stretched southwards. The next section was mostly level, through the forest at the base of Mt Teruishi. A little after 1pm, I reached Daichuji Temple, towering cedar trees lining the approach to the main building.

Final steps before reaching Sakura Pass

Snow on Mt Akagi in the background

I now headed up a steep, rocky path near the back of the temple, a shortcut, as the Fureai no Michi made a loop via Ohirashita station. Half an hour later, I reached Ohirasan Shrine. I had been here before when I climbed Mt Ohira, so I soon moved on. A little further, I arrived at another part of the shrine I hadn’t been to before, from where I had a view of Mt Kogashi, Mt Takahara and Tochigi city on the east side.

Level trail between Seisuiji and Daichuji Temples

Towering cedars at Daichuji Temple

I was once again walking on a quiet path, back on the Fureai no Michi, heading down the forested mountain side. A little before 3pm, I reached the western edge of Tochigi city. I noticed a soba shop along the way and decided to check it out since it was still early. I was glad I did, since it had a terrace so I could enjoy my meal, a generous serving of soba noodle and a giant, crunchy Kakiage, with a view of Mt Tsubasa and the Ogodo Alps in the east.

Looking through the gate into the main compound of Daichuji Temple

Walking up to Ohira-jinja (left) Walking down from Ohira-jinja (right)

I was also lucky to see a picture taken by the owner just this morning of the sun rising directly behind the highest point, that happens just once a year (“Diamond Tsubasa”). At 4pm, I set off again and after crossing Nagano river, reached Kinchaku Park, also known as Mt Kinchaku (80m). From the top, I had a view of Mt Nantai and Mt Nyoho on the north side, Mt Tsubasa on the east side, and Mt Ohira, against the setting sun, on the south side.

View of the Kanto plain from Ohira-jinja Shrine

View of Mt Nantai from Mt Kinchaku

The sky was lit up in orange when I finally reached Tochigi station around 5pm. There, I boarded a Tobu limited express for the one hour ride back to Tokyo. With a total time of 7 hours, this was one the longest hikes I had done in a while, although it was mostly level, with two relatively short climbs. This was one of the better sections of the Fureai no Michi, as roughly half was along hiking trails, with several viewpoints and interesting shrines and temples along the way.

See the video of the Sakura Pass hike

See a slideshow of more pictures of the Sakura Pass hike