Mt Izu is one of the main peaks of the Oku-Chichibu area and was mentioned in my Kanto hiking book. It took me about an hour and a half from Shomaru station on the Chichibu line to reach the rocky area just below the top. The final part was a scramble and there was a chain to assist hikers. It wasn’t dangerous, but I was surprised to discover such an exciting section in an area consisting of low mountains.

Ask for a hiking plan for Mt Izu

Climbing the “easy way” (left) and the “hard way” (right)

The summit of Mt Izu (伊豆ヶ岳 izugatake) was narrow and crammed with hikers, but I was able to find a small spot with a view to sit down and have lunch. On one side, there was a cliff with a group of people climbing up via a rope. From the top, I could see the green ridges of Oku-Musashi. At noon, I set off again in a Southward direction, hoping to stay ahead of all the other hikers.

Looking North towards Chichibu

The trail followed the narrow ridge as it curved Eastwards. There were few views and lots of ups and downs; however there were few other hikers, so it was quite peaceful. Two hours later I reached an intersection and an interesting temple with some panoramic views and lots of iris flowers. Here I took the middle path, and I soon emerged onto a road next to a beautiful stream. It took an hour to reach Agano station where I caught a train back to Tokyo.