Famous for its brand of sake, Mt Hakkai is a sacred peak and one of the three Echigo Mountains. The summit ridge has several summits, the highest ones being rated as dangerous.
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View South from the Top of the Ropeway
This one broke the record for the furthest day hike from Tokyo – 175 km! I was less than 50 km from the Sea of Japan although I couldn’t see that far because of the poor visibility. I arrived in Niigata prefecture under the sun but the clouds rolled in with surprising speed and most of the day was spent under grey skies. Even the ragged top of Mt Hakkai (八海山 はっかいさん hakkai-san), a 200 famous mountain of Japan, soon disappeared in the mist.
View North of the Mountains of Niigata
After taking the shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa, I boarded a local train to Muikamachi station. The town is fairly rundown and would benefit from a facelift. I got on a bus to the Mt Hakkai ropeway – I was the only passenger. Even the parking lot was depressingly empty. We were perhaps a dozen people to board the ropeway. I was pretty relieved that I didn’t have to wait in line. The view from the wooden viewing platform (1120m) was quite impressive – I guess the lack of people was due to the poor weather forecast, although it never rained.
View Northeast of Mt Echigokoma
The hike itself wasn’t anything special – up and down the same path, alternating flat and climbing bits. There were some good views East of Mt Echigokoma, and Mt Tanigawa to the North. There wasn’t enough time to go all the way to the highest point (入道岳 1778m). Perhaps it was a good thing because it is rated as somewhat dangerous on my map – lots of steep bits with chains and ladders. Before turning around, I had a glimpse of Senbonhinoki Hut (千本檜小屋), perched just below the main summit ridge, through a gap in the mist.
Senbonhinoki Hut through the Mists
The clouds blocked most views from my turning back point, the top of Mt Yakushi (薬師岳 やくしだけ yakushi-dake) but there was a consolation prize in the form of some early autumn colours. I also saw three snakes which is always exciting. On the way back, I had a quick hot spring bath and bought some local sake, both inside Echigo-Yuzawa station, before hopping on the shinkansen for the ride back to Tokyo.
Heading Back to the Ropeway
Watch a Video of the Hike
See a Slideshow of More Pictures of the Hike
Hiking Around Tokyo 