Mt Shakushi (1597m) & Mt Takazasu (1304m), Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Sunday, November 26, 2023 [MAP AVAILABLE]

I had climbed this mountain once before but I wanted to redo it via a different route. This would be my first trip to the Fuji Five Lake Region since 2022. I decided to go up via the Asumi ridge; it was mostly in the trees but had a couple of viewpoints on the Fuji side. Looking at my map, I realised that going down via the Japanese Pampas grass (“susuki“) field, as I had done previously, was the best option, as it offered plenty of views of Mt Fuji.

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I would take the Chuo Limited Express to Fujisan station, although the section past Otsuki would be standing room only. From the station, I would ride a taxi to Fudoyu Inn, next to the trail entrance. For the return from Oshino village, I could take a bus or a taxi back to the station, depending on the timing. The weather was supposed to be sunny with average temperatures for the season. I was looking forward to getting some closeup views of Mt Fuji and walking through the “susuki” field.

Hiking in the Doshi Mountains 道志山地

Hiking in the Fuji Five Lake Region 富士五湖

Heading Up the Z Trail (left) and the Asumi Ridge (right)

Looking Down (left) and Up (right) the Steps to Ozasu Pass

The grey skies hanging over Tokyo turned into blue skies as the limited express entered Yamanashi. At Otsuki station, I gave up my comfortable seat and squeezed into the front car, the train packed with tourists. Fortunately, few people got off at Fujisan station, and after a short taxi ride, I arrived at Fudoyu Inn. After getting ready, I set off at 11am, up a trail through a deforested area.

The top of Mt Fuji is only 20 kilometers away

Hiking through the Japanese Pampas Grass Fields

Turning around, I had a superb view of Mt Fuji, my first since April. The sky was streaked with cirrus clouds but Mt Fuji was clearly visible, its distinctive snowcap shining in the morning light. After a couple of switchbacks, I arrived at the entrance of the Z trail (Zコース), a gentle slope through the forest. At 1130, I reached the Ridge Trail (尾根コース), on Asumi-One (明見尾根). Through the bare trees on the north side, I had a glimpse of next valley. After a few minutes of level walking, I reached a viewpoint.

Mt Fuji viewpoint just above Fudoyu Inn

Deforested Area at the Start of the Hike

This was the best view of Mt Fuji of the day: it was framed by green cedars on both sides, with golden “susuki” below and white clouds above. I was resolved to enjoy the Fuji views early in the day; later on, the sun would move behind, leaving just a dark outline. The path suddenly became quite steep, some parts lined with rope for safety. I climbed as quickly as I could, passing many hikers on their way down. Just before 1230, I reached the second viewpoint of the climb.

Autumn Colours on the Lower Hills

Best Fuji View of the Day

I took a few minutes to enjoy the view of Mt Fuji, beyond the “susuki” swaying in the wind. To the west, I could see Kawaguchiko City, and far behind, Mt Warusawa and Mt Akaishi, two prominent peaks in the South Alps. One last effort brought me to the top of Mt Shakushi (杓子山しゃくしやま shakushi-yama), a Yamanashi 100-famous mountain. To the left of Mt Fuji was Yamanaka lake and to the right was the entire range of the South Alps, from the Shirane-Sanzan to Mt Hijiri; on the north side were the Oku-Chichibu mountains; on the right side, the Kanto plain was still hidden by the clouds. It was just past 1pm so I sat at at a bench for a lunch with a view.

Mt Fuji and the South Alps from the Asumi Ridge

Looking back at Mt Fuji

I was amazed to see a paraglider fly at high altitude, back and forth past the summit of Mt Fuji, at one point passing above my lunch spot. The jump-off point being much lower down on the mountain, it must have caught the perfect updraft. A little after 1h30, I set off again, heading down the steep south side. I soon re-entered the trees, and less than half an hour later, reached Ozasu Pass and the paragliding launch spot. I continued straight ahead, following an up and down trail; near an electric pylon, I passed a viewpoint of Mt Mitsutoge.

The Oku-Chichibu Mountains from the Top of Mt Shakushi

Kawaguchiko City and the South Alps from the Top of Mt Shakushi

I was surprised by how demanding this section was, with short rocky sections lined with rope for safety, even though I had done it once before some years ago. One hour after leaving the top of Mt Shakushi, I arrived at the summit of Mt Takazasu (高座山たかざすさん takazasu-san). Mt Fuji was visible once again, its north face now mostly in the shade. After a short break, I continued my descent, and very soon I was walking above a huge field of Japanese pampas grass (“susuki“) covering most of the mountain side.

View of Mt Mitsutoge between Ozasu Pass and Mt Takazasu

View of Mt Fuji from the Top of Mt Takazasu

I enjoyed unobstructed views of Mt Fuji for the next half an hour but since it was past 3pm, the low sun made it difficult to get good photos. On the other hand, the “susuki” were at their best, shining golden in the mid-afternoon light. At 3h30, I reached a forest road leading to a paved road at Toriichi Pass. There, I turned left, and after walking downhill for a short while, arrived at Oshino Village. Since it was still early, I decided to walk to nearby Oshino Hakkai. Once there, I was lucky to be able to flag down a passing taxi, allowing me to quickly get back to Fujisan station. After riding the Fujikyuko line to Otsuki, I boarding the limited express for the one-hour ride back to Shinjuku.

Susuki field below the Mt Takazasu

Heading towards Toriichi Pass

The entire hike took about 5 hours, roughly the same time as my previous hike along a slightly longer route. I was glad that for the extra expense of taking a taxi to the trailhead, I got several good viewpoints of Mt Fuji along the way. Although I saw a number of people while going up the Asumi ridge, I saw no one during the entire descent, a shame considering the amazing Japanese pampas grass field on the way. Late autumn is definitely the best time to visit this mountain, although I’d love to attempt this hike earlier in the day to get clearer views of Mt Fuji.