Gunma – Hiking Around Tokyo

Mt Mido (878m), Shimonita Town, Gunma Prefecture, Monday, January 9, 2023

After my Annaka to Annaka hike, I needed to find another mountain I could climb in the winter using the Tokyo Wide Pass. I decided to visit the Nishi-Joshu area, since my last hike there was nearly 3 years ago. I found a suitable peak in my mountains of Gunma guidebook, low enough to be still free of snow, and short enough so I could catch the mid-afternoon bus back. To give myself some extra time, I would get to Shimonita station an hour before the morning bus and take a taxi to the trailhead. Although the hike went up and down the same path, I could check out a couple of viewpoints on the way, as well as this peak’s claim to fame: two tall rock pillars perched on the mountain side. I was looking forward to revisiting Nishi-Joshu after a long interval and getting some new views of the area.

Hiking with the Tokyo Wide Pass

“Old Man Old Woman Rock” the highlight of the hike

Download a map of the Mt Mido hike

This map was developed for Japanwilds with the Hokkaido Cartographer

Find more Japan hiking maps on Avenza

View of flat-topped Mt Arafune from Jijiiwa-Babaiwa

I rode the shinkansen to Takasaki on a sunny, cloudless day and then transferred to the Joshin line for Shimonita, arriving there a little after 10am. It took about ten minutes by taxi to reach the trail entrance, and after getting ready, I set off along a forest road through the cedars. I soon passed the end of the forest road, and by 11am, was walking up a rocky valley; I was finally starting to warm up, thanks to the sun, shining through the bare trees.

Walking among the cedars (left) Mi-n0-Taki waterfall (right)

View of Mt Myogi from the summit

I was extra careful to check for hidden holes, the path being covered in a layer of dead leaves. At 11h30, I reached Mi-no-Taki waterfall, barely a trickle at this time of year. It was also the trickiest part of the hike, requiring a quick scramble up a rocky face, fitted with a rope for safety. Next, a short, steep climb brought me to an intersection at the top of the valley. Here, I dropped my pack and headed left for the short roundtrip to the first viewpoint.

Steep section at the top of the valley (left) Old Woman Rock (right)

Looking down at Jijiiwa-Babaiwa from the second viewpoint

I followed a narrow ridge passing by the base of a rocky outcrop, and after a few minutes, reached a level, rocky ledge, opposite “Jjji-iwa Baba-iwa” (じじ岩ばば岩) meaning “Old man rock old woman rock”), two impressive stone pillars perched at the end of the ridge. Turning around, I had a bird’s-eye view of a deep valley, with flat-topped Mt Arafune in the background. Since it was nearly noon, I found a spot to sit and had an early lunch. After enjoying the view, I made my way back to the intersection and continued along the right branch.

Looking south towards the Mikabo Super forest road

View southeast of Mt Ogeta

I was surprised by how dry everything was, dust flying up from the trail at every gust of wind. After some more climbing along the narrow, twisting ridgeline, I reached the summit of Mt Mido (御堂山みどうやま mido-yama), a Gunma 100-famous mountain, a little before 1am. It was mostly in the trees, but I could make out the jagged summit of Mt Myogi, as well as the snowy top of Mt Asama, both on the north side. After a short break, I retraced my steps to a turn-off for the nearby “Jitoba-ura-tenbosho”, the rear viewpoint of the stone pillars.

Climbing the narrow ridgeline (left) Walking back along the forest road (right)

Late afternoon light filtering down into the deep valley

Standing next to a rocky outcrop, I had a fantastic view of “Jijiiwa-babaiwa”. I continued a little further to the end of the path, where I had a view of Mt Ogeta and the Kanto plain on the west side, and Mt Akaguna and the Mikabo Super forest road on the south side. I found a place to sit and finished the second half of my lunch. It was now past 2 pm so I quickly made my way back down the same way, carefully navigating the descent down Mi-no-taki waterfall, reaching the bus stop just in the time for the 3h30 bus. Back at Shimonita, I boarded the Joshin line for the one-hour trip back to Takasaki, where I transferred to the Shinkansen for Tokyo.

See a video of the Mt Mido hike

Mt Sekison (571m), Annaka City, Gunma Prefecture, Saturday, January 7, 2023

I wanted to use the Tokyo Wide Pass for the long first weekend of 2023. I searched my maps for some low-altitude mountains near a shinkansen station and finally found a series of minor summits, part of the Annaka Alps, north of Annaka-Haruna station, one stop from Takasaki on the Hokuriku line. I had often passed through this station on the way to and from Karuizawa, so I was glad for a chance to finally get off there. The hike through these hills was relatively short, but could be extended by following the Kanto Fureai no Michi, as it headed south from Mt Haruna. Upon reaching a road, I could catch a bus back to Annaka station on the Shin-Etsu line, therefore completing an “Annaka to Annaka hike” of my own creation.

Hiking with the Tokyo Wide Pass

Hiking the Kanto Fureai no Michi 関東ふれあいの道

Hiking the Annaka Alps 安中アルプス

View of the hike from Kanbai Park

I reached the Annaka-Haruna at 11am on a sunny winter day and was stunned by the clear view of Mt Myogi from outside the station. Half an hour later, I was walking up a road on the north side, and soon spotted a signpost for a trail on the right. I followed a narrow path as it went through a bamboo forest, then merged with a forest road, before reaching a parking lot at the end of a paved road. On the other side, the trail continued up a series of log steps through beautiful forest.

View of Mt Myogi from Annaka-Haruna Station

Start of the trail leading to the “47 statues”

I suddenly found myself walking under a cliff, and felt nervous about rockfall, something I hadn’t expected on today’s hike. I had arrived at a historical site called “The statues of the 47 loyal retainers of Ako-Gishu” (赤穂義士四十七士石像), in memory of the 47 Ronin. After quickly confirming that there were indeed 47 statues along the base of the cliff, I set off again, up a steep trail winding around the back of the rocky outcrop.

A log staircase going up through sunny forest

The trail passes near the base of a rocky outcrop

As I neared the top, I stepped into a hole hidden by dead leaves and banged my knee on a rock; fortunately, it was more fright than harm. A few minutes later, I reached the summit of Mt Goten (御殿山 400m); it was completely in the trees so I soon moved on. I followed a mostly level trail through a dark cedar forest till it ended at a dirt road. Using my map, I quickly picked up the trail again, as it led to the top of a hill.

The hike alternated between sunny and shady sections

Hiking through the winter woods

I was now walking on a sunny level path, with glimpses of Mt Haruna on the north side, through leafless trees. At 1pm, I arrived at the summit of Mt Sekison (石尊山せきそんさん sekison-san), a gunma 100-famous mountain, and rested on a bench with a narrow view to the south. After lunch, I followed a path down the other side, and after crossing a road, walked up the next hill. I soon passed the summit of Mt Toya (605m 戸谷山とややま), in the trees, and headed down the other side, arriving at the Kanto Fureai no Michi at 2pm, where I turned left.

Most of the trail was easy to walk

The entire hill range is known as the Annaka Alps

I followed a pleasant trail, downhill through sunny forest, with occasional views of the Joshu mountains, reaching a road and a bus stop at around 3pm. I decided to check out the Akima Plum Grove (秋間梅林), a short distance away. From the highest point of Kanbai Park (観梅公園), I was rewarded view of the hills I had just hiked, as well as some early pink plum blossoms. I followed a different path through the park back to the road. There, I got on a bus for Annaka station, just 3 stops from Takasaki station, from where I could catch the shinkansen for the 40-minute ride to Tokyo.

See the views along the Mt Sekison hike

See more pictures of the Mt Sekison hike

Mt Arikasa (873m), Nakanojo Town, Gunma Prefecture, Sunday, May 8, 2022

I wanted to squeeze in one more hike before the end of Golden week after recovering from the three previous ones. I decided to visit Nakanojo in Gunma, as it was an area I was interested in exploring more. I found a three-hour loop in a booklet I picked up on my last visit; this mountain wasn’t in my guidebook, nor shown on any of my maps, so I had to rely on information online. I would ride the shinkansen to Takasaki, where I would transfer to the Agatsuma line. After getting off at Nakanojo, I could catch a bus for Sawatari Onsen, the last stop on the line. The hike itself went around a rocky, isolated peak, also a popular climbing area, with a short round-trip to the flat top on the south side. I was concerned about that part, as it included chains and ladders; I would have to proceed with caution going up, and even more on the way down. The weather was supposed to be clear and not too hot. I was looking forward to going to Nakanojo again and visiting a new hot spring town hidden in the mountains of Gunma.

View west from below “The Ladder”

Bus heading back to Nakanojo with Mt Arikasa in the background

It was a blue sky day as I rode the shinkansen, and then the local train, to Nakanojo. Around 10h30, I boarded a bus for Sawatari Onsen (沢渡温泉), my first time to ride this line. I got off at the last stop, just past the hot spring town, near a bridge over the Sawatori river. Straight ahead, I had a good view of today’s mountain, an isolated peak jutting straight up out of the green forest. As I got ready at the nearby Seseragi Park (せせらぎ公園), I wondered how the trail would get to the top of the rock. At 1130, I set off along a road, and half an hour later, just before another bridge over the river, I turned left onto a forest road.

Forest road leading to the West Entrance

Interesting rock formation in the middle of the forest

I had some more impressive views of today’s climb, after arriving at a fork in the road. I took the right branch for the West Entrance (西口), which I reached a little after noon. I followed the trail straight up the mountain side and soon reached an open shelter in the middle of the forest. I took a short break and then continued on my way. At 12h30, I reached a turnoff for a natural rock formation, resembling a dolmen, visible through the trees on the right. After circling it and peering through the gap in the middle, I resumed my climb.

The funny “Hahaha” sign (left) / Climbing “The Ladder” (right)

Start of the climb up “The Ladder”

The path turned right under some cliffs, the higher parts hidden by the green canopy of the trees ; here and there, I spotted chains used by rock climbers. At 1pm, I arrived at the East Entrance (東口) trail junction and the start of the roundtrip for the summit; I followed the path as it wound clockwise around the steep summit and passed a funny sign informing me that I was at an elevation of 888 meters, read as “Hahaha” in Japanese (ハハハ). Very soon, I was walking through a rocky area with views to the west through the trees; looking down, I realised I was at the edge of a cliff.

View south from the rocky outcrop

The very green East Entrance

I had also reached the chain and ladder section, called “The Ladder” (梯子); I climbed with care, but near the end I couldn’t advance while keeping three points of contact at all times; after some consideration, I finally found a way, and after fixing it in my mind for the return, continued with the ascent, now in a counter-clockwise direction. A few minutes later, I reached a rocky outcrop from where I had a view south of forested hills. Soon after, I arrived at the flat top of Mt Arikasa (有笠山ありかさやま arikasayama), a Gunma 100 famous mountain. I couldn’t see anything through the trees, so I headed back almost at once; I got down “The Ladder” safely, and since it was 1h30, found a good place to sit for lunch, at a safe distance from the cliff edge. Afterwards, I continued along the trail, now heading downhill towards the East entrance.

The well-maintained “promenade” above Sawatari Onsen

View of Sawatari onsen, a secret hot spring resort in Gunma

As I passed under the cliffs, I could hear the voices of climbers echoing above. I walked along the forest road to the junction I had passed earlier in the day, and then made my way back to Seseragi Park. Since it was just past 3pm, I decided to follow a “promenade” (遊歩道), a short, well-maintained trail on the hillside above the hot spring resort. It took me past a small shrine surrounded by bright red Azalea, with good views of Mt Arikasa and Sawatari Onsen. At 4pm, I dropped by Ryumeikan (龍鳴館), for a quick hot bath before catching the bus back to Nakanojo. Once back in Takasaki, I rode the green car of the Shonan-Shinjuku line back to Tokyo, bringing to an end a series of successful golden week hikes.

See the views along the Mt Arikasa hike

Mt Tetemiezu (1047m) & Mt Okubo (980m), Kanna Town, Gunma Prefecture, Saturday, November 20, 2021

I had climbed this remote mountain four years ago but had missed the main viewpoint, slightly off the main trail; the weather hadn’t been at its best either. I decided to give it another try, but this time from the Gunma side, so that I could go up and down via a different route. If I had enough time, I would make a roundtrip to the next peak along the ridgeline. I knew how to get there since I had visited the area twice before this year; however it would be the first time to ride the pass so far down the Kanna river valley. It was supposed to be a sunny day, usual for this time of the year. I hoped to enjoy a peaceful walk along the border of Saitama and Gunma, and perhaps catch the last of the autumn leaves.

View of Mt Ryokami under the dark clouds

I arrived at Shinmachi station before 8h30 and boarded a comfortable minibus bound for Ueno village, about 3 hours away. I got off at a bus stop just past Manba Village, after a nearly two-hour picturesque ride up a remote river valley. The weather had been sunny up to this point, but as I crossed the Kanna river, the sun disappeared behind some clouds and didn’t reappear fully till the late afternoon. I soon reached the trail entrance, covered by a blanket of fallen yellow leaves.

Most of the autumn leaves had already fallen

The trail presented no particular difficulties

I had occasional glimpses of the valley below through the trees, now bare of leaves, as I followed the path up the mountain side. I encountered several forks but the hiking trail was always clearly signposted. It took about an hour to reach Sakamaru Pass (坂丸峠 858m). There, I turned left along a level path through tall cedar trees, below the ridgeline on the Saitama side, looking familiar from my previous hike on this mountain. After a short, steep climb I reached Nagakubo Head (長久保の頭ながくぼのあたま nagakubo-atama).

Left back, Mt Jomine, right front, Mt Okubo

Soon arriving at Sugi pass

Even though, at 1066m, it was the highest point of the hike, it wasn’t today’s summit. At first glance, it seemed totally surrounded by pine trees, but this time I was able to find a viewpoint of Chichibu above a deforested area on the south side. Since it was past noon, I found a tree stump and sat down for lunch. The clouds were in and the views weren’t as great as I had expected. South, I could see the triangular summit of Mt Buko; looking west, I spotted the flatter triangular peak of Mt Jomine. After lunch, I walked along the edge of the open area, and turning around, I saw the double rounded peaks of nearby Mt Mikabo, with some blue sky in the background.

Gazing at Chichibu past the Suzuki

The narrow ridge leading to Mt Okubo

It started to feel cold so I retraced my steps and continued my hike. I saw a handful of other hikers, as opposed to no one on my previous visit, and I was glad this mountain enjoyed some popularity. Ten minutes later, after a short up and down, I reached the summit of Mt Tetemiezu (父不見山ててみえずやま tetemiezu-yama), a Kanto and Gunma hundred famous mountain. Slightly lower than the other peak, it had no view at all. Since I wanted to avoid cooling down, I moved on without a break. After some descending, I arrived at a crossroads under a lone cedar tree, aptly named Sugi Pass (杉の峠 sugi-no-toge meaning cedar tree pass). On my previous trip I had gone down via the path on the right; this time I would need to go left.

Mt Ryokami, a Japan hundred famous mountain

Some sun near the summit of Mt Okubo

Since it was only 1h30, I had time for the one hour round-trip to the next peak. It wasn’t an official trail, just red strips attached to branches along the way, and so it required some path finding. After turning slightly left down a slope through dark forest, I found myself climbing a narrow rocky ridge. It was definitely the most exciting part of the hike. Fifteen minutes later I reached the top of another deforested area and the summit of Mt Okubo (大久保山(おおくぼやま ookubo-yama), where I had my best views of the day, as well as some sun. To the south, I could see jagged outline of Mt Ryokami, looking menacing under dark clouds.

The view from the summit of Mt Okubo

Some autumn leaves could still be seen

After a short break, I headed back the same way and reached Sugi pass a little after 2h30. I followed a gently sloping forest road for about an hour, and then a road for about ten minutes, and arrived at a bus stop on the same road I had used in the morning, just as the sun dipped below the mountain ridge. After getting on the bus, I deciced to get off halfway to take a quick hot bath at Sakurayama hot spring, which I had visited once before after hiking Mt Sakura. I finally arrived back at Shinmachi station at 6h30pm, where I boarded the shonan-shinjuku line for the two-hour ride back to Tokyo.

See the views on the border of Saitama and Gunma

The double-rounded top of Mt Mikabo

Jomine Park (498m) & Sanbaseki Gorge, Kamikawa Town & Fujioka City, Saitama & Gunma Prefectures

As I was looking for a way to continue my exploration of western Gunma, I found a section of the “Kanto Fureai no Michi” surrounded by four previously climbed peaks: Mt Jomine, Mt Mikabo, Mt Sakura and Mt Yokogai. The highlights were a viewpoint of Kanna lake and a river gorge; on the downside, the route followed paved roads instead of hiking paths. I wasn’t worried about access, since I had traveled to the area before. It would be a short hike, so I could leave later than usual. Although most of the hike would be inside Saitama, except the river gorge, I would be arriving and leaving via Gunma. The weather was supposed to be fine all day, and although I wouldn’t be summiting any mountains, I was hoping to get some good views along a hidden valley close to Tokyo.

Hiking the Kanto Fureai no Michi　関東ふれあいの道

Kanna lake and Shimokubo dam from Jomine Park

I had only a few minutes to transfer to the bus after arriving at Shinmachi station around 10h30. I got off one hour later, a couple of stops before the dam and the lake, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. I could see Jomine park and the dam straight ahead, so I got my bearings easily. After getting ready, I used my phone GPS to find my way to the bottom of the river valley. I crossed the bright red Tosenkyo bridge (登仙橋), also crossing into Saitama prefecture at the same time, and walked up the road opposite, alongside a small river.

Straight ahead and at the top of the mountain, Jomine park

Looking downstream (left) and upstream (right) from Tosenkyo Bridge

I soon spotted a small path next to the river and immediately switched to it so that I could better enjoy the sight and sound of the rushing water. I was now walking inside Tobagawa river park (鳥羽川河川公園). At 1pm, I rejoined the road, which climbed steeply and away from the river. Half an hour later, I reached a junction: straight ahead the road continued to the top of Mt Jomine, 4km away and 500m higher; however, I took a sharp turn to the right, along a gently rising, almost flat road.

A pleasant stroll through Tobagawa river park

Yellow iris next to Toba river

I now had my first good view of the day: looking east, I could make out the top of Mt Yokogai which I had climbed just one month ago; huge cumulus clouds were crowding the sky to the south, and although rain was forecasted closer to Tokyo, the surrounding mountains were still in the sun. At 2pm I arrived at Jomine Park (城峰公園) and had lunch at the observatory overlooking Kanna lake (神流湖) to the north. Beyond it, I could see the rounded top of Mt Sakura.

The only hiking path on this “hike”

Cloudy weather to the south over Chichibu

After lunch, I made a quick tour of the park and found another less impressive viewpoint on the other side, and at 3pm, I headed down a wide road leading to the dam. After only a few minutes, I reached a shortcut following a log staircase overgrown with grass; it was the first and only hiking path of the day. Less than 10 minutes later, I was back on the road. At 4pm, I was on the pedestrian road that ran along the top of Shimokubo dam (下久保ダム).

The blue-green water of Kanna lake

Kanna lake, a hidden gem

This was the second highlight of the day: looking west, I could see Kanna lake sparkling under the afternoon sun; turning around, I could see the impressive ravine through which flowed the Kanna river. After walking up and down the dam, I headed down into the deep valley on a road closed to traffic; 15 minutes later, I was at the entrance of the Sanbaseki Gorge (三波石峡). Although the riverside path is no longer in use, I could approach the river via four small paths situated at regular intervals along a road.

Looking down at the river gorge from the lake dam

Solar panels getting the sun at the end of the hike

Each riverside spot was like straight out of a fairytale: at the first two, the clear water rushed through huge boulders, 48 of which have names; at the last two, the light-green water flowed lazily under grey cliffs. The sinking sun shone down the valley through the leaves and onto the water; a slight breeze blew occasionally, its coolness welcome on a warm day. I took a short break at the third spot and enjoyed this magical secluded place.

Kanna river in the late afternoon sun

A magical spot along the Sanbaseki Gorge

It was now past 5pm and my bus was due in half an hour. I continued along the road at a fast pace and soon arrived back at the red bridge which I had crossed five hours ago. Huge grey clouds had now spread above, and it seemed like it could rain at any moment. I quickly climbed out of the valley back to the bus stop. One hour later I was at Shinmachi station, from where it was a 90 minute train ride back to Tokyo.

Mt Koo (550m), Mt Hinata (482m) & Mt Taka (420m), Fujioka City, Gunma Prefecture [Ontake Trail]

After visiting Mt Sakura the previous year, I really wanted to do another hike in the same area. I knew there were two more short trails to the north, making them suitable for the winter. However, looking online, there seemed to have few views, and I thought it would be nicer to visit during the new green of spring. I chose the better maintained Ontake trail, over the more adventurous Kamatori trail. By starting with Mt Koo, a separate peak connected by a short walk on the road, I could extend the hike to 3 hours. These trails weren’t shown on my hiking map and weren’t mentioned in my hiking guides, so I had to rely exclusively on information found online. Getting to the start of the hiking trail would require a combination of two local trains and a bus: not the easiest route, but with plenty of time between connections, it seemed problem-free. The weather forecast was “cloudy with sun later on”; although the views were supposed to be scarce, the new green of spring always looks better in the sun, so I was hoping for some sunlight on this hike.

View of the Kanto plain through a break in the mountains

Start of the “2000-step staircase”

The sky was grey and gloomy during the first part of the my trip. However, while switching to the Hachiko line, the clouds parted, and after arriving at Gunma-Fujioka station at 10am, the sun was shining. Instead of a bus, I got on a mini-van, a common form of public transport in this part of Gunma. A little before noon, I got off at the last stop, called “nisen-kaidan-iriguchi” (二千階段入口), meaning entrance to the 2000-step staircase. Looking west, I could make out the foothills of Mt Mikabo, its top half lost in the clouds.

Some of the 2000 steps of Mt Koo

View from the top of Mt Koo

It certainly didn’t feel like 2000 steps: it took me just five minutes to reach the the summit of Mt Koo (子王山こおうやま meaning small king), completely in the trees. Walking north and down a few meters, I reached an opening in the trees, where I had a view of the Kanto plain with the tall buildings of Takasaki city to the northeast. I should have been able to see Mt Haruna, Mt Akagi and the Nikko mountains, but the weather still wasn’t good enough. I had an early lunch before setting off again.

The beautiful spring green of Gunma

Start of the Ontake hiking trail

I went down some steeps steps on the other side, and then followed a forest road round the mountainside, arriving back at my starting point 15 minutes later. I walked east along the countryside road till I reached the entrance to the Ontake trail (御嶽コース). The trail descended for a short while, before crossing a metallic bridge and then heading up a ridge. Soon, I was walking along a level path through the forest. At 1h30, I reached the narrow summit of Mt Hinata (日向山 meaning in the sun); oddly enough, despite being surrounded by trees, the summit marker was…in the sun.

A level section of the trail (left) / An interesting trio of trees (right)

By the afternoon, the good weather had prevailed

The trail continued up and down, with the steeper sections helpfully equipped with rope; half an hour later I was at the top of Mt Ontake-Taka (御嶽高山), once again hemmed in by the trees. Past the summit, the path started to descend and at 2h30, I emerged onto a forest road. At 3pm, I reached the road and the end of the hiking trail. It walked ten minutes to the Takayama-sha Ruins bus stop, next to a world heritage site, where I caught the mini-van back to Gunma-Fujioka station. It took only a few minutes to connect to the Shonan-Shinjuku line, after which it was a 90-minute ride back to central Tokyo.

See the view from the top of Mt Koo and the waters of the Sanmyo River

Mt Azuma (481m), Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture

I wanted to do another hike in the Kiryu area since its low hilly terrain is perfect for winter. I had already completed all the ones in my hiking book, but searching online, I noticed that a section of the “Kanto Fureai no Michi” went up a peak I had yet to climb, before going down the other side and ending at a nature center and a bus stop. It was a little on the short side, so I decided to extend it with a roundtrip to the next peak along the same ridge; the trail continued further for another 5 km to Mt Narukami, which I had climbed two years ago. If I walked that far, I probably wouldn’t make it down before dark, so I decided to keep that section for a longer day. I had been to Kiryu station before so I knew exactly how to get there. Since there was no bus to catch to the start of the trail, I could be flexible with my departure time, something which is much appreciated on cold winter mornings!

View of Kiryu city from the Kite’s Rock

I got to Kiryu station in under 2 hours on a sunny and windless day – ideal conditions for hiking. After a thirty minute walk through a residential neighbourhood, I reached the entrance of Azuma Park behind a temple, and the start of the hiking trail. Today’s mountain seemed popular with families, and many children were having fun climbing the steep, rocky “man’s slope” (男坂). The rocks formed a kind of natural staircase and it was easier to go up than it seemed at first.

View of the Hachioji Hills from the top of Mt Azuma

Nice hiking north of Kiryu city

I soon had my first view of the day from the Kite’s Rock (トンビ岩). Eastwards and directly below, Kiryu city filled up all available flat space between hilly ridgelines. Directly south, the Hachioji Hills stretched west to east between the city and the Kanto plain. However, I couldn’t spot any Black Kites circling above the valley. After some more steep climbing, I arrived at the top of Mt Azuma (吾妻山あづまやま azumayama), a little after noon.

The long ridge leading to Mt Senjin

Viewpoint near the highest point of the hike

It was unseasonably warm – a thermometer under the summit sign indicated 20°C! The views were similar to before and, after finding a place to sit, I had an early lunch. The summit was getting crowded, and I decided to set off again after twenty minutes. The trail followed the gentle ridge northwards through a mixed forest of pine and cedar. I had occasional views on both sides; to the east was the long ridge leading to Mt Senjn; to the west, I could make out the shape of Mt Akagi despite the midday haze. I had seen no other hikers since lunch, and it was very peaceful.

Less protection from the wind along this section

Looking west, Mt Akagi faintly visible on the right

An hour later, I passed the turn-off for the nature center. I continued up the ridge and was rewarded with a sweeping view to the south. I could see the forested ridge I had walked up, and beyond, the Kanto plain, a vast urban area, its many buildings reflecting the afternoon sun. Past this viewpoint, the trail entered a leafless forest; unimpeded, the cold winter wind now swept over the ridge. At 2pm, I was standing at the top of Mt Ogata (681m 大形山). My map promised a view to the south but it was completely obscured by trees, even without their leaves. However, I did get a glimpse of Mt Narukami on the North side.

Last view of the day from the Nature Observation Forest

Some easy hiking to finish the day

I walked back to the previous viewpoint where I sat down for a short break under the warm sun. By 3pm, I was on the path for the nature center, heading down and west; thirty minutes later I reached the Nature Observation Forest (自然観察の森). There were several paths through this forest, and since the bus wasn’t due for another hour, I tried to pick the longest one. I reached the bus stop at 4h30, a few minutes before the sun disappeared behind the mountains, and I was back at Kiryu station by 5pm, where I boarded a local train for the 2 hour ride back to Tokyo.

Tomioka Alps (Mt Kannari 320m) & the Gunma Museum of Natural History

I had first read about this hike in my Gunma hiking book, but it was too short and too far for a day hike, so I reluctantly set it aside. Later on, I found out that the Kanto Fureai no Michi also went through the area, and I could use it to extend the hike eastwards. The path passed by the Gunma Museum of Natural History which I could also visit, if time allowed. I generally don’t drop by museums on hikes, but this one had a high rating on Google Maps, and I was interested in learning more about the local animals and plants. I was excited about checking out another “Alps” trail; according to online reviews, it was “the cleanest hiking trail in Japan, ” apparently because the locals sweep the leaves off. It was a station to station hike on the Joshin Dentetsu line, a railway line I had used many times before. The weather forecast showed the sun mark for the whole day, so I was looking forward to some good views of the mountains of western Gunma.

The mountains of western Gunma under a grey sky

I reached the small Nanja station a little after 10am. The promised sun was hiding behind grey clouds, and it seemed unlikely that it would emerge anytime soon, a rare miss for the Japanese Meteorological Agency. I kept my fingers crossed that it wouldn’t rain. Every cloud has a silver lining though, and these ones were high enough for the surrounding mountains to be still visible. After half an hour of walking, I reached the small shrine at the base of the Tomioka Alps (富岡アルプス tomioka arupusu), also known as the Kannari Hiking trail.

Mt Inafukumi, climbed 2 years ago

The trail is definitely clean of leaves

It took just ten minutes of climbing to reach the top of Mt Azuma (328m 吾妻山 あずまさん azumasan), and the first views. Looking west, I could see the outskirts of Shimonita village, with Mt Ozawa behind; directly ahead was the triangular shape of Mt Inafukumi. As expected, the trail went up and down along the ridgeline and over several minor summits. I reached the halfway point just before noon where there was a mini natural museum (ミニ自然博物館) consisting of a glass cabinet with various exhibits related to the local plants and animals, a foretaste of my museum visit planned for the afternoon.

The Mini Nature Museum

At the extreme left, the pointed tip of Mt Ushibuse

I reached the second viewpoint of the day thirty minutes later, next to the summit of Mt Kannari (神成山かんなりやま kannariyama). Looking east, I could see the pointed summit of Mt Ushibuse. Directly beneath, a train on the Joshin Dentetsu line was moving along the valley floor (see video). After a brief stop for lunch, I set off again, now heading down to the bottom of the valley. I passed by a somewhat scary statue of “fudosama” lurking among the bamboo next to the trail. At 1pm, I was off the mountain and walking through Tomioka Town. It would take 45 minutes to reach the museum, which was starting to seem like a good place to spend a cold and cloudy winter afternoon.

See the views from the Tomioka Alps

A good thing the museum has a high roof

I spent nearly two hours exploring the Gunma Museum of Natural History, but could easily have spent three hours or more. Of the five sections, the most impressive one by far was “The Age of the Earth” which held full-size dinosaur skeletons and scaled-down animated models (see video and gifs). The most interesting section, for me, was “The Nature and Environment of Gunma.” It contained a forest diorama, and seeing different kinds of trees side by side helped me understand the subtle differences between them. There were also many mounted animals, some of which I had never seen or only glimpsed briefly while hiking.

A fossil dig display

I’ve seen many copper pheasants fly away from me

Visually, the museum is stunning; a pity there are no English explanations. By the time I had satisfied my curiosity, it was already past 3pm, and I had to rush through the three remaining sections. I had originally planned to continue walking the Fureai no Michi and finish at Higashi-Tomioka station. However, I now had to leave that for another day. At 4pm, I walked back to Joshu-Nanokaichi Station, the closest station to the museum. Although the weather was disappointing, the museum visit definitely made it a success. By 4h30 I was back on the train for Takasaki, for the 2h30 minute trip back to Tokyo.

To hear them roar, watch the video below

See the animated Tyrannosaurus Rex

Ken-no-mine (1429m) and Mt Tsunoochi (1393m), Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture, October 2020

I first spotted these two mountains while hiking Mt Hanamagari in January 2016. Before I could attempt them, there were a couple of things I needed to figure out. First, the trail between the two peaks was a dotted line on my map. After checking online reports by other hikers, apart from being super steep, it didn’t seem to be dangerous. Next, as usual, access was a real headache. My guidebook recommended going by car and hiking up and down from Hamayu Sanso (I had stopped there for a bath once after climbing Mt Asamakakushi). However, I felt it would be more exciting to do a traverse instead. I would take a taxi from Yokokawa station to the parking area for Kirizumi onsen and finish at Hamayu Sanso on the other side. The main drawback was that there were no buses back to Takasaki on the weekend (only on weekdays, strangely enough). I resolved to skip the hot bath, and walk ten kilometers from the end of the hiking path to the closest bus stop, a place called Gonda. I just hoped that I would make it in time for the last bus of the day at 4pm, or I would be stuck there. The weather forecast was good, and the autumn leaves would still be at their peak up in the mountains.

Hiking in the Joshin-Etsu-Kogen National Park 上信越高原国立公園

In the middle, Mt Tsunoochi, and on the right, Kennomine (photo: January 2016)

After getting off at Yokokawa station for the second time this month, I was alarmed to see no taxi waiting outside (I hadn’t reserved one). I called the taxi company, and they said they would send a car over at once. Along the way, the driver pointed out the Shinkansen tracks, exiting the side of the mountain before quickly reentering it on the other side. I had hoped to see one zip by above us, but no luck. The taxi dropped me off at the parking below Kirizumi Onsen (霧積温泉). At 10am I was ready to start hiking. First I followed the path leading to the hot spring hotel. Twenty minutes later, after merging with a forest road, I turned right onto the hiking trail.

The trail hugged the south side of the ridge

The trail rose gradually through the autumn forest and soon reached a fork. The main trail for Mt Hanamagari went left, but today’s mountain was along the right branch. The trail crossed a flat area and became faint; I had to find my way following the pink ribbons attached to the tree branches. I soon reached the main ridge separating Annaka and Takasaki cities. The next section turned quite adventurous. The path followed the top of the ridge for a short while, then, as the ridge narrowed, dropped slightly, and cut across the south side, staying just inside the Joshin-Etsu-Kogen National Park. There were some ravines to the right; at one point, the path hugged the base of a cliff, and I used the chains attached to the rocky face to keep my balance. Views were sparse, but the autumn leaves were stunning. There was no other hikers and I enjoyed the silence of the forest.

Mt Asamakakushi from Kennomine

The ridge widened and welcomed the path back. I made my way up a short slope and at 11h30, I had my first views of the day. Opposite was Mt Asamakakushi, and to the left was Mt Hanamagari, with Mt Asama looming behind. In the background, I could make out the peaks of the Joshin-Etsu, still free of snow. There were more clouds on this side and the mountains played hide and seek in the shadows making it difficult to get good photos. I walked a couple of minutes along the ridge, and reached what I judged to be the summit of Ken-no-Mine (剣の峰けんのみね kennomine) – the summit marker was broken in half, and the mountain name was illegible. I decided to continue without a break. The next section was the dotted section on the map, and I was keen to get it behind me.

The autumn leaves were at their peak

At first, this steep slope didn’t seem like a big deal. I rushed down, occasionally grabbing tree branches to keep my balance. Soon the terrain became so steep that the trail simply vanished. Once again I had to rely on the pink ribbons. They were spaced far apart, and the path didn’t simply go straight down: it twisted and turned, around boulders, over bundles of tree roots, down narrow gullies, and roped sections followed roped sections. I had to stop several times and carefully scan the the whole mountain side to pick up the trail. The last thing I wanted to do was head down the wrong way and have to climb back up. Although the path was dotted on the map, I was surprised that anyone would dare turn this into a hiking path. My guide book suggested going up and down this trail, and I was thankful for having chosen the traverse instead.

Mt Hanamagari, left, with Mt Asama behind and on the right

At noon, it was with relief that I reached the pass between the two mountains. I was now back on a proper hiking path. I would do a roundtrip to the next peak, before heading down the mountain. It took me about twenty minutes of steady climbing, through a festival of autumn colours, to reach the top of Mt Tsunoochi (角落山つのおちやま tsunoochi-yama), a name that could be roughly translated as “dropped antlers mountain” – I didn’t see any. The summit area was narrow, covered in trees and bushes, and included a small shrine and shinto gate. If I stood near the highest point, I could get a good view of the whole of northern Gunma, all the way to Mt Tanigawa and Mt Hotaka. The view to the south wasn’t as good, but I could still make out the Kanto plain through the trees.

The mountains of Northern Gunma

One glance at the time told me that I would have to keep my lunch break short. I had a little over 3 hours to get off the mountain, and walk ten kilometers to the bus stop. After taking all the necessary photos, I retraced my steps to the pass. There, the trail doubled back along the steep side of Ken-no-Mine. I saw some impressive cliffs, and had to tackle a couple more chain-lined sections. Soon I was walking down a broad river valley through beautiful forest. Even though I was no longer inside a National Park, I felt this part could have been included. Suddenly, I was off the trail. I walked back for a few minutes, and thanks to the pink ribbons, found the path again, along a dried-up rocky river bed. Thirty minutes after leaving the summit, I reached the end of the hiking trail.

Hiking down in the late afternoon

From there, I walked down a forest road for another half an hour before I reached a prefectural road. It was an enjoyable walk that I did at a fast pace, crossing a beautiful mountain stream several times. One of the reasons I opted to walk to the bus stop was that according to my hiking map, there were good views along the road. I wasn’t disappointed. It also said there were monkeys in the area, but I didn’t get to see any this time – perhaps a good thing since I didn’t have much time to spare. After about an hour an a half of fast walking I reached the bus stop a few minutes before the bus was due. I had to change buses once on the way to get to Takasaki, with a one hour wait in-between. Luckily, the bus arrived early, and I was able to catch the previous bus, meaning I got back to Tokyo earlier than expected – always welcome after a long hike!

Mountain view from the prefectural road

Hiking the Nakasendo: Usui Pass to Yokokawa Station & Megane Bridge, Gunma Prefecture, October 2020

I had hiked this Gunma section of the Nakasendo (中山道) in January 2015 using the Tokyo Wide Pass; it’s less well-known than the section in the Kiso valley. I thought it would be interesting to redo it in a different season. First, the autumn leaves would be at their peak around the start of the hike. Next, I hoped that in the warmer weather I would be able to see monkeys along the way. I also wanted to add a side trip to the nearby Megane Bridge. Finally, I was looking forward to using the hot spring near the end of the hike, which was closed on my last visit . Instead of taking the Shinkansen to Karuizawa, I decided use a combination of train and bus, longer but cheaper; then, to make up for the later arrival, I would take another bus up to Usui Pass instead of walking. The forecast was cloudy with a hope for sun, but apart from Usui Pass, there were few views along the way.

Hiking in the Joshin-Etsu-Kogen National Park 上信越高原国立公園

View from Usui Pass (photo taken in January 2015)

The trip to Karuizawa went smoothly: I had good views of Mt Myogi from the train, and saw some nice autumn colours from the bus. From Karuizawa station, I walked to the bus stop of the Red Bus (赤バス aka basu), a small seasonal sightseeing bus. There were few passengers and I was able to enjoy the view from the front of the bus as it zipped through old Karuizawa, and then zoomed up a narrow mountain road to Usui Pass (see video). The clouds were in and the view wasn’t great; in consolation there was a resplendissant Japanese maple tree in orange and red. I finally set off on the Old Nakasendo Highway (旧中山道 kyu-nakasendo) around 12:30.

River crossing along the Nakasendo

After an eroded downhill section, I crossed a small stream, and then followed a narrow level path till it merged with a wider trail heading down again. It was around here that my map reported monkey sightings, so I kept my eyes open and ears peeled. During the Meiji area there also used to be a village around here, and here and there its remains could be seen, making this part of the hike somewhat spooky. Past a rusting bus on one side of the path, and a rotting house on the other side, I heard strange noises coming from the treetops. At first I thought they were monkey noises, but it turned out to be some kind of bird call. I got lucky a little further. After going a little off the trail to investigate some suspicious noises, I stumbled upon a troop of monkeys moving through the forest. Unlike the ones from Okutama lake, these ones were shy and scattered at once, except for a large male, coolly walking away through the trees (see video).

The path followed the natural folds of the mountain

After the excitement of seeing monkeys (second time this year), I resumed my hike along this Edo period highway. The road became level again, and offered glimpses of mountain ridges and river valleys left and right. There were occasional white signs in Japanese, explaining various natural and historical landmarks. Most of this hike was inside the Joshin-Etsu-Kogen National Park and the surrounding nature was wild and beautiful. Soon the road narrowed and turned into a hiking path again; it started to twist and turn, following the natural folds of the mountain ridge as it slowly descended into the valley. For a short while, I walked above a mountain stream tumbling down a small narrow valley. I took a moment to observe a large butterfly return obsessively to a curiously shaped-flower, and feed greedily on its nectar (see video).

A butterfly enjoying a nectar lunch

At 2h30, I finally arrived at a small rest house. I remembered it well from my previous visit. The guest book, slightly moldy despite it’s plastic casing, was still there, sadly devoid of English entries since spring this year. I found my old entry from 5 years ago and added a fresh one. The path turned rocky and started to descend in a series of switchbacks. On my winter hike I had good views of Mt Myogi and Yokokawa town around here; now, however, the view was blocked by tree leaves. Around 3pm, I reached the base of the mountain, and arrived at the modern road connecting Karuizawa and Yokokawa. On the other side and down some steps, I found myself on the “Apto Road” (アプトの道) that went through a tunnel under the road. This pedestrian road is named after the “Abt system”, a rack system, used by the old Usui line to transport passengers up the mountain side to Karuizawa from the middle of the Meiji era till 1963.

Tunnel number five along the “Abuto Road”

It was getting late but I decided to stick to my plan of exploring this road. Keeping to the day’s theme, it passed through several tunnels, some pitch black and some glowing orange from the interior lighting. Half an hour later at the end of the longest one, I arrived at the highlight of the day, Megane bridge (めがね橋 megane-bashi), the longest brick arch bridge in Japan. It was wonderful to walk on this marvel of Meiji era engineering. Apparently the autumn colours are spectacular here, but I was a couple of weeks early. Past the bridge, the road ducked into yet another dark tunnel. It was possible to continue a few more kilometers to an abandoned railway station, but it was getting late, and I decided to head back. The road ran straight and slightly downhill to Toge-no-yu hot spring which I reached in less than half an hour.

Megane Bridge, one of the wonders of the Meiji Era

After a speedy hot bath, I was ready to continue. By now it was 5h30 and already pitch dark outside. It had also started to drizzle. I was still 3 kilometers from the train station. I had walked it before – the road was straight and paved so there was little risk of getting lost or hurt. I briefly considered calling a taxi, but what better way to finish a spooky hike than a walk in the dark past an abandoned railway station? On the way, I discovered that my headlight only worked intermittently. I hurried past the disused Maruyama station building on the left, a darker shadow among the shadows. At 6pm, I passed the closed Annaka Tourist information office, and was finally walking under street lights. I reached the still-in-use Yokokawa station, well in time for the return train to Takasaki and Tokyo.

Ask for a hiking plan for the Nakasendo