Takao & Jinba Area (Tokyo, Kanagawa & Yamanashi)

Mt Momokura (1003m), Otsuki City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Sunday, February 27, 2022 [Map Available]

After Mt Takagawa, I felt like revisiting another mountain in the area, so that I could get more views of Mt Fuji with its seasonal snowcap, especially since snowfall had been quite generous this year. On my last visit, I had combined this summit with its neighbour, Mt Oogi; this time, I was looking for something more laid-back. Studying my map, I found alternate trails leading up and down, meaning the entire hike would be new. The weather forecast was looking good, apart from strong winds threatening the higher elevations; I was more concerned about clouds forming around the top of Mt Fuji. I was looking forward to my first hike of the year above 1000 meters, as well as keeping my fingers crossed that Fuji wouldn’t be too shy.

Download a map of the Mt Momokura hike

This map was developed for Japanwilds with the Hokkaido Cartographer

Find more Japan hiking maps on Avenza

View to the south of Mt Fuji half in the clouds

View of Mt Fuji from my 2011 hike

I rode the Chuo line limited express for about an hour to Otsuki station, where I transferred to a bus, taking me close to the trail entrance. It was nearly 11am, and I felt quite warm while making my way up a steep road. I soon arrived at a fork and followed the left branch. I passed by a relatively new toilet facility (advertised as “very clean”), and had my first view of Mt Fuji, partially hidden by the clouds.

Lion-dog guarding the start of the trail

View of the Doshi and Tanzawa mountains

The start of the trail lay just beyond a lion-dog statue guarding a shrine entrance. After half an hour of climbing through the cool forest, I arrived at the first view of the day. On the left, I could see the Doshi and Tanzawa mountains; opposite was Mt Fuji, popping in and out of the clouds; on the right stood Mt Takagawa and Mitsutoge. I sat down on a bench to enjoy the view, but a cold wind started blowing, so I quickly set off again; ten minutes later, I reached a junction on the top ridge.

To the right of Mt Fuji, Mt Takagawa and Mitsutoge

A bench with a view

I was hit by powerful gusts of wind coming from the north side and I immediately felt very cold. I had to take shelter on the south side to add a layer of clothing. I continued towards the summit, slightly worried about falling branches. Fortunately, the wind abated somewhat once I arrived at the top of Mt Momokura (百蔵山ももくらやま momokura-yama), a Yamanashi hundred famous mountain. Since it was 12h30, I found a grassy spot and sat down for lunch.

Fairly easy hiking all the way to the top

One of the 12 views of Mt Fuji from the Otsuki area

Mt Fuji was flirting with the clouds, but eventually I had a clear view. At 1h30, I retraced my steps to the ridge junction, and continued straight, heading west. I soon passed Mt Daido (大同山 907m) and then started down a steep descent. I encountered some snow for the first time of the day, but it was half melted and I reached the base of the slope safely. I continued along the path as it descended gently, slowly curving around to the south side. On the way, I passed Konpira-kyu, a lonely shrine in the middle of the forest.

Heading back to the ridge junction

Looking across the Kazuno river valley

At around 2h30, the path leveled and glimpses of the Kazuno river valley came into view; on the left side, I could see Mt Iwadono. It was still windy, but the biting cold of the summit ridge was now a distant memory. Fifteen minutes later, I reached a road and a bus stop near Fukusen-ji Temple. A little after 3pm, I boarded the bus for Otsuki station, and by 4pm I was back on the limited express for the one-hour ride back to Shinjuku.

See the views of Mt Momokura on a windy day

Mt Furo (839m), Mt Takasasu (911m) & Mt Sebuchi (554m), Uenohara City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Thursday, December 30, 2021

I found these three peaks north of the Chuo line and east of Otsuki station by simply examining my hiking map. They don’t belong to any famous lists, but together they form a short, easy hike with views of Mt Fuji, making it suitable for the last outing of the year. I could get to the start of the trail by riding the local Chuo line to Uenohara station, followed by a short bus ride, although I would have to leave before 7am to catch the only bus running in the morning. The weather was supposed to be sunny, with some wind, but since all tree peaks were below one thousand meters, the temperatures wouldn’t go below freezing. I was looking forward to wrapping up the year with a quiet hike and getting some new views.

Mt Fuji before its disappearance in the clouds

The Doshi mountains and the Tanzawa mountains (behind)

I arrived at Uenohara station under blue skies and quickly transferred to the Fujikyu bus. I was the sole passenger and got off at the end of the line just after 9am. I followed a paved road for a short while before reaching the start of the trail, next to a small graveyard. The path went up the mountain side in a series of switchbacks and soon reached a small shrine with a view of Mt Fuji, framed by two pine trees. After some more climbing, I reached the top of Mt Furo (不老山ふろうさん furou-san, meaning “enduring youth”).

An easy hike up the first summit of the day

View of Mt Fuji framed by two pine trees

I had a view of the all the mountains south of the Chuo line. To the west, I could see Mt Fuji, the top now in the clouds; opposite were the Doshi mountains, with the Tanzawa mountains rising behind; eastwards, I could make out Sagami lake and Mt Tsukui-Shiro. It was nearly 11am, so I sat down on the sole bench, fortunately in the sun, for a late breakfast. Below, the Chuo expressway seemed busy with people driving to their hometowns for the new year. I set off again, and after a short, steep climb, arrived at the summit of Mt Takasasu (高指山たかさすやま takasasu-yama).

View of the mountains south of the Chuo line

Looking through the trees towards Mt Sebuchi

The summit was entirely in the trees, and although it was also in the sun, I moved on immediately, as I had just stopped for a break. The path went downhill and became harder to follow. After some switchbacks, I reached a forest road, and soon after, an intersection. The hiking path continued behind a huge boulder, and due to some fallen trees, was a bit difficult to follow. Eventually, I arrived back on a forest road, which then turned in a steep paved road leading to a grassy summit. I found the summit marker for Mt Sebuchi (瀬淵山せぶちやま sebuchi-yama), on a tree next to a shrine.

Looking back towards Mt Takasasu

View from the paragliding jump-off spot

The mountain is also used as a jump-off spot for paragliders; I had seen some when hiking Mt Yogai nearly a year ago. The view was similar to the one from the first summit of the day, except that I couldn’t see Mt Fuji at all; I could see the long ridgeline of Mt Nodake eastwards. It was one o’clock so I found a bench in the sun and sat down for lunch. At 1h30, I made my way back to the intersection, and from there headed down the mountain. I arrived at a bus stop on the same line I had used in the morning just before 2pm. After a short bus ride, I was back at Uenohara station, where I boarded a local train for Shinjuku station.

See the views on this three-peak hike

Mt Takagawa (976m) & the Yamanashi Prefectural Maglev Exhibition Center, Thursday, December 23, 2021 [Map Available]

I had climbed this mountain once before, about ten years ago. I remembered it mainly as an easy to reach peak with a spectacular view of Mt Fuji. On the other hand, the top had been packed with other hikers, making it difficult to get good pictures of Japan’s most famous volcano. I had a rare weekday off and, with the forecast looking good, decided to give it another shot. Studying my map, I counted seven trails leading to the summit; previously, I had gone up from Kasei station and then down to Otsuki; this time, I would start from Hatsukari station and aim to end at Takanokura station, crossing the mountain from west to east. I noticed that the Maglev Exhibition Center was located near the end of my planned route, so I decided to drop by if time allowed. I was looking forward to an easy station to station hike and getting some good, unobstructed views of snowy Fuji.

Download a map of the Mt Takagawa hike

This map was developed for Japanwilds with the Hokkaido Cartographer

Find more Japan hiking maps on Avenza

View of Mt Fuji from the summit of Mt Takagawa

I rode the Chuo line limited express for a short hour to Otsuki station, where I changed to a local train to reach Hatsukari, one station away. The weather was as forecast, and the outline of Mt Takigo, opposite the station on the north side, was clearly visible against the blue sky. I set off just after 11am, first through the town, then along a forest road. By now the sun had risen high enough in the sky to shine through the trees on the northwest side, and despite the cold temperature, it felt pleasant walking through the forest.

A mostly sunny hike to the top

First view of Fuji

Thirty minutes after setting off, I reached a trail on the left; the forest road continued along the valley, eventually turning into the “sawa” trail, but I was keen to get on a proper trail as soon as possible. In no time, I was making my way up a steep ridge and had to stop to take off a layer of clothing. I soon arrived at a fork, and with little hesitation, left the slope for a more relaxing level path, following the contour of the mountain. Fifteen minutes later, the path merged with the “sawa” trail, climbing out of the valley to the left.

On the right, Mitsutoge, where I was just 2 weeks before

Looking at the Doshi mountains

The trail doubled back and was now completely in the sun. Through the leafless trees, I had my first glimpse of Mt Fuji, its white summit rising above a ridgeline. After another fifteen minutes, I passed the top of the steep ridge I left earlier. The path turned around again and rose gently through bamboo grass and a sparse forest. A little before 1pm, I reached the top of Mt Takagawa (高川山たかがわやま takagawa-yama), a 100 famous mountain of Yamanashi.

The Maglev tracks can be seen at the bottom of the valley, on the right

Still some sun on the way down

As I had hoped, I was the only person there to enjoy the views. I was also lucky with the weather, since on top of the blue skies, I couldn’t feel the slightest breeze. Looking south, I could see Mt Fuji, at the end of the corridor linking Otsuki with the Fuji Five Lake Area. To its right was Mitsutoge, and to its left was Mt Kurami and Mt Shakushi. Peering down on the west side, I could see the straight Maglev tracks crossing the flat valley bottom. Above the trees on the north and west sides, I could make out Mt Gangaharasuri and the northernmost peaks of the South Alps.

The Yamanashi prefecture diorama

Kofu city and its castle

After having lunch and enjoying the fantastic views, I was ready to head down by 2pm. First, I followed a path along the north ridge, and then turned right onto a path going down the mountain in a series of zigzags. The path dipped in and out of the sun, and less than an hour later, reached a paved road. At 3pm, I was at the entrance of the Maglev Exhibition Center. I found the huge diorama of Yamanashi very interesting, as well as the demonstration of the levitation principle (see video). I also discovered I could catch a bus just outside the museum for Otsuki station; after arriving there, I boarded the limited express for the short trip back to Tokyo.

See a demonstration of the Maglev system

Mt Shomure (542m) and Mt Yogai (536m), Uenohara City, Yamanashi Prefecture, January 2021

I found these two mountains on my Takao area hiking map – they aren’t mentioned in any of my guidebooks. I was mainly interested in the second one; however, since it was too short for a day hike, I decided to tack on a small mountain just north of Mt No and Mt Yae, with a little road walking in between. One advantage of this addition was that I already knew which bus to take to the start of the trail. Since my planned hike made a loop and ended quite close to the starting point, I would be able to take the same bus back with a little more road walking. I had done several hikes in the area before, so I was wondering if I would get any new views on this trip.

Mt Fuji view from the top of Mt Koyashiro

View of the mountains south of the Chuo line

There wasn’t a cloud in sight when I arrived at Uenohara station around 9am. I rode the bus till the end of the line; after getting off, I could see the white top of Mt Fuji popping above the low mountains to the south. I continued walking along the road, and soon arrived at a small trail on the left leading to a trio of waterfalls. I decided to check them out quickly since I hadn’t had time to do so on my last visit. The path descended steeply into the valley via a series of switchbacks. I soon reached a small partly frozen waterfall, something I don’t usually see so close to Tokyo.

Mt Fuji from near the start of the hike

A good place for a short break on Mt Shomure

I reached a much higher waterfall just above a bend in the Tsuru river (see video). The path ended there, so I made my way back up; just below the road, I spotted the third waterfall through the forest. Back on the road, it took another ten minutes to reach the base of the today’s first mountain. I took the east route, heading straight up, with ropes on the side for the less sure-footed. Half-way up, I arrived at at small open space with a good view of Mt Fuji. At 11am, I reached the top of Mt Shomure (聖武連山しょうむれやま shomure-yama). It took only 30 minutes but it was enough to work up an appetite, and I sat down for a late breakfast.

Mt Fuji from the top of Mt Shomure

The Tsuru river

I had a good view southwards of Uenohara city and Mt Fuji. I shared the summit with an NHK radio wave tower. At 11h30, I descended via the west route. This trail zigzagged down the side of the mountain and was the better of the two routes. Fifteen minutes later I was back on the same road as before; I crossed it and continued down the mountain side following the signs for Shomure Bridge. Halfway down, I came across a side trail on the left for another waterfall viewpoint. I decided to check it out since I had ample time for detours today. The path led directly to the riverside, and then turned left following it downstream.

Lots of good views of Mt Fuji in the area

A gentle slope up the mountain

I reached a tricky rocky section with chains on one side. The valley narrowed beyond and the river became a rushing torrent below high cliffs (see video). I soon reached the end of the trail with a viewpoint. On the left was another small half-frozen waterfall. Although it was winter, there were still many fallen leaves on the ground; I suppose this spot must be quite popular in the autumn. I retraced my steps, rejoined the main path and crossed the hanging bridge over Tsuru river. Walking up the other side, I had some good views of Mt Shomure. I was soon back on the main road, and a few minutes later I was at the entrance of the hiking trail for today’s second mountain at 12h40.

Looking east towards Mt No and Mt Yae

The top of Mt Koyashiro, a good place for lunch

The trail climbed gently through the forest with occasional views towards Uenohara city on the left. Thirty minutes later, I reached the top of Mt Ozuku 538m (尾続山おづくやま ozuku-yama). To the south, I could see the top of Mt Fuji through a break in the trees. A little further, I had a good view westwards of Mt No and Mt Yae, with Mt Jinba and Mt Sekiro in the background. Twenty minutes later, I reached the summit of Mt Minashi 609m (実成山みなしやま minashi-yama). It was the highest point of the hike but completely surrounded by trees. Ten minutes of walking along the top ridge brought me to another Fuji viewpoint and the top of Mt Koyashiro 600m (コヤシロ山こやしろやま koyashiro-yama).

Paragliders enjoying the Mt Fuji view

An up and down trail

From here I could properly admire Mt Fuji, finally in its winter coat. Circling the valley like birds of prey, were two paragliders enjoying front row views of Japan’s most famous volcano (see video). It was now 2pm, so I sat down for a late lunch. There was almost no wind, and it felt very pleasant in the afternoon sun. At 2h30, I set off again, leaving the main ridge and following a smaller one as it curved back eastwards. At first, it descended steeply before climbing again to the top of “Kaze no Kamisama” 540m (風の神様 meaning the wind god). There, I had good views of the long flat top of Mt Gongen to the west.

Panoramic view from the top of Mt Yogai

Mt Sekiro framed by the trees

The way down followed a narrow, exciting ridgeline through mountainous terrain with lots of up and down. At 3pm, I finally reached the top of Mt Yogai (要害山ようがいさん yogaisan meaning Mt Fortress) where I had the best view of the day. I could see the entire valley spanned by the Chuo line from east to west; this was one of the best panoramas I had ever had in the Tokyo area. Half an hour later, I headed down the mountain, and had some more good views of Uenohara before reaching a small road. At 4pm, I was back on the main road just one kilometer south of the start of the of the Yogai Hiking Trail (要害ハイキングコース). It was another 15 minutes back to the bus stop, and thirty minutes later I was on the Chuo line for Tokyo.

See the waterfalls of Tsuru river

Rapids of the Tsuru river

Mt Takahata (982m) & Mt Kuki (970m), Otsuki City, Yamanashi Prefecture

I had climbed these two peaks before, but separately and via different routes. The trail along the connecting ridge was one of the few remaining ones for me to hike in the Doshi Sankai, the mountainous area between the Tanzawa and the Oku-Chichibu mountains. Although I was guaranteed good views from each summit, I was curious whether I would get more views along the way. According to my map, the total hiking time was nearly 7 hours, so I also wondered whether I would be able to do the full hike. Finally, since it wasn’t a popular trail, I was hoping it wouldn’t be too difficult to follow.

One of the 12 views of Mt Fuji in the Otsuki area

I took the local Chuo line to Uenohara, where I caught a nearly empty bus for Mushono 無生野. The fifty minute ride took me along some exciting, narrow roads through beautiful countryside, dotted here and there with cherry blossom trees in full bloom; it was like a magical hidden valley. After getting off at the last stop, I walked ten minutes on the road to get to the start of the hike, marked by a sign on the right. Past a fence for keeping wild animals out, the trail entered a thick forest of cypress trees. Here the path was hard to follow here, at one point entering a streambed for a few meters, but became easier once it started to climb. It was still winter in the mountains, and the path was sunny under the leafless trees.

Bus ride through the Akiyama river valley

Climbing out of the valley towards the pass

At 10h30, I reached a pass, joining up with the path for Mt Kura. I didn’t have time to do the round trip to the top, but I had been there twice before. I turned left and a few minutes later I reached the top of Mt Tenjin (876m) 天神山. There was a great viewpoint of Mt Momokura and Mt Ogi on the other side of the valley to the North. After a few quick pictures, I continued on my way. The trail went up and down, and I soon reached the top of Mt Takahata 高畑山, meaning high field. On my last visit in June 2018, Mt Fuji was completely hidden. This time around I could see Japan’s most famous volcano, all but the very top free of clouds.

Mt Ogi (Center) and Mt Momokura (right)

Mt Fuji wearing one of its “cloud caps”

It was still early for lunch, so I moved on without a break. I passed by the minor summit of Mt Okuwa (980m) 大桑, with 3 different summit markers but no view, before descending to a road. While continuing down it, I came across a green snake. It was sunning itself in the middle of the road, but once it realised I was there, it slithered away into the bushes (see video at the end of the post). The road soon joined up with the road for Saruhashi, and went uphill for a bit before reaching a pass. Here the hiking trail reappeared on the left, heading slowly up the mountain.

Nice ridge walking around 1000m

This snake is most likely an Aodaisho or rat snake

At 12h30, I arrived at the top of Mt Takasazu (860m) 高指山. Despite the lack of view, I found a sunny log to sit on, so I decided it was a good place to have lunch. Afterwards, the trail went down for a bit, before climbing again, following a fence on the right side. The surrounding trees changed from deciduous to coniferous, giving the trail an alpine feel. I had glimpses through the trees of the valley leading to Tsurishi city to the South; at the bottom lies the Maglev line that is still in construction.

More and more pine trees along the path

The Misaka mountains with Mt Takagawa on the far right

After an hour and a half, I reached a viewpoint of Mt Fuji, called Fujimidaira 富士見平, but the volcano was becoming hard to appreciate in the afternoon haze. A few minutes later, I was standing on the flat top of Mt Kuki 九鬼山, meaning nine devil mountain. On one side, through the trees, was another view of Mt Fuji, the top part now firmly in the clouds. On the West side, there was a wide view of the Misaka mountains, including Mt Mitsutoge on the left side.

View from Tengu Rock

Mt Fuji making its final appearance of the day

I was only one hour away from the train station, and largely ahead of schedule, but as the summit was in the shade, I left soon after finishing my lunch. There were several routes down, and I decided to take the Ike-no-yama one. The first part was quite steep, but after a few minutes, I spotted a sign for Tengu-iwa 天狗岩 on the left. It promised a great view only minutes away. Since I had loads of time, I decided to check it out. It turned out to be a couple of boulders in a small opening on the side of the mountain. Standing on top of them, I had the best view of the day, looking down the valley leading to Kawaguchiko City. On the right was Mt Mitsutoge, and on the left was the ridgeline between Mt Imakura and Mt Nijuroka hiked in 2016. In the back, I could just about make out the shape of Mt Fuji.

Walking down the Ike-no-yama route

Lots of views on the way down

I returned to the trail and continued down the mountain. This was by far the most pleasant section of today’s hike. On top of the occasional views to the left, I also spotted some yamazakura or mountain sakura in bloom. I reached a sign for Mt Ikenoyama 638m 池の山, meaning pond mountain, even though there was no apparent summit. The road at the end of the hiking trail was lined with sakura in full bloom, making a nice end to what was a satisfying ramble through the mountains. The walk back along the road to the charming Tanokura station took ten minutes, and I arrived there just after 4pm. After arriving at Otsuki two stops further, I caught the limited express back to Tokyo.

Sakura lining the road at the of the hike

Although there were few views between the two peaks, I was relieved that the path was easy to follow with frequent signposts. One curious aspect of the hike was that there was often two or even three types of signposts at various points, all equally worn out. Overall I was glad that I was able to complete the hike nearly one hour under the map time, and being able to get to Tokyo before sunset.

Caution: Snake on the road!

Mt Nodake (543m) & Mt Yaeyama (531m), Uenohara City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Tuesday, December 24, 2019

This was a short hike – about 3 hours – I did along the Chuo line. I decided to add it for a couple of reasons. First the views, including Mt Fuji, were amazing. Second, the signs – in Japanese and English – were excellent, and made this an easy-to-follow hike. It had snowed in the area 3 days earlier, but it seemed that crampons wouldn’t be needed.

I took the train to Uenohara station, about an hour from Shinjuku, from where it was another hour of walking to the start of the trail. In reality it takes a bit longer, but I was able to catch a bus midway. The buses in the area are infrequent and hard to figure out so I was lucky to catch one near a bus stop. It’s another ten minutes from the last stop to the start of the trail.

Start of the hiking trail

Beautiful forest just around the corner

I started up the hiking trail just past 10am, and in less than ten minutes, I reached a viewpoint where I could see Mt Fuji. After taking a few pictures, I turned around, and saw that the path was covered in snow! However, I happened to be there at the same time as another hiker on his way down, and he assured me that there wasn’t much snow higher up.

Snow on the trail, but mostly on the North side

The path turned along the side of the mountain, and once it faced southwards, the snow did indeed disappear. It reappeared here and there further on, but it was never an issue. I was soon walking on the summit ridge, and after a couple of ups and downs, I reached the top of Mt Nodake 能岳 before 11am. The view of the Katsura river valley below with Mt Fuji in the background was outstanding.

View from the top of Mt Nodake

Closeup of Mt Fuji

After a quick bite, I set off again. It took me only ten minutes to reach the top of Mt Yaeyama 八重山. There was a small arbour, but the view was somewhat obstructed by trees. I started walking down, and less than ten minutes later I came to another arbour and lookout point. Here, the view was top notch; arguably one of the best in the Tokyo area. From left to right, I could see the Tanzawa mountains, Mt Fuji, Mitsutoge, Mt Ogiyama and Mt Gongen.

View to the West of Mt Ogiyama and Mt Gongen

View from the Mt Yaeyama observatory

I left the viewpoint at 11h30. There are several paths down the mountain, but they all meet up lower down; some were closed due to typhoon damage. Once I reached the base of the mountain, the path followed a stream through the forest. At times, the sunlight filtering through the trees was magical. Very soon, I reached a road, and it took me another 45 minutes to get back to Uenohara station.

Magical forest at the end of the hike

NEXT UP: Mt Bukka (Tanzawa Mountains) in Kanagawa

Mt Iwadono (634m), Otsuki City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Sunday December 8, 2019

Hiking from the Chuo Line 中央線

I’d been through Otsuki so many times, on my way to either the Mt Fuji Five lakes area, or Kofu city, and each time I saw this rocky hill jutting up behind the city. Since it’s not a very big mountain, I did it as a morning hike, returning to Tokyo around noon. At the moment, two out of the three hiking trails are closed, these closures predate typhoon Hagibis, but it’s still possible to hike up via the back of the mountain. After reaching the highest point, it’s possible to continue along the ridge westwards for another hour, and finally walk back to Otsuki station forming a loop; since it’s a popular hike, there are warning signs and maps about this right outside the station, and along the approach to the trailhead.

Autumn colours still on display in December

I used the convenient and comfortable Chuo line limited express to get to Otsuki station, only one hour from Shinjuku. It took me another hour to reach the start of the trail – Hatagura tozanguchi 畑倉登山口, just opposite a driving school. Although I had to walk on the road, there were good views of Katsura river (which later becomes Sagami river), Mt Momokura and Mt Gongen. The crisp autumn weather made all the surrounding mountains clearly visible. After crossing the river, I turned around, and I saw the snowy top of Mt Fuji rising behind Otsuki city.

IMG_20191208_114213

The hike follows the ridge from right to left

From the start of the hiking path, it took me just half an hour to reach the top of Mt Iwadono 岩殿山. It used to be the site of a castle, Iwadonojo 岩殿城 but there isn’t much left now. I was rewarded with an amazing aerial view of Otsuki town with Mt Fuji in the background. On the left, were the Doshi mountains, and on the right, were the Misaka Mountains. I was standing on top of the rocky face of the mountain, with nothing but a low fence and some bushes separating me from a hundred meter drop. My arrival at the top coincided with that of a rather large group, and I was asked to take their photo. One of the group members very kindly offered me some sweets in exchange. After they had moved on, I enjoyed an early lunch.

Spectacular view from the top of Mt Iwadono

Fortunately, my hike wasn’t over yet. From the summit, I continued along the ridge, first heading down for a short while before climbing again. I soon reached a fork where I had 2 choices – the forest path or the rock climbing path. Unfortunately, the group I had encountered at the summit, were now busy making their way up the rock climbing path – there was no way to get around them. Since I was on a schedule, I took the less exciting forest option. However, the paths merged soon after, and I found myself ahead of the large group, so in the end it was a blessing in disguise.

Last good view of Mt Fuji

I had some more excellent views of the valley below, and Mt Fuji, while hiking along a narrow, rocky ridge. I had imagined that this would be an easy hike, but it turned out to be quite exciting. It took me less than an hour to reach the top of the next summit, Mt Tenjin 天神山, surrounded by trees. A few minutes later, I reached an impressive rocky face called Chigo-otoshi 稚児落とし. The hiking path took me above it, where I had some more great views of the area. Standing on top of the highest boulder, I took in the last views of today’s hike. From there, the path descended steeply through forest to Asari 浅利 at the bottom of the valley, and it was another 30-minute walk along the road back to Otsuki station, which I reached just before noon, nearly four hours after setting out. I was glad to find a mountain that hadn’t been too affected by last year’s powerful typhoons. Apart from one fallen tree, the trail and the surrounding forest seemed in good shape. Hopefully the other trails will reopen sometime in the future.

Chigo-otoshi at the end of the hike – no safety fence here!

NEXT UP: Mt Hagaba in Tochigi Prefecture

Mt Sekirou (694m) or the Other Takao

As of October 2020, the trail around Kenkyoji Temple (顕鏡寺) is still closed due to trail damage due to last year’s Typhoon 19 / Hagibis – it’s not possible to reach the summit of Mt Sekiro via this route. No reopening date has been set yet. Please check the Sagamiko Tourist Association website for future updates.

Last Saturday, I finally made it back to Mt Sekirou 石老山 (694 m) for the 3rd time. I wrote about this mountain in an earlier blog post and at the time I had to cut short the loop hike because of a sudden snowstorm. I had promised to update the post once I managed to complete it but so much time has passed since then – four years – that I think it warrants a new post. Another reason I’d like to write about it again is that as the title suggests, it has many things in common with nearby Mt Takao. However unlike Takao, there aren’t as many people.

First it all it has relatively easy access. Although it requires a bus ride from Sagamiko 相模湖 which is the next station from Takao station, buses depart on average twice an hour all day long. I didn’t even check the bus timetable in advance this time and the bus left within ten minutes of arriving at the station. The best thing is not to fret about the bus and just focus on getting to Sagamiko station at a reasonable time for hiking. Additionally, the bus ride to the entrance of the trail – the bus stop is conveniently called 石老山入口 entrance to Mt Sekirou – takes only about ten minutes so standing is not an issue.

The trail is fairly well marked – there is also a big board with a map at the start – so you don’t really need to bring your own map although I always recommend getting one At one point (just after the temple) the trail splits in two but this isn’t an issue since both trails join up again 30 minutes later. I recommend the right branch since the views are better (sakura michi さくら道 on the signs). If you decide to descend via the same route, rather than the loop trail as described below, you could take the other branch on the way down.

20161203_123725 — View of Mt Takao from the Sakura path

There are several wooden seating platforms where you can eat lunch on the summit and a good view of Mt Fuji as well as Mt Omuro in the Tanzawa range. We had a late start on Saturday so we only got there at 1h30 and we had the summit to ourselves. The path for descending is to the right. This is the one I opted not to take last time because of the weather. After a hundred meters or so there is a split and in order to complete the loop hike, you need to go right again.

The path is very pleasant, generally wide and not too steep. There are however a couple of steep rocky parts which should be descended cautiously. After an hour or so, and a few up and downs, there is an observation platform. It has a nice view of the long ridge that includes Mt Takao and Mt Jimba. After that it’s about 30 minutes of downhill to get back to the road. The path follows a valley with a small stream that can be pretty dark and gloomy towards the end of the day. At times the trail is fairly rocky and difficult to walk, not unlike the part leading to the temple when going up.

20161203_153223 — View from the observation platform

After reaching the road it takes another 20 minutes or so to get back to the bus stop. Overall, including a one-hour lunch break and walking at an average pace, the entire hike shouldn’t take more than 5 hours. During that time we saw less than two dozen hikers. Before heading back, I would recommend taking advantage of the very nice Ururi hot spring that is just across the road inside the Pleasure Forest amusement park.

The only two areas where Mt Takao wins against Mt Sekirou is 1) the number of attractions – Takao has several temples, a beer garden, a funicular, a chairlift and a monkey park 2) the numbers of trails up and down the mountain.

Mt Sekirou (694m), Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture

This was my second visit to Mt Sekiro (石老山 sekirouzan) and the first time taking other people; the photos will be a combination of both trips. I feel that this mountain is really exceptional: it’s close to Tokyo, easy to climb, it has great views (including Mt Fuji), there is a temple at the base, and finally there are few hikers since it’s not a famous mountain.

Mt Sekiro from Sagamiko Station

HOW TO GET THERE: Get on the Chuo line for Takao station, ride to the end of the line, and switch to the Chuo line again by simply crossing the platform. Get off at Sagamiko station, the next stop. The only tricky part here is catching a bus to the start of the hiking trail. Departures normally coincide with most train arrivals, but if the wait is too long, it’s possible to take a taxi since it is only ten minutes away.

THE ROUTE: From the bus stop, we crossed the road and headed up the road that lead away from it as a straight angle. There is a sign saying Sekirosan iriguchi (石老山入口 meaning entrance to Mt Sekiro) as well as a big sign showing the route. There are also toilets and a vending machine. After walking along the road for about twenty minutes we reached the start of the trail, behind a hospital. The weather wasn’t great, but it didn’t matter so much since the hike was mostly in the forest during autumn.

Ask for a hiking plan for Mt Sekiro

The first part of the hike climbed steadily through a forest of tall cedar trees next to a stream. Massive moss-covered boulders lay strewn on both sides of the path. Some had small signs with Japanese explanations on their legendary origins.

The road to the temple

Huge moss covered boulders

In less than half an hour, we reached Kenkyoji temple (顕鏡寺) perched on the lower reaches of the mountain; we took a photo break since it had some impressive autumn colours. Since there are no other mountains standing in the way, there was also a view west towards Tokyo, but clouds and smog meant that visibility was limited. Northwards, we could see Mt Takao, the closest mountain to Tokyo.

The trail continued behind the temple, winding back and forth, eventually a fork, unmarked on the map. We asked a small family on their way down who confirmed that the paths connected further up and that the right one was easier to walk. We took the right branch and were rewarded with some more nice westward vistas, as the path curved around the side of the mountain.

Autumn colours were in full swing

Orange and yellow fighting for dominance behind a stone lantern

Before we knew it, the paths joined up. From that point, the path climbed gently through the forest till a fantastic viewpoint of Lake Sagami. We couldn’t really see much of the view, since the weather was still cloudy. We continued up the mountain at a good pace and meeting few people. The path was a series of short steep climbs followed by flat or slightly downhill sections.

We reached the summit two hours after starting out. There were two or three tables where you can have a picnic while admiring the view of Mt Fuji. Unfortunately today the weather had steadily been getting worse, and there was no hope of seeing the majestic volcano today. We repaired to a table under a tree out of the cold wind that had suddenly started blowing, and prepared our ramen lunch.

View from the with Mt Omuro in the center (taken the previous year)

First glimpse of Sagami lake on the way down

Even though it was the first of December, the temperature had been warmer than expected. However it suddenly turned freezing and the clouds got greyer. I noticed some white specks on the table; amazingly, it had just started snowing! it wasn’t even the beautiful snowflake type of snow; it was the hard granular kind, that was more like sleet, forcing us to gulp down our lunch, and leave as quickly as possible. By that time, my fingers were feeling pretty numb from the cold.

I had originally planned a loop hike but decided on the spot, that we should head down the same way; it would be safer to down a familiar way in a freak snowstorm. However, as soon as we got a few meters from the summit, the snow stopped falling and it felt noticeably warmer. Ten minutes later we had blue skies above our head and the sun was shining. The storm was over just as quickly as it had started. The path looked quite different going down especially now that the weather was so good. The view of lake Sagami was completely different and we could see the mountain ranges beyond.

Sunny woods

View towards Tokyo

At the junction, we took the other path so as to complete the loop. Just below, there is a good view of Mt Sekiro, as well as the mountains to the west. The path passes through some more huge boulders, but it wasn’t particularly difficult. We got down ninety minutes, and after a twenty minute wait, we were able to hop onto a bus back to the station. In good weather, it’s possible to continue beyond the summit and make a loop back to the start of the hike.

CONCLUSION: Great hike for the late autumn / early winter period, because of its short length and relatively low altitude. It can be combined with some neighbouring mountains if you are a fast hiker.

Ask for a hiking plan for Mt Sekiro

The Takao range seen from the temple