Mt Maru (960m) & Mt Dodaira (876m), Tokigawa Town, Saitama Prefecture, Saturday February 4

Mt Dodaira – the antenna at the top is an NHK relay

I had already climbed both of these peaks separately in the past. Mt Maru 丸山 (climbed twice) was a short and easy loop hike from Ashigakubo station on the Seibu Chichibu line, and Mt Dodaira 堂平山 was a longer hike along a horseshoe shaped ridge in Eastern Chichibu (bus access from Ogawa station). This was a hike of my own creation aiming at linking the two mountains, as well as and explore some new ridgeline trails. I could see from my maps that it involved some road walking but I didn’t mind since the area was easy to reach for me, I knew that both peaks have excellent views.

The start of the hike involved getting a bus from the Tokigawa town hall located between Ogawa and Ogose towns, and reachable from the Ogose station on the Tobu line. I got off at the last stop Hinatane, near a tiny hamlet on the side of the mountain. First I went on a short round trip to closeby Mt Arazaku (409m). There was no trail on the map but it was marked on a guidance board near the bus stop. Mostly level walking through forest, it made a good warm up even though the top was without view. After quickly retracing my steps, I started climbing in the opposite direction along a forest road up to a pass, where I turned right to follow the ridge to the North, this time along an asphalt road, half iced over.

Cute fake bus stop for the “mountain cat electrical railway bus”

Soon I reached another pass called Kabasaka toge (818m). There were some people here since there is a parking lot. There were good views of Mt Dodaira opposite. Here the trail left the road and followed a narrow ridge to another pass. Mt Maru was about a 45 minute round trip to the left and I decided to go for it since the weather was good. There is an observation tower at the top and the previous times the visibility hadn’t been great. This time, visibility was fantastic, and this is probably one of the best views one can get of Mt Buko and of Chichibu city. Mt Asama, Mt Akagi and Mt Haruna were clearly visible.

View of Mt Buko and Chichibu city from the top of Mt Maru

After a quick lunch and a short chat with other hikers, I made my way back to the intersection and went right towards Mt Dodaira. There was another section of road walking. You can actually walk on the road all the way to the top but halfway there is a hiking trail that goes up a ridge to the left. The rounded level top is also accessible by car and there is an observatory for night sky gazing. It is also a popular place for paragliding in the warmer months.

View from Mt Dodaira – It’s a 500m drop down to the bottom of the valley

The views from the summit of Dodaira were just as good as from Mt Maru. You could also gaze down into the deep valley of East Chichibu (North) and the take in the vast expanse of the Kanto plain to the East. Unfortunately it was already past 3h30, and it was nearly two hours to get down to a bus stop so I couldn’t linger much. I followed a very nice path called the Tokigawa trekking trail, some portions of which followed asphalt and forest roads. I finally emerged at the scenic Jikoji Temple, past 5 pm, and too dark to get any good photos, so I hurried down to the bus stop, in the valley opposite my morning starting point. Total hiking time was nearly 7 hours.

Mt Atago (305), Mt Nandai (553m) & Mt Wagakuni (518m), Kasama City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Sunday February 12

View of Mt Nandai, the midway point of the hike

This was my first Ibaraki hike that wasn’t on Mt Tsukuba. It’s a fairly long hike (6 hours) connecting three mountains, starting with Mt Atago 愛宕山 Southeast near Iwama station on the Joban line, passing by Mt Nandai 難台山, and finishing at Mt Wagakuni 吾国山 Northwest near Fukuhara station on the Mito line. My start time got pushed back due to delays on the Joban line. I also lost some time around Mt Nandai because of unexpected wet snow on the trail – my boots got completely wet since I didn’t bring my gaiters.

Observation tower along the trail

The first part is fairly straightforward. The path zigzags up the mountain and ends at Atago Shrine with good views to the East – Ibaraki is quite flat outside the mountainous parts! From the top there is a short walk along an asphalt road to reach the start of the trail for Mt Nandai. The trail through woods was level at first but soon it started to rise gradually, offering excellent views of Mt Tsukuba, Mt Kaba and Mt Hokyo to the West. There are wooden observation towers, rocky formations and minor peaks along the trail.

View of Mt Tsukuba

When I reached the top, mostly enclosed by trees but with some views to the West, I was ready for a short break and lunch. Afterwards the path descended gradually, with views of the Oku-Nikko mountains at one point, before crossing a road and bringing me to the final ascent for Mt Wagakuni. There were good views to the East on the way up – I could see most of the trail that I had hiked during the day. More excellent views towards the East and the North greeted me at the top, where there was a small shrine, although it was a bit lonely and cold there. I made my way down the mountain as quickly as I could in order to reach the train station just around sunset.

View to the North from the top of Mt Wagakuni

Mt Ohira (341m) & Mt Teruishi (419m), Tochigi City, Tochigi Prefecture, Saturday February 25

The hike follows most of this ridge

I so enjoyed my first hike in Southern Tochigi that I decided to go again as soon as possible, this time a little more to the East, one station past Tochigi City. The hike up Mt Ohira 大平山 starts from Ohirashita Station meaning the station under Ohira. From there it’s a fairly easy walk to the top and Ohirasan shrine (also accessible by road), a sort of deja-vu from my hike 2 weeks ago. I got to see some nice views of the Kanto plain, and also some early plum blossoms.

View of the Oku-Nikko mountains to the North

From there it was a fairly easy hike to the next summit, Mt Terui 晃石山. Apparently the whole area is inside a prefectural national park, not to be confused with a national park. From the top of Mt Terui, there were excellent views of the Oku-Nikko mountains. The visibility was much better than the previous month when I hiked nearby Mt Daisho. After that I gradually made my way down through to plain level. The surrounding nature was quite wild and it was hard to believe that I was so close to civilisation.

Hiking down Mt Teruishi

While I was walking to the station (more plum blossoms on the way), I couldn’t resist going up nearby Mt Iwafune, meaning “rock ship”. Although the way up was along a road, the top part was quite interesting. First of all I was able to check out a temple called Koshosji. Next, there were a couple of good viewpoints to the North and the South. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a summit marker for the highest point. I ended the hike at the very small Iwafune station on the Ryomo line.

Hello Spring!

Here are a couple more hikes I did using the Tokyo Wide Pass during Silver Week in September 2018, plus a couple of short excursions I did with my mother using the pass in November. All previous Tokyo Wide Pass hikes are linked at the bottom of the Golden Week 2018 update. I also describe two hikes I did using the pass during the “Coming of Age” long weekend in Tokyo Day Hikes January 2019 (Mt Inafukumi & Mt Tatsuware).

Mt Tengu (Eastern peak 2640m), Chino City, Nagano Prefecture, Sunday September 23

I still find it hard to believe that I was here on a day trip from Tokyo

This is highest I’ve been using the pass, if not the furthest – 130 km away versus 160 km for Mt Nasu – although the travel time might be the longest: after taking the shinkansen to Sakudaira, it’s a 2-hour bus ride to the trailhead. Despite that, I was able to start walking from 10h30. Surprisingly, few people were lining up for the bus – most people preferred to head for Mt Asama, only one hour bus ride away. Most passengers, got off at Shirakome pond, but I got off at the next and final stop, Mugikusa pass (2120m).

The beautiful dark blue of Shirakome pond

I had seen the pass and its steep-roofed hut a few years earlier when I hiked Mt Shimakare to the North. This time, I set off Southwards through a thick mossy pine forest. Mt Tengu 天狗岳 is a 200 famous mountain in Japan, and is part of the ancient volcanic range of Yatsugatake, an extremely popular hiking area West of Tokyo. I hadn’t really appreciated how popular it was till I reached Takami Ishi hut where their masses of people. What surprised me was the number of small children with their parents – it is not an easy place to hike!

Typical views during the hike – it’s quite level, no?

Behind the hut, atop some rocky boulders, is a great view of Shirakome pond and Northern Nagano. After I short break I set off again. For a while the path was really muddy and I had to make tiny detours through the forest – it had rained hard the preceding days – but eventually I reached some narrow wooden walkways which were much easier to navigate. Occasionally the twin peaks of Mt Tengu were visible in the distance, as well as the dramatic-looking Mt Io.

Mt Io – I climbed it in winter from the other side

On paper it looks like a long hike but in reality most of the hike consists of a gently undulating path along a wide mountain top – the steeper sections are located lower down. Very soon I arrived at the base of Mt Tengu. I lost a lot of time taking photos during the climb, as it was mostly devoid of trees and the views in all directions were absolutely amazing. The Eastern summit was packed with people, half of them young children around elementary school age. The Western peak is four meters higher but required at least a half hour round trip, time I didn’t have since I was planning on returning to Tokyo the same day. According to my guidebooks, the views were fairly similar. Mt Neishi was also achingly close but I had to skip that as well.

The twin peaks of Mt Tengu

I set off down a rocky ridge that ended on a windswept sandy pass where I took a steeply descending pass that zigzagged down the Western flank. After what seemed like a lot of descending, I reached Honzawa Onsen hut from where it was a long slog along a dirt road – it really made me appreciate the size of the mountain I was coming down from. I emerged from the forest just as it was getting dark, two hours after the start of my descent, but still twenty minutes or so from Umijiri station on the Komi line. Originally I had planned to head back up to Sakudaira where I could get a hot bath, buy some local sake and get the shinkansen back to Tokyo. Unfortunately I made a mistake with the train times so I had to take a train in the opposite direction towards kobuchizawa, also covered by the pass, and take the very crowded Chuo line back – fortunately the station there also sells sake!

 

Mt Hakkai (up to Mt Yakushi 1654m), Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture, Monday September 24

The viewing platform at the top of the ropeway – a nice place to relax!

This one broke the record for furthest day hike from Tokyo – 175 km! I was less than 50 km from the Sea of Japan although I couldn’t see that far because of the poor visibility. I arrived in Niigata prefecture under the sun but the clouds rolled in with surprising speed and most of the day was spent under grey skies. Even the ragged top of Mt Hakkai 八海山, another 200 famous mountain of Japan, soon disappeared in the mist.

Mt Echigokoma surrounded by clouds

After taking the shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa, I boarded a local train to Muikamachi station (not covered by the pass). The town is fairly rundown and would benefit from a facelift. I got on a bus to the Mt Hakkai ropeway – I was the only passenger. Even the parking lot was depressingly empty. We were perhaps a dozen people to board the ropeway. I was pretty relieved that I didn’t have to wait in line. The view from the wooden viewing platform at 1120m was quite impressive – I guess the lack of people was due to the poor weather forecast, although it never rained.

The long summit ridge of Mt Tanigawa

The hike itself wasn’t anything special – up and down the same path, alternating flat and climbing bits. There were some good views to the North of Mt Echigokoma, and Mt Tanigawa to the North. There were much less people than the previous day on Mt Tengu. There wasn’t enough time to go all the way to the highest point (1778m). Perhaps it was a good thing because it is rated as somewhat dangerous on my map – lots of steep bits with chains and ladders.

Autumn has arrived near the upper reaches of Mt Hakkai

The clouds blocked most views from my turning back point, the top of Mt Yakushi 薬師岳 but there was a consolation prize in the form of some early autumn colours. I also saw three snakes which is always exciting. I recommend taking a bath into the hot spring facility inside the Echigo-Yuzawa station – it’s small but super convenient – and also buying some well local sake from the extensive souvenir shop.

 

 

Shiobara Gorge, Nasushiobara, Tochigi Prefecture, Saturday November 3

View from the main bridge in Shiobara onsen

This is a relatively short hike I did with my mother. I rented a car near Nasushiobara shinkansen station (it is also possible to go by bus). I was hoping to see some autumn colours, and so were the hundreds of other people stuck with us in a massive traffic jam, a few kilometers out from the onsen town! At least we could slowly enjoy the spectacular views.

The hiking path was a little worn out but easy to walk

We finally reached the visitor center with about an hour delay. Our plan to walk along the river downstream and then take a bus back. Unfortunately the traffic jam never let up so that we took a long time getting back to our car and then getting back to the station. Fortunately we could take a bath at the a hot spring before leaving.

Peaceful lake near the end of the hike – it would make a good painting

The hike itself had some nice views of the gorge and various waterfalls, and of course the autumn leaves. We crossed the river several times over narrow suspension bridges. The final part however consisted of a relatively long, steep climb followed by a descent with no real good views. The last part is over a suspended bridge that crosses a picturesque lake formed by a dam further downstream. There are other hikes in the area so I will probably return in the future.

It was the first time I’d ever seen people doing SUP (Stand Up Paddling)

One of the waterfalls we saw during the hike

 

Dragon Gondola and hike along the Kiyostu River, Yuzawa Town, Niigata Prefecture, Sunday November 4

Mt Sennokura with its autumn cloud cap

The next day I decided to check out the Dragon Gondola – 5481m long and apparently the longest in the world. Normally a ski lift – I had taken it once when skiing at the Naeba Prince Hotel resort – it is exceptionally open for a short while in autumn, and also in spring. It requires taking a bus from Echigo Yuzawa station. After that, things got complicated. Most passengers were non-Japanese like us, possibly also traveling on the Tokyo Wide Pass. However, the busdriver started giving complicated explanations in rapid-fire Japanese which obviously nobody understood. Apparently we had to get off one stop before the Naeba Prince Hotel to take a shuttle bus directly to the start of the gondola. Most people just remained on the bus. Finally, language barriers were overcome, and everybody was able to board the shuttle buses.

Mt Hakkai with its winter snowcap

At the gondola station, we got in line for the gondola. However I noticed that the people in front of me were holding tickets – I had no idea where to buy ours. I went to the head of the line to ask, and found a small ticket counter next to the boarding area – it could have been advertised better. The gondola ride was truly spectacular and exciting, since several small ridges and valleys had to be crossed, at times only meters above the ground.

Rising up and up among the camphor trees

The top area, at 1346m, was a little cool but pleasant in the sunny autumn weather. We walked up a bit to higher ground and had great views of many Niigata mountains: Mt Naeba, Mt Hakkai, Mt Tanigawa and Mt Sennokura. After that we walked past Tashiro lake and took the Tashiro ropeway back down to the bottom of the valley, enjoying the beautiful autumn leaves covering the sides of the mountains.

Taking the Tashiro ropeway back down

From the base of the ropeway, we walked along the river, following it upstream for about an hour while enjoying more autumn leaves and the fine early November weather, till we reached a spacious rest house. Inside, there was a good relief map of the surrounding mountains. From there it was a short ride on a crowded bus back to the shinkansen station.

I’ve finally found time to add some older hikes to the blog. These four date from January 2017, a couple of years ago, but the mountains and trails are still there (I suppose). The views were all top notch thanks to the clear winter weather. They are located in Yamanashi, Chiba, Tochigi and Saitama prefectures. Two are station to station and two require traveling by bus.

Mt Koshu Takao (1120m) & Mt Tanayokote (1305m), Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Saturday January 7

Koshu Takao – a hilly ridge that separates Tokyo from Yamanashi

An amazing station to station hike that I had been saving for a while for a day when I couldn’t be bothered to look up bus times. I just regret I hadn’t hiked up Mt Koshu Takao 甲州高尾山 earlier – from the pictures in my guidebook, it looked like a dull up and down slog, but, after gaining enough altitude, the views of the Mt Fuji and the South Alps were absolutely fantastic.

The South Alps, with the three Shirane Mountains in the middle

The surrounding scenery was a nice mix of subalpine and alpine – lots of pines trees and open grassy spaces – despite the fact that I was always below the 1500m mark. The hike follows an undulating ridgeline which goes all the way to Daibosatsu Rei but unfortunately there is no connecting hiking path. I made it all the way to Mt Tanayoko  (棚横山 たなよこてやま tanayokoteyama), a 100 famous mountain of Yamanashi, beyond which the trail requires GPS navigation.

Probably one of the best views I’ve gotten of Mt Fuji

Even though the starting point is Katsunuma Budokyo station (what a name!) on the Chuo line, only a couple of hours away by train from Shinjuku, it feels like a completely different world. Shortly after descending, there is the added bonus of a nice bonus of passing through a nice temple complex.

A nice place to stop for a late lunch

Beyond that, the path becomes a road which you need to hike for 90 minutes back to the station. I was fortunate enough to be picked up by somebody on the their way down – they even dropped me off at the onsen close by the station. By the way, this onsen is on the top of a small hill and has some great views of the wide plain that forms the central part of Yamanashi prefecture.

Mt Saga (315m), Mt Tsumori (336m) & Mt Hitobone (292m), Kyonan District, Chiba Prefecture, Sunday January 15

The peaceful top of Mt Tsumori

Since Chiba mountains aren’t very high, I usually need to combine several of them in order to make it worth my time to go all the way to the other side of Tokyo bay. One benefit of low altitude mountains is that they remain snow-free all year-round – or so I thought! No sooner had I started hiking up the trail for Mt Saga 嵯峨山, a short bus ride from Hota station on the Uchibori line, did I encounter snow! Apparently it had snowed the day before in Chiba…however it was only a thin layer which was melting quickly in the winter sunshine.

A rare sight – snow in Chiba

The climb to the top was relatively fast with just one steep section. There were views of Oshima island, Miura peninsula, and of course the Boso peninsula. Unfortunately, the top of Mt Fuji was hidden in the clouds. My plan was to do a loop around the back and end up back on the road, where I would catch a bus to my next destination. However at one point I lost the path and ended up taking a rather steep trail back up to Mt Saga. I eventually found my way down but I missed the bus and had to walk to about an hour to the start of the path for Mt Tsumori.

The Boso peninsula looks quite flat from this perspective – it isn’t!

The climb to the top of Mt Tsumori 津森山 was pleasant and the views Eastwards towards Kamogawa town, the Pacific Ocean and Mt Atago were unexpectedly beautiful. After that I made my way along hiking path and some roads to the frighteningly named Mt Hitobone 人骨山 (meaning person’s bone). This time the views were mostly of the hills towards the South and the West. After that there was quite a nice path through some marshland at the bottom of the valley – it was quite atmospheric in the late afternoon light. Eventually I reached a road which took me to lake Sakuma and a bus stop.

Mt Atago 408m, the highest mountain in Chiba

While I was waiting for the last bus of the day to come, I noticed an advertisement for Emiraku no yu 笑楽の湯, an onsen that seemed to be on the way, so I decided to call and see if they were open. They told me yes and also that there weren’t any more buses running that day – I had somehow misread the bus schedule. Fortunately, they kindly offered to pick me up and then drop me off at the train station after my bath. I don’t know what I would have done without their help. I highly recommend using their onsen if you are in the area!

Sunset at Sakuma Lake

Mt Daisho (314m) & Mt Daibo (285m), Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, Sunday January 22

A nice circular hike along a ridge

This was my very first foray into the low mountains of Southern Tochigi, the perfect place for mid-winter hiking, and very much off the beaten track. Somebody actually exclaimed “gaikokujin da!” (meaning “it’s a foreigner!” – kind of rude, no?) after seeing me, something which I have only heard small kids say.

Close-up view of the characters “small” and “large”

This is also a station to station hike, the first part requiring some walking along roads and through fields. After a while the kanji 小 (sho) and 大 (dai) were visible on the side of Mt Daisho 大小山. It took me a very short time to hike up the path and reach the lookout point just below the characters, and about the same time again to reach the highest point of the trail (called Mt Myogi) where there were amazing views Northwards of the green hills of Tochigi.

The low mountainous area of Southern Tochigi

This is a circular hike – it follows an up-and-down ridge as it turns counterclockwise from East to West with lots of great views in all directions. The snowy peaks of Oku-Nikko, as well as Mt Akagi, can be seen from several points along the trail. I could also see the sprawl of Ashikaga city in the next valley. Finally, after a rocky section, I reached the top of Mt Daibo 大坊山 the other main peak of this hike, and the location of a small temple.

View towards Ashikaga city with Mt Akagi in the back

After that, it was a quick hike down to the base of the mountain, followed by some road walking in order to reach a small path that took me back up to the top of the ridge where I started my hike – above the the 小 and 大 characters. After enjoying the last great views of the hike, I made my way down quickly via a different route to where I had started my hike in the morning. Winter days are short but I managed to get to the train station just before sunset.

Ogano Alps (highest point 590m), Ogano Town, Saitama Prefecture, Saturday January 28 [Map Available]

A glimpse of the Chichibu mountains from between the trees

This hike took me completely by surprise. It was mentioned in my guidebook but due to its low altitude and bus access both ways, I made it low priority – a mistake since it had superb views, interesting sights and some thrilling ridge sections.

Get a Map of the Ogano Alps Hike

This map was developed for Japanwilds with the Hokkaido Cartographer

Find more Japan Hiking Maps on Avenza

The Ogano Alps 小鹿野アルプス are located South of Ogano town and West of Chichibu city, and are low enough that the mountains of Oku-Chichibu further to the West and South seem to tower above.

Mt Buko with blue skies in the background

After a short walk from the bus stop I reached a nice little temple called Hoshoji behind which the hike starts. Very soon I got to the top of a rocky outcrop with nice views and a statue of Kannon. The next highlight was the Mt Kame viewpoint from where I could see an intriguing rock formation, resembling a giant lizard – it reminded me very much of similar rock formations on Yakushima island. The pyramid-shaped Mt Buko was also very prominent throughout the hike.

Fantastic lizard-shaped rock formation clinging to the side of the mountain

After the viewpoint I descended into a valley where there was a mountain retreat (apparently closed in the winter), and then climbed up a slope on the other side. This part is called “kamanosawa goho” 釜の沢五峰 – quite a difficult name to remember. It translates roughly as the five peaks of the cauldron valley, probably because, like the previous hike, the top ridge forms a circle. The five (small) peaks are numbered and are fun to hike, not to mention energy and time consuming!

Top of peak number four – one more to go!

As I approached the highest point of the hike, the dramatic ridgelines of Mt Futago and Mt Ryokami came into view. This part felt wild and isolated; I saw no other hikers, but maybe this was because it was already past 3pm. It was time to start heading down. During the descent I passed a small transmission tower perched precariously on a small outcrop, walked under a cliff, down steps carved into another cliff, saw more interesting rock formations, and finally arrived onto a road which I followed all the way back to Hoshoji temple, where I had started out five hours ago.

It took me four hours to reach the highest point of the hike

It was already past 4pm and the sun was starting to set. However, rather than take the bus directly back, I decided to follow another short hiking path nearby which took me over a hill to a main road and an onsen on the other side. The first choice for onsen was actually closed but thanks to Google Maps, I located another one within walking distance which I reached just after dark.

Perilous place to put a power transmission line no?

Water bubbles trapped under an icy stream

Despite February being a shorter month and the first snowfalls of the year in the Kanto area, I still managed to go hiking every weekend and fit in four more hikes – total of 9 so far this year. I visited 4 different prefectures, including my first hike of the year to Tochigi prefecture – hopefully I’ll be able to do something in Tokyo and Chiba in March. I also managed two more station to station hikes, something that never ceases to amaze me after more than a dozen years of hiking in Japan. I used the bus for the other two hikes. The average height of the climbed mountains was only 377m (nearly 1000n in January) proof that I was fleeing the cold and snow!

Utsunomiya Alps, (highest point 562m) , Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, Sunday February 3

View of the Nikko range from the alternative path I took up

You may have read this before on this blog but the Utsunomiya Alps 宇都宮アルプス are another place that I’ve been meaning to explore for years. Originally I wanted to do it as a morning hike but had to give up since I couldn’t find the bus timetables and hiking maps. Since then, the hike has popped up in my hiking books and Google maps now includes reliable bus times.

After getting to Utsunomiya station, I had to ask an attendant for the bus to Nikko since the bus terminal is a big confusing. I believe she was also a bit confused to why I would be taking a bus to Nikko. In fact, I got off left than half way there. The first thing that caught my eye was some leftover snow next to the road which made me panic slightly. However there was very little snow during the entire hike.

Cedar forest walking in the Utsunomiya Alps

From the bus stop, it was a 30 minute walk to the base of the Utsunomiya Alps (hills really). I overshot the start of the trail and ended going up a trail that was closed as it was being redone. It was only a minor inconvenience since only a short portion was difficult to walk. Also, I believe the views were far better on this path. After passing by a couple of minor peaks, I reached the highest point which had fantastic view of the Nikko range covered in a layer of snow.

Mt Nantai on the left and Mt Nyoho on the right

After a short lunch a continued along the ridgeline, which made a right angle towards the South. Unfortunately the weather had turned from sunny and warm to overcast and chilly. After a nice bit through forest, the next peak consisted of a steep climb and an even steeper descent – I was glad I had a good pair of shoes on.

The steep steep slope in the middle of the hike

After descending one more summit, I arrived onto a road which led to another bigger road. Here I somehow missed a turn for a path which led to another small summit. However I didn’t mind; at this point I was pretty satisfied and ready to wrap up the hike. At the foot of the “alps” I had another 30 minute walk to reach an onsen and the bus stop for the return to Utsunomiya.

Walking back to the bus stop can be enjoyable when the views are nice

Mt Obira (577m), Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Sunday February 10 [Map Available]

A bit of sun on an otherwise gloomy day

Since I really enjoyed my hike up Mt Sukumo 2 weeks ago, I decided to return to the Izu peninsula. First, I had found what seemed like another good hike on my newly bought Izu hiking map. Second, going twice in a short time to the same area helps reinforce my memory of how to get there

Get a map of the Mt Obira Hike

This map was developed for Japanwilds with the Hokkaido Cartographer

Find more Japan hiking maps on Avenza

 This time, I went a little further south to Ito city to climb Mt Obira (大平山) meaning I could go all the way by express train, so the total travel time was about the same. For those interested in numbers, this hike is located 200km South from my previous hike in Tochigi.

The path up Mt Obira

The hike starts directly from Ito city. Unfortunately the weather was overcast despite being sunny in Tokyo when I left. The fact that this place is a bit worn out didn’t help – this is one area that apparently isn’t getting a facelift because of the Olympics. I finally reached Maruyama park, the official start of the hike. It was completely deserted on this grey February day but I did see some plum early plum blossoms. Very soon, the path started climbing in earnest up a forested ridge. I was extremely grateful for the yellow signs that were everywhere along the trail and ensured that I never get lost – I really wish they would put these everywhere!

These helpful signs were everywhere along the hike

I encountered only one other hiker going down the ridge – he told me it was very cold at the top but that is kind of expected in the middle of winter at the top of any mountain, even on Izu peninsula. The top was more more of a ridgeline, but again, not surprising the name can roughly translate at “big flat top”. There were however good views of Ito town, the Pacific ocean and Oshima island. From there I moved North along the ridge and reached another opening in the trees with good views North along the coastline with Mt Oyama in the distance.

Atmospheric staircase just beyond Mt Obira

After that, the path turned West, inland and downhill. The entire hike is in fact a wide loop that after the initial climb, does a series of ups and downs, gradually turning anti-clockwise through beautiful forest. I realised later most of it is completely inside the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Finally I reached a wide open space with a view of the Pacific Ocean, Ito City, Oshima Island, Mt Omuro (a mini volcano) and snow-covered Mt Amagi, the highest point of the Izu peninsula.

The snow-covered Amagi highlands, around 500m higher up

After taking photos to my heart’s content, I started on the descent. Eventually I got onto a road which I followed all the way back to Ito station. Ito is famous for its onsens and was able to take a quick dip at La Foret hotel. Originally I had planned to walk all the way to Mt Omuro but that was too ambitious – that will be for another hike!

Mt Omuro, to be tackled on a future hike

Hachioji Hills (highest point 294m) & Mt Kana (239m), Kiryu & Ota Cities, Gunma Prefectures, Sunday February 17

Mt Akagi from the South-East – first time for me to see it from this angle

I had been saving this hike for a really cold winter day. Unfortunately, it was also a really windy one so I was doubly cold! The Hachioji hills 八王子丘陵 are a series of rolling hills running parallel to the edge of the mountainous area to the North of the Kanto plain. After getting off the Ryomo express train at Shin-kiryu, I took a local back one station to Azami station, about 10 minutes on foot from the start of the hiking trail.

A great hiking trail to do in the winter

The first half of the hills were mostly made up of gentle ups and downs which eventually led me to the highest point of the trail where there were excellent views of Kiryu City, Mt Kesamaru and Mt Akagi to the North, and Mt Haruna and Mt Asama to the West. There were 3 sets of binoculars available at different spots so that one could check out the view in detail.

Kiryu city is that way

The second half of the hills had steeper ascents and descents – even though the hills are low, they do make for a good workout! The last part in particular was a succession of ups and down through steep valleys – it was hard to believe that I was hiking in the middle of the densely populated Kanto plain. I saw almost no one in the last section. I finally emerged from the hills back into civilisation. Since it was still early afternoon, I decided to continue to neighbouring Kanayama mountain.

Mt Kesamaru – I was there last year in June

On the way I saw some human-sized Kokeshi dolls, had some nice views of the Hachioji hills and saw a group of 5 stray cats. According to Google maps I would need to make quite a big detour to reach the base of the mountain. However I decided to take a risk and head to a nearby campsite from where I thought there might be a connecting path to the mountain – and I was right! The path up Mt Kanayama 金山 was a lot steeper than I had imagined and I was pretty tired after my earlier crossing of the Hachioji Hills. So it was with great effort that I finally reached the top after 4pm.

I saw no one else hiking this part of the trail

The summit is home to a shrine and castle ruins. Unfortunately since it was late in the day, I didn’t have time to check out either fully. I also had to forgo the hiking path down and take the most direct route following the car road in order to reach the station by sundown. The hot bath hopes were dashed when the sento I found on Google Maps was no longer in existence. However I made a pleasant discovery at Ota station – the very new and beautiful Ota Art Museum and Library was a nice place to check out while waiting for the next express train back to Tokyo!

Sunset from the top of Mt Kanayama – time to head down

Votive tablets clattering in the wind

Miura Alps (highest point 212m), Zushi City, Kanagawa prefecture, Sunday February 24

View of Sagami Bay from the top of Mt Sengen

I had already done one hike on the Miura peninsula a few years ago, climbing the highest peak Mt Ogusa (241m). I hadn’t thought there was more hiking to be done there till I was combing through my Kanagawa hiking book and found that I could do what is called the “Miura Alps” 三浦アルプ – a series of hills that cross the entire peninsula from Zushi on the Sagami Bay to Taura on the Tokyo Bay.

Luckily Zushi is one of the easiest places for me to get to, since there are direct trains from Ikebukuro. From the station there are frequent buses for the short ride to the start of the trail. From the bus stop I climbed a steep road to a church (!) behind which started the trail. The trail felt very similar to the ones I’ve hiked in the Kamakura area – wide dirt trail path through a tunnel of vegetation. Very soon I arrived at the top of Mt Sengen with a ncie view of Sagami bay and Enoshima island. There were also tons of people, so I moved on quickly. Although this isn’t a famous mountain, it’s a fairly easy hike near populated areas so I often passed large groups of people. However, as usual, they were attentive and courteous, and always let me pass in front.

Walking along the Miura Alps

As I progressed along the ridge, further inland and completely surrounded by green hills, I certainly felt like a jungle explorer. Also, the name alps was well deserved as there was no end to the ups and downs. Not unpleasant but best to be prepared for the extra effort. Most summits were in the trees but I finally reached a clearing with a transmission tower so I decided to have lunch. The view wasn’t so good but at least it offered me some space a relatively quiet place to sit. As it usually happens, there was another transmission tower with a much better view a little further up. This was also the highest point of the hike, about 211m I believe. Finally I could see the Tokyo Bay on the other side of the peninsula.

The plum blossoms are nearly fully out

Next I hiked down a little and then back up to the last summit of the Alps, Mt Nyukasa. From it’s summit, there was one space where you can see through the trees towards Taura city, Tokyo Bay and Yokohama. From the summit it’s a steep rope lined descent all the way back down to sea level. On the way I crossed a highway and a plum blossom park (taura ume no sato) that was nearly at full bloom. After crossing a small bamboo forest, I emerged into the town. However my hike wasn’t over yet. It was still only 3 o’clock in the afternoon, so like the week before, I decided to tag on another short hike to nearly Tsukayama Park.

View of Tokyo bay from above Taura town

This demanded another climb up a steep staircase and then a pleasant stroll along a quiet road following a ridge with occasional views of Tokyo bay. I also got a good view of part of the Miura Alps which I had just traversed. Finally I ended up at at Tsukayama park where the gravestone of Anjin Miura is located. If you’ve read Shogun by James Clavell, you’ll know who that is. There are also a couple of good viewpoints inside the park. From there, it was a short 15 minute back to the station, from there it took me less than an hour an half to get home.

Lateral view of the Miura Alps

2019 got off to a great start – I was able to manage 5 great and new hikes in the months of January. This was thanks to a combination of lack of snow and abundance of national holidays. I visited five different prefectures, working my way clockwise from Yamanashi to Shizuoka, although this was unintentional. Two were station to station hikes, whereas the others were accessed by bus, taxi and car.

Mt Ryu (1485m), Fujikawaguchiko Town, Yamanashi Prefecture, Thursday January 2

Spectacular view of Mt Fuji from near the top of Mt Ryu

I chose the Kawaguchiko area for my first hike of the year since it is said that seeing Mt Fuji at the beginning of the year brings luck. Luckily Fuji was clearly visible till the early afternoon, after which it progressively wrapped itself up in layers of clouds. I also had unfinished business there since Mt Ryu 竜ヶ岳, meaning “dragon” in Japanese, was one of the remaining peaks surrounding Mt Fuji that I had yet to climb. My trip got off to a bad start when my bus at Fujisan station failed to materialise. Despite confirming that the bus would be running, just before it was supposed to arrive there was an announcement saying that it wouldn’t be running today. Luckily there was another bus that was leaving about twenty minutes later – it would just mean a later start and later return in the evening. In any case, lesson learned: don’t count on buses around the new year holidays.

Mt Fuji as seen from the top of Mt Ryu

I finally got started around noon. First I inquired about a place where I could get a hot bath after my hike. Unfortunately, one place I enquired at didn’t accept daytrippers and another place was closed to day trippers during the new year period. The start of the hike was along a road sandwiched between the mountain and Motosu lake. Although the views of the lake to the right were beautiful, I was walking in the shade so it got pretty cold. After an hour or so I was able to get onto a path which led up the mountain through the forest. There are several ways up but my guidebook recommended this one as being particularly beautiful. It’s easy to forget that most of the area is inside the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, but this path offered a vivid reminder of the kind of beautiful nature the park was created to protect. Unfortunately, a big cloud has moved in from the South, so even though I had higher up, I was still in the shade and the freezing January cold.

The cloud looming up from behind Mt Ame

I finally reached a col with a great view of Fuji. The view from the West is probably the best because the sun sets in your back so the whole mountain is in the sun all afternoon. The path to Mt Ame (meaning Mt Rain) was to the right but my hike took me left. As I rose, the trees disappeared, the views got wider and the wind got colder. On the right was majestic Fuji, on the left the South Alps. I noted sadly that all the surrounding mountains were in the sun except mine. I finally reached the top where it was freezing cold but free of snow. I had quick lunch, snapped pictures till my fingers grew numb, and then set off down the mountain.

The 3 Shirane peaks in the South Alps

Since the path was Fuji side, there were lots of great photo opportunities. After some zigzagging I reached a small lookout, after which the path entered the forest. After some nice views of Motosu lake, I finally got back to flat ground, and followed the road back to the bus stop. Because of my late start, it had to take the very last bus of the day, dashing any hope I had stopping by an onsen. On top of that the bus was quite late – often the case in the Fuji area. There were tons of people when I got back to Kawaguchiko station, mostly tourists. I love the area but it is drawing more and more people, thus making it in a hassle to visit. On the plus side, there is a lot of English spoken and written.

Wonderful hiking overlooking Aokigahara forest

Mt Takamatsu (801m), Matsuda Town, Kanagawa Prefecture , Saturday January 5

View from the top of Mt Takamatsu (Fuji in the clouds)

I opted for something relatively easy for my second hike of the year, and although it was short, it proved very satisfactory. I took the train to Yamakita station on the Gotemba line, two stops from Matsuda station. The first part of the walk was along a road which took me past a sake brewery. A small shop opposite had some of their sake but unfortunately I couldn’t burden myself at the beginning of my hike. After an hour I got to the start of the hiking trail, which quickly rose and offered some nice views. Eventually the path entered some lovely forest. Quite soon I emerged onto a wide rounded summit of Mt Takamatsu 高松山. Sadly, Fuji to the West was in the clouds. However there were good views of the Hakone mountains, Sagami bay and the foothills of the Tanzawa mountains.

Fuji showed itself towards the end of the day

After a leisurely lunch, I headed down taking the path East towards Matsuda station. After some nice solitary forest walking, I emerged onto a small road for a short while before joining another hiking trail. I thought I was done with climbing but I was wrong – the path went up again, apparently over the top of Mt Matsuda but I never saw a summit marker. I soon reached a park with a pond famous for plum blossoms although at this time of the year there wasn’t anything going on. After the park, the path alternated between road and trail before ending at Matsuda station. It was well signposted but I did manage to make a wrong turn once. You definitely need a map or a guide to navigate this hike. Continuing past Matsuda would lead into the Soga hills which I hiked around the same time last year.

A bend in the trail lit by the late afternoon sun

Mt Inafukumi (1370m), Shimonita Town, Gunma Prefecture, Sunday January 13

Soaring above Shimonita (center) with Mt Asama (left) and Mt Myogi (right)

The first long weekend of the year combined with good weather gave me a chance to go hiking twice and use the Tokyo Wide Pass. I chose a couple of short hikes so that I wouldn’t be exhausted come Tuesday. The first hike was a Kanto 100 famous called Mt Inafukumi 稲含山. I wouldn’t normally dare to hike above one thousand meters in the middle of January but my research told me that the snow cover was minimal. I took the shinkansen to Takasaki, then the local train to Shimonita, and finally a taxi to the start of the trail. I was glad I had decided against renting a car since some parts of the road were really in a poor state. I enjoyed chatting with the taxi driver as well. There were five other cars parked at the top ensuring that I would have company.

Steps, snow and sun

It was a short climb to the top, with a thin layer of snow covering the parts in the shade. The view of the Nishi Joshu (Western Gunma) area from the summit was mind-blowing. Some people may consider 1370m as not particularly high, but after Mt Yatsugatake and Mt Arafune to the West, and Mt Asama to the North, it’s the highest mountain in the area. I had the sensation of being in a plane. To the East, nestled at the bottom of the valley, was a hidden village – according to my guidebook, one of the 100 beautiful villages of Japan.

There was a little snow but nothing troublesome

After lunch and photos, I reluctantly headed down. I took a different route but running parallel to the ascending one. At one point a did a quick there and back along a side path promising some nice views. I soon emerged back onto the road. My plan was to walk along it till I found a hiking path I knew existed and that would take me back down. However before I could leave the road, a car stopped and the driver offered to take me. I accepted since I knew that the hike down was quite long and I needed to save some energy for the following day. The driver, a local called Isamu, kindly took me by a couple of historical sites that were on the way before dropping me off at the train station. We visited a small cemetery and a residence, both linked to the family of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the ruler of Japan before Tokugawa.

My little detour at the end had some nice views

Mt Tatsuware (658m), Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Monday January 14

Lots of interesting stones on the way

The next day I set off express train for Mito station from where I drove about an hour all the way to the start of the trail. The last few hundred meters were along a narrow dirt road so I decided to park my car just before, since there was some space, instead of at the parking area. At the end of my hike I was offered a ride again which I had to decline. I don’t often get offered rides, so it was unusual for it to happen twice in a row.

Mt Tatsuware 竪破山 is another hundred famous mountain. It isn’t a long nor difficult hike but there are several interesting rock formations on the way (reminiscent of Mt Tsukuba). I quickly reached the summit where there was a lookout tower. From the top, I could see the outline of Mt Tsukuba to the West, the Nikko mountains and Mt Nasu to the North, and the Pacific ocean to the East. I noticed that the top parts of the surrounding trees had recently been cut in order to provide this view.

In the distance, the outline of Mt Tsukuba

The clouds were in again, so after a short and cold lunch, I continued my hike. I retraced my steps for a short while before continuing straight along the ridge through the forest. I encountered a Tochigi climbing group having fun one on the big boulders along the way, and we chatted for a bit. I made a short detour to see a small waterfall, and finally got back to my starting point ahead of schedule, always preferably when driving.

Shinto gate at the start of the trail

Mt Sukumo (580m), Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Sunday January 27 [Map Available]

The magnificent view of Mt Fuji and the South Alps from Mt Sukumo

I hadn’t been hiking in Shizuoka since I did the Numazu Alps in December 2016 – far too long. With cold and snowy weather finally arriving to the Kanto plain, the Izu Peninsula seemed like the perfect place to visit. It is also a very easy place to get to, thanks to the Odoriko express trains running from Tokyo station. To get to Mt Sukumo 巣雲山 I had to change to a local train in Atami and get off at Usami station. From there I could start hiking directly.

Get a Map of the Mt Sukumo Hike

This map was developed for Japanwilds with the Hokkaido Cartographer

Find more Japan Hiking Maps on Avenza

The first part is along road through the town. At one point I turned around to gaze at the view of the sea behind me and a small flatbed van stopped beside me. The driver asked me where I was going, thinking I was lost. After hearing that I was heading up Mt Sukumo, he offered to drive me up – third time in a row this has happened to me! Since it would allow me to skip some road walking up, I got in the very small passenger space next to him.

View of Usami from near my drop off point

Very soon we were zipping up narrow steep roads through mikan orchards. We didn’t slow down even when the road became a bumpy dirt road. “Luckily this is a four-wheel drive otherwise we wouldn’t be able to continue” he explained. I don’t think I would have minded walking at this stage but in any case it was a thrilling drive. Shortly after the first views appeared on the left, he stopped at a fork in the road and let me out. I thanked him profusely, and then he drove back down the mountain. Just as he disappeared from sight, I realised that because of the cramped seating, my map had fallen out of my pocket – goodbye map! Luckily I had another map on my phone. I also realised that I was already halfway up the mountain. Not a bad thing since I had left late in order to take the express train. This meant that I could take my time at the top. After taking a ton of photos of Usami town, the Pacific ocean and Oshima island, I finally started hiking up the mountain.

I love seeing the ocean from the top of a mountain!

Soon I reached a viewpoint of Mt Fuji, as well a fork in the path. I chose the higher path along Mt Daimaru. At one point I crossed the Izu Skyline. This part of the hike was very pleasant. I found out later that this the path is inside a small trip that belongs to the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. After an hour or so, I reached the very wide and flat summit where there was a concrete observation tower. The view was one of the best I had ever seen in Japan. On one side was Hakone, Mt Fuji, the South Alps, the Numazu Alps and Sagami Bay. On the other side was the Pacific ocean, the Miura peninsula and the Boso peninsula. To the South was the massive bulk of Mt Amagi. I was glad I had extra time to spend there.

The Southern part of the South Alps – I was there last year in July

I finally managed to pull myself away and slowly start descending. After a short hour I emerged onto a road that snaked down the mountain back to Usami station between mostly summer residences. I was surprised to hear a lot of loud snapping and cracking noises coming from bamboo groves. At first I thought there were monkeys but afterwards I realised that it was the bamboo itself making the noise while growing – very impressive. On the way back I had to change trains in Atami so I decided to take a hot bath at one of the numerous hot spring hotels near the station, my first onsen of the year. I really enjoyed this hike in Izu and decided that I would try and come back soon.

Bamboo forest towards the end of the hike

So 2018 has ended and I thought I would share all the day hikes I did from Tokyo over the past year, excluding those done using the shinkansen, since they are covered in the Tokyo Wide Pass updates. There were some additional hikes that required overnight stays that I hope to share eventually. I only managed about 30 hikes, about 10 less than year. Hopefully, I can make up for this in 2019 (already 5 in January so off to a good start!).

Soga Hills (highest point 328m), Odawara city, Kanagawa Prefecture, Saturday January 13

The rounded peak to the left of Mt Fuji is Mt Kintoki

I chose the Soga Hills 曽我丘陵, a hilly forested area in Western Kanagawa, stretching from the foothills of the Tanzawa mountains all the way to Sagami bay, for my first hike of the year. In theory you can hike from Shin-Matsuda all the way to Kozu. However my guidebook didn’t have any information about the first part, so I played it safe and started the hike a little further south, from Kamioi station instead. At first I had to walk along roads, then through fields with nice views of snow-capped Fuji. I saw some interesting wood piles destined for the bonfires of dondonyaki (celebrated on the 15th).

New year decorations and old charms such as Daruma heads are burned

A steep path finally brought me to “Yume no Sato” at the top of the ridge with great views of Mt Fuji and the Hakone mountains. From there it was easy walk with some slight ups and downs along countryside lanes and through lovely forest, with occasional glimpses of Mt Fuji to the West and the Tanzawa mountains to my back, in the North.

The Tanzawa mountains – the pyramid one on the very left is Mt Oyama

Finally Sagami bay came in view – I could spot the faint outline of Oshima island to the South and the hills of the Boso peninsula to the East. After reaching an area full of plum tree orchards, I started to descend along a road with good views of Odawara town, the Izu peninsula and the ocean. The path is well-sign posted with several detailed information boards, and I was lucky to find a good onsen about 1.5km West of Kozu station.

The sea and, in the far distance, the Chiba coastline

Mt Karasawa (249m), Mt Suwa (324m) and Mt Mikamo (229m), Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture, Sunday January 21

The final stretch before Karasawa shrine lined with banners

One area I discovered in 2017, and continued to explore in 2018, is the mountainous Southern part of Gunma and Tochigi prefectures, jutting into the Kanto plain from the North, and consisting of Kiryu, Ashikaga, Sano and Tochigi cities. It combines countless low hills with fairly good access from train stations.

Getting to the start of the hike required a little bit of road walking (I saw a couple of emus inside an enclosure on the way!) Once you start up the mountain, the scenery was surprisingly beautiful and wild. Near the top of Mt Karasawa 唐沢山 there is the Karasawa Shrine with its many (real) cats. The hike over to Mt Suwa 諏訪山 is also very pleasant – nice surrounding forest with lots of pine trees and good views of the valley.

Views of Southern Tochigi

Since it’s really quite a short hike, I decided to do one more mountain – Mt Mikamo 三毳山 just south of the Ryomo train line and a Kanto 100 famous mountain. I got the bus driver to drop me off at the nearest point and I quickly went up and down this relatively low mountain inside Mikamoyama park, making it down just after sunset.

Boshu Alps (highest point 268m), Boso Peninsula, Chiba Prefecture, Sunday February 4

Kagutsuchi Shrine, a mysterious place a little off the main trail

I had been wanting to hike the the Boshu Alps 房州アルプス , the hilly area East of Mt Nokogiri, for a while, but unfortunately, there is no public transport to the start, and a round trip wasn’t feasible because the last bus at the end was too early. After I had hurt my knee in 2017 (not while hiking), I had decided that I should do all the hikes I really wanted to do regardless of cost (within reason), so I coughed up the money for a taxi from Kazusa Minato station.

Since it’s a fairly short hike, and to save money, I asked to be dropped off at the base of the hills. However, the taxi driver took me all the way up to where the trail actually starts. Lesson learned – on subsequent taxi rides I always made sure to check our position using the GPS on my phone so I could tell the driver where to stop exactly.

My taxi drop-off point and official start of the Boshu Alps hiking trail

This was my only hike of the year in Chiba – a shame since the area is very pittoresque with its rolling green hills. The end, however, was a bit of a disaster – I couldn’t find the last part of the trail going down and, after some lost time, ended up descending via the same route as when I did my last hike in the area in 2017. In fact, I also got somewhat lost on that hike as well – the area could use some better signposting because apart from those confusing bits, it’s a wonderful and easy place to hike in the winter.

Mt Gyodo 442m, Mt Ryogai 248m, Mt Oiwa, 417m Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, Sat February 24

The urban sprawl of Ashikaga city

February 2021 – due to a forest fire, access to the hiking trail to Mt Gyodo is forbidden. Please check the Ashikaga City website for updates.

The best thing about hiking Mt Gyodou 行道山, apart from the views of the hills of Southern Tochigi, is that it starts at Ashikaga Orihime Shrine, passes through the ruins of Ashikaga Mountain castle, and finishes at Gyodosan-join temple, so I was able to include some cultural sightseeing with my hiking (there are signs with English explanations). I choose to walk to the start of the trail, instead of taking a taxi, and saw several interesting sights inside Ashikaga city, and some plum blossoms as well.

As you go further in, the city gives way to countryside

All the spots are very photogenic, and the trail in between, is rocky and alpine-like despite the low altitude. It’s a popular hiking area so I saw (and chatted) with lots of people, especially in the first section. The last part I was all by myself. I can’t think of a better hike to do in the middle of winter.

Steps leading up to Orihime shrine

Mt Amamaki (533m), Mt Takamine (520m) & Mt Bucho (431m), Kasama city, Ibaraki prefecture, Saturday March 3

The hills of Ibaraki prefecture to the South

This one required yet another taxi ride to the start of the trail. As I was starting to discover, Japanese taxi drivers can be very chatty, so I was getting some Japanese practice for the same price. I had originally spotted these 3 mountains when I had hiked from Mt Atago to Mt Wagakuni, South of the Mito line, in 2017. This was my first hike of the year to Ibaraki prefecture, another area I am slowly discovering, although all 3 mountains are on the border with Tochigi prefecture.

I enjoyed the start of the trail very much. It went through some nice forest and it was already quite warm in the beginning of the March. After reaching the top ridge I went left to the top of Mt Amamaki 雨巻山 with views of Tochigi prefecture to the East. I passed an observation tower on the way with good views to the South with Mt Tsukuba in the distance. There are other hiking trails up and down this mountain and it would make a good day hike by itself.

The hills of Tochigi prefecture to the North

I then retraced my steps and headed down the mountain and followed a road for a bit, still icy in some parts. I finally found the small path that led to the top of Mt Takamine, where there was a launching spot for paragliders and a fantastic panorama. I think this is about the 7th such spot that I’ve come upon while hiking – I hadn’t realised that it was such a popular spot in Japan! I continued through forest with good views of Tochigi to the North, to the last of the 3 summits, Mt Buccho 仏頂山, surrounded by trees. After descending, I walked through fields and villages all the way back to the train station.

Mt Kurakake (492m), Kanuma city, Tochigi Prefecture, Sunday April 8

The ragged ridgeline of Mt Kogashi

Mt Kurakake 鞍掛山 is situated in a small hilly area located between Utsunomiya and Nikko cities. I used a taxi for the approach but asked to be dropped off at Akagawa lake, the starting point of neighbouring Mt Kogashi (climbed in 2017), so that I could walk the last part along small roads to the trailhead. I kind of regretted that decision because no sooner had I set out that in started snowing – yes, snowing in April! It didn’t last but I had to take refuge under some trees at one point. The area is not particularly high but it seems that the cold front had just moved in – it was quite cold for a while after that.

View of Mt Takahara to the North (Mt Tsukuba can be see to the West)

The hike starts past a “torii” or a Shinto gate, then separates into two routes which form a loop. I took the “iwa kosu” or rock route up – it ascends quite steeply at one point – there is a rope to prevent a nasty fall. The top is rather unremarkable, but I noticed that there is a connecting path to Mt Kogashi, something to try in the future. There is a good view further along at “oiwa” (big rock). I returned via the “one kosu” or ridge route, and made my way down back to the “torii”. I finished the hike along small roads all the way to a small town where there was an interesting hot spring – not a resort or a hotel, just a small building inside a park, where one can pay a small fee to use the hot spring bath.

Mt Mitsumine (605m), Tochigi City, Tochigi Prefecture, Sunday April 22

Ryuo Gorge & Mt Nandaira (1016m), Kawaji Onsen, Tochigi Prefecture, Sunday May 20

The Kinu river at the Ryuo gorge

Here is one more hike that was on my to-do list – ever since I first stayed overnight at Kinugawa onsen in 2010. At the time, I made it to Ryuo gorge, only 2 train stops away from the hot spring resort, but too late in the day to do any hiking. This time, not only was I early enough, I was also surprised how few people there were on this gorgeous May day. I saw only a handful of people while walking along the river gorge, and no one during my ascent and descent of Mt Nandaira 南平山.

Another river view along the hike

The gorge part is fantastic – mostly flat and with lots of scenic views up and down the valley. Although the top of Mt Nandaira doesn’t have a view, the path – up and down the same way – is well-maintained and very pleasant to walk on. Some people may turn their noses up at such a hike but I found it oddly satisfying. The hike ended at Kawaji Onsen, where there was a nice little hot spring near the river.

Kawaji Onsen, a hot spring resort next to the river

Mt Kanomata (1637m) & Tanbara marshland, Numata city, Gunma prefecture, Saturday May 26

Tanbara from Mt Kanomata through the late May haze

I was lucky enough to get a lift to the trailhead from occasional hiking partner Isobel who has a second house in nearby Minakami. Otherwise it’s possible to get there by bus from Numata station but you will need to leave Tokyo with the first trains. Tanbara marshland 玉原湿原 was a real discovery for me: I hadn’t imagined that a place with such beautiful nature existed within the confines of the Kanto plain, literally at the feet of Mt Hotaka.

Most of the hike is through beautiful forest on an elevated plateau through the center of which runs a bubbling brook. The area is home to a ski resort in the winter so at one point we walked under a stopped chairlift. The skies were hazy so unfortunately the views of Gunma prefecture to the West were somewhat muted. The hike to the top of Mt Kanomata 鹿俣山 is relatively short and easy with little altitude gain. On the return we extended the hike to the West towards Mt Amagahage 尼ヶ禿 (1466m).

Forest walking around Tanbara marshland

Mt Wanakura (2036m), Koshu & Chichibu cities, Yamanashi & Saitama prefectures Saturday June 2

Soaring above Chichibu – the summit of Mt Wanakura

This mountain – a two-hundred famous mountain called Mt Wanakura 和名山 on the Saitama side and Mt Shiroishi 白石山 on the Yamanashi side – was on my bucket list for a long time, and it felt good to check it off. The reason I kept putting it off, is that it seemed impossible to do without an overnight stay on the mountain. In the end I forked out some money for the taxi ride from Enzan station to the trailhead on the Yamanashi side, which enabled to do the traverse over to the Saitama side in one long day.

Looking back towards Yamanashi and Mt Kobushi and Mt Kentoku

The climb up was nice (lots of larch trees) but the ridge section from the Saitama border to the summit was definitely worth it – stunning scenery, sweeping views and relatively easy hiking at around 2000m high. The views were easily some of the best I had ever seen of the central part of the Chichibu mountains. The summit completely surrounded by trees was a slight disappointment and the steep and rocky descent down into Chichibu was pretty tough – no wonder most people stay in a hut on the Yamanashi side and do it as a roundtrip only.

The vastness of the Okuchichibu mountains

There is a great suspension bridge at the very end, that enables one to cross Chichibu lake. I was waiting for the bus at the other end but it was very late so I was picked up by a couple of guys who had also climbed the same mountain but up and down the path I had found so terrible – quite a punishing climb and descent with no view at the end! They kindly me dropped me off at an onsen where I take a bath and catch a bus back.

On the long suspension bridge spanning Chichibu lake

Mt Nijurokuya (971m) & Mt Takahata (982m), Uenohara, Yamanashi Prefecture, Sunday June 17

A misty climb can also be beautiful

The rainy season was in full swing but I decided to try my luck, and although it didn’t rain, I was nearly always in the mist – apparently it was sunny just 500m higher up! However I didn’t mind since with little wind, the conditions were quite pleasant and the surroundings atmospheric. I got to see some interesting spiderwebs and beetles, some beautiful alpine-like forest, and only encountered one other small group during the entire hike. I look forward to redoing this hike in clear weather so that I can enjoy the views.

The top of Mt Nijurokuya 二十六夜山 was quite unremarkable, a short there and back from the main trail. Supposedly you can see Mt Fuji from the top of Mt Takahata 高畑山 but the weather hadn’t improved enough by the time I got there. While hiking between the two peaks, you can catch a glimpse of the JR maglev station in the valley on the left. The final descent follows a pretty river valley which I had already walked up when climbing Mt Kuratake a few years ago. A bus ride from Uenohara is needed to get to the start of the hike. However it finishes on the Chuo line which you can ride direct back. It is by far one of the easiest Yamanashi hikes you can do from Tokyo.

A misty ridge

Mt Kesamaru (1908m), Watarase Valley, Gunma prefecture, Sunday June 24

Glimpses of the other Kesamaru ridge

Mt Kesamaru 袈裟丸山 was another headache in terms of logistics. In the end I opted for a taxi ride for from Akagi station which in hindsight was a mistake. The ride was more expensive that I had estimated, and the road, which had been redone recently, was in far better state that I had imagined – renting a car from Takasaki would have been better overall.

From the taxi drop-off point, it was another couple of hours of road hiking to reach the trail entrance. From there, the hike was fairly amazing – beautiful forest and breathtaking views of the Watarase valley. Mt Kesamaru has actually two peaks “front” and “back”. I climbed the back one, hoping to be able to cross to the front one, and make a loop back down. Unfortunately the connection between the two was closed due to trail degradation and I didn’t dare venture onto to the crumbly ridge by myself – it will have to tackle the front part separately another time. So after gazing at the view Eastwards towards Tochigi prefecture, Westwards towards Mt Akagi, I headed down the same way.

Five months later I would be hiking the mountains directly opposite

During the descent, I realised that I had miscalculated the timing of this hike and that due to the low frequency of trains on the Watarase line, there was a chance that I wouldn’t make it back to Tokyo Sunday night. So I hitchhiked, and was picked up by a kind couple who dropped me off at my request, not at the closest station, but two stations further down at Mizunuma 水沼, because it has an onsen inside the station.

Mt Hangetsu (1753m), Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, Monday September 17

The classic view of lake Chuzenji and Mt Nantai

Mt Hangetsu 半月, meaning half moon in Japanese, is located on the Southern shore of Chuzenji lake in upper Nikko. Although I had observed the mountain ridge there multiples times and from different angles, I had so far never ventured to the area. I cheated a little and took the very short ropeway from the top of the iroha slope. I was mostly alone on my hike till I reached the car park a little below the summit with spectacular views of the lake and Mt Nantai – apparently there is a bus that runs all the way there too.

After reaching the summit, that I shared with several people, I made my way back to the bus stop at Chuzenji lake along the lakeshore – a nice and easy stroll. Unfortunately the Prince Hotel was closed for renovation so I had to scramble to find another hot spring for day trippers, before catching a bus back. September is actually a great time to visit the area since most hikers flock to the Alps and don’t flood the area till the autumn leaves start appearing in October.

The Kegon falls as viewed from the top of the ropeway

Mt Senjin (663m) & Mt Akayuki (621m), Ashikaga city, Tochigi prefecture, Sunday November 18

View of Matsuda lake

Another Ashikaga hike – the station is starting to feel familiar. Due to poor bus connections, a taxi ride was required to the start of the trail – I used my phone’s GPS to pinpoint the exact drop off point. The start of the hike was unexpectedly beautiful – up a steep river valley. The lovely path suddenly became a steep switchback bringing me to the top of the ridge. I did a quick round trip to the right in order to get to a nice viewpoint of a lake and surrounding mountains. The surrounding vegetation was quite alpine-like which was surprising considering the relatively low altitude. I then made my way up to the top of Mt Senjin 山人ヶ岳 (no view).

My plan was to circle Matsuda lake till Mt Mt Akayui 赤雪山 and then descend towards Matsudagawa dam. The path was slightly longer than I had anticipated with a certain amount of ups and downs – a good workout! I met no other hikers. It was getting “girigiri” to catch my bus back so after reaching the “azumaya” at the top of Mt Akayuki (I left a message in the notebook in the “azumaya”) I took the shortest route down down and sorely regretted it.

My guidetalk had mentioned some fallen trees due to a past typhoon but nothing could prepare me for the mess I encountered. I was forced to leave the main path and find my own way through the forest. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, I encountered a real barrage of fallen trees – I had never seen anything like it. They should seriously close off the path. After finding my way round and getting tangled in brambles, I finally emerged at the dam way behind schedule. Luckily, the first car that came by stopped to pick me up, and kindly dropped me off at the nearest train station.

Route barred on the descent!

Mt Nyukasa (1955m), South Alps, Nagano prefecture, Friday November 23

I froze my fingers to take this picture of Yatsugatake!

When I am not busy climbing 100 famous mountains, I like to climb Kanto hundred famous mountains and 200 / 300 famous mountains in the Tokyo area. Mt Nyukasa 入笠 is a 200 famous mountain in Nagano prefecture, located at the northern tip of the South Alps. It’s a little far from Tokyo – I had to go all the way to Fujimi station on the Chuo line, and then take a taxi to the trailhead.

The climb to the top is relatively short and easy, but the views of Mt Yatsugatake opposite were breathtaking. There were also good view of Mt Fuji, Lake Suwa and the South Alps. It was definitely freezing there so I quickly made my way down the other side, and continued towards the Oahara marshland 大阿原湿原. Quite a nice place, it strongly reminded me of my native Belgium. I had originally planned to do a simple loop but halfway I found a path following a small stream.

A view that could easily be easily be the “haute fagnes”

The signboard nearby indicated – without any times – that it was possible to loop back to my starting point, so I decided to take a chance and follow this new route. I was rewarded by a very pretty river valley. It was mostly in the shade in winter, but I could imagine that in the summer it would be bathed by soft sunshine – a place to revisit. I emerged onto a dirt road but quickly left it to follow a small path up to the top of a ridge with great views of the central alps. Eventually I emerged back at the base of Mt Nyukasa. I still wasn’t done, since I had to walk all the way down the mountain. Luckily there was an onsen which I could stop by before hopping on to the train back to Tokyo.

View toward the Ida area of Nagano prefecture

Mt Narukami (980m), Kiryu city, Gunma Prefecture, Sunday November 25

Pure Tochigi – endless mountains

The attraction for this hike are the 360 degrees panoramic views of Southern Tochigi from the top. After what seemed like an endless ascent, popping out of the trees onto the bareless top was quite a relief. Afterwards I continued on a little hiked path towards the North, all the way to Watarase valley, with good views of Mt Nantai and Kusagi dam. A word of caution: the trail was difficult to follow at times and had a lot of ups and downs (when I say a lot, I mean a lot). It’s also a very solitary hike – I only met two runners going in the opposite direction.

A rewarding view after a tough hike

Unfortunately I ended up taking longer than expected and missed the bus for the onsen at the end of the trail. Fortunately I was able to hitchhike to Mizunuma station, where there is an onsen right inside the station. Pretty handy since trains only run once an hour or so.

Kobugahara (1144m) & Mt Yokone (1373), Kanuma city, Tochigi Prefecture, Sunday December 2

This was another great discovery, tucked away in the heart of Tochigi prefecture. I had never heard of it till I stumbled across it in my hiking book (however my Japanese friends knew about it). The top part of the mountain is part farm and part wetlands – an interesting contrast scenery. The most amazing view however was of the view of Mt Nantai and Mt Nyoho – quite unexpected to see them appear above farmland.

Magical view of the high peaks of okunikko

I was so taken by the views that I had to rush going back to catch the bus – I didn’t want to miss it twice in a row! I took a different route down that I was recommended for people with “healthy legs” only. However it was much longer than I had calculated and only managed to catch the bus by doing a 100 meter dash down the last part which was along the road!

Ido Marshland, another hidden secret of Tochigi Prefecture

Mt Shigasakasuwa (1207m), Chichibu mountains, Saitama prefecture, Tuesday December 25

View towards Gunma prefecture

This was a rather short hike motivated by the discovery of a new shared car station in Chichibu station – I absolutely had to try it out! Plus I really enjoy visiting the Chichibu area so this Christmas day hilke was a no-brainer. After a one-hour drive, I reached the small parking area I was the only car – not surprising since the 25th is not a national holiday in Japan.

After a short climb, I reached the top of Mt Shigasakasuwa 志賀坂諏訪山 – the view was OK but not spectacular, not as good as my guidebook has led me to believe. Mt Ryokami was towards against the sun so perhaps it’s better earlier in the day. I opted for a different route down. The beginning was quite pleasant but the lower part was a bit too rocky for my taste. However, I was happy to get some nice views towards the Gunma side, including the top of Mt Asama. On the way back, I stopped at a nice ryokan that allows day trippers to take baths.

Mt Ryokami against the sun

Mt Bonomine (969m) & Mt Arima (1213m), Okutama / Chichibu mountains, Tokyo & Saitama prefectures, in December, Sunday December 30

Last view of Fuji of the year!

My last hike of 2018 was quite difficult but that’s alright since I wanted to challenge myself. I went up Mt Bonomine 棒ノ峰 from the Tokyo side – my 4th time climbing this wonderful mountain, but first time from this side – then hiked west up and down (mostly up though) along the ridge before turning sharply north at Hinatazawa (good view of Mt Fuji) into Saitama prefecture. More up and downs (7 in total) brought me to the unremarkable summit of Mt Arima 有間山, surrounded by trees.

View of Naguri lake from Arima pass

After I left the summit, the trees completely disappeared on the North side giving you sweeping views of the Chichibu area with Mt Ryokami throning in the background. To the South, I could still get occasional glimpses of the Tokyo megalopolis in the distance among the trees. The two contrasting views are really made this part of the hike wonderful. I finished the hike on the Chichibu side, close to lake Urayama side, just on time to make the minibus back to Chichibu city. On the way I was lucky enough to spot some monkeys crossing the road –  a nice way to finish the year!

Last views of 2018 with Mt Ryokami in the back

Although I prefer to go on day trips as much as possible, I do enjoy staying the night of December 31st in a mountain hut and taking part in the Japanese tradition of “hatsuhinode” (初日の出) or seeing the first sunrise of the year on the 1st of January. There is something magical about spending the last hours of the old year and the first hours of the new year near the top of a mountain. In addition to the special year end food and drinks, seeing a beautiful sunrise is a great way to start the new year. The weather is usually excellent in this season, despite being cold, so you can also get in two days of solid hiking.

Here are three places which I recommend for doing hatsuhinode, with their pros and cons:

Hirugadake Lodge 1673m (Kanagawa)

Hirugadake sansou (蛭ヶ岳山荘) sits on top of Mt Hiru (蛭ヶ岳), the highest point of the the Tanzawa mountain range in Kanagawa prefecture, South of Tokyo. It is the hut that has the longest and toughest access, in terms of hiking time and elevation gain.

PROS: Less crowded than other huts, great view of Mt Fuji and night view of Tokyo, summit is just next to the hut

CONS: Early bedtime curfew (around 8pm), not much in terms of New Year celebrations, small snow layer possible

ACCESS: Take the Odakyu line from Shinjuku station to Shibusawa station. There are many buses that can take you to Okura (大倉), the trailhead for for Mt Tonodake, Mt Tanzawa and Mt Hiru (the first two also have lodges open over the New Year period).

Kumotori lodge around 1950m, Tokyo

Kumotori Lodge (雲取山荘) is located below the triangular summit of Mt Kumotori 2017m (雲取山), the highest mountain of Tokyo prefecture. It is the highest and largest of the 3 huts with a capacity of around 200 people.

PROS: “Amazake” (sweet sake) on the evening of the 31st, lively atmosphere and countdown at midnight, relatively comfortable lodge

CONS: Crowded on December 31st, summit is 30 minute from the lodge, some snow possible

ACCESS: If possible try to catch the direct train from Shinjuku station that goes all the way to Okutama station, otherwise you’ll need to transfer once in Ome. From there, it’s a 35 minute bus ride to Torizawa 鳥沢, the start of the trailhead for Mt Kumotori.

Nabewari Lodge 1272m, Kanagawa

Nabewari Lodge (鍋割山荘) is also located in the Tanzawa mountain range, near the top of Mt Nabewari (鍋割) overlooking Sagami Bay. It’s one of the friendliest lodges that I have ever stayed at during my time in Japan. It also has the shortest hiking time of the three.

PROS: “Zouni” (Japanese new year dish) and sake on the morning of the 1st, great view of Mt Fuji, summit is right next to the hut

CONS: The hike down is relatively short, located on a ridge so doesn’t feel like being on the top of a mountain

ACCESS: Same as for Mt Hiru, you’ll need to take the Odakyu line from Shinjuku station to Shibusawa station, and catch the bus for Okura (大倉). However, instead of going straight up, take the path that goes left.

Before you go, there are 3 things you should do before.

First get a map of the mountain so that you can plan your hiking route carefully.

Secondly, call the hut to make a reservation and ask about the trail conditions.

Finally, check the weather before your departure. Although the weather is usually stable around this time of the year, bad weather can always happen.

In any case, be sure to bring warm clothes because it will be very cold while waiting for the first sunrise on the 1st of January 2019!