Although the rainy season had already started, the weather stayed good all day. I took a bus from Tsurushi station on the Fujikyu line, all the way to the Michizaka Zuido Iriguchi bus stop. From there, it was a steep but short climb to the top of Mt Imakura (今倉山), completely surrounded by trees, although I had some glimpses of Mt Fuji on the way up. I then headed west along the ridgeline, descending steeply at first.
The hike ends in the Valley below
There were some great views of Mt Fuji and the surrounding mountains from Akaiwa (赤岩) and Mt Nijurokuya (二十六や山). After that last peak, the path curved to the north. I headed downhill first through forest, then through pleasant countryside, finally arriving at Tsuki-machi no Yu hot spring. After a refreshing soak in the outdoor bath, I made my way to the nearby basho-tsukimachinoyu bus stop for the short ride back to Tsurushi station.
A good hike for “fuji spotting” – Mt Shakushi is on the right
A hike on a hidden mountain in the middle of the Boso peninsula, I even had trouble finding it again on the map while writing this post. This time, I took a bus from Kisarazu station, then hiked along a small road, through a hamlet with many cats, and finally reached the start of the trail: log steps heading up the side of the hill. At the top, I admired the views of Mt Kano to the North, before continuing southwards. The views of central Chiba aren’t really all that amazing, but I find the sight of green rolling hills in all directions very impressive.
Rock Tunnel near the Takago Kannon
Walking the Hachirozuka Trail
It was a fairly easy hike with occasional views; the rocky top of Mt Takago (高宕山 たかごやま takagoyama), a Kanto 100 famous mountain, is the highest point in the area, with a sea of trees spreading in nearly every direction. At one point, hungry for more views, I extended the hike by doing a short there and back along a lonely ridge. After returning to the main trail, I made my way down, running and walking since it was getting late, and ended up at a bus stop in the middle of the countryside, not far from Lake Mishima, after a very satisfying seven-hour hike.
This is a good hike to do in the winter since Chiba usually gets less snow and the temperatures are milder. It’s also relatively short so it can be combined with another mountain in the area, like Mt Tomi. I’d recommend using a car for this hike since there is no suitable bus to the trailhead. There is also a convenient parking lot near the start of the trail, in front of Koshoji Temple 高照寺.
First views of Minamiboso at the start of the hike
It takes about an hour to get to the top of Mt Goten 御殿山. Following the ridgeline, the trail goes past Mt Takatori 鷹取山, and ends at Mt Dainichi 大日山 one hour away. Although the trail is mostly through the forest, there are good views of Mt Tomi and Tokyo Bay from each peak. One might even see Mt Fuji on a very clear day. Although the path continues Southwards down to a road, there is no public transport, so the return is back the same way. It should take a little less than 2 hours to get back to the parking area along the up and down trail.
If you want to have spectacular views of Mt Fuji, I recommend hiking the peaks surrounding Japan’s most famous volcano in December or January, when the weather is clear, and the most mountains are still snow-free. Considering the time and effort it takes to get to the area, it would be a shame to miss out on the spectacular views, which are some of the best in Japan.
Ridgewalking involves some ups and downs
The start of the trail is next to Iyashi no Sato いやしの里 near Lake Saiko, about forty minutes away by bus from Kawaguchiko station (it can take longer due to traffic). It takes one hour along an unused road to reach the entrance of the hiking trail, and from there it’s another hour of steep climbing to the top of Mt Ou 王ヶ岳 (“King mountain”). The reward for this effort is a wide view of Mt Fuji with Aokigahara Forest spread out at its feet.
The Tenshi Mountains to the South
Following the trail to the right, the next part is an enjoyable hike along a narrow ridgeline, past Mt Kagikake (1589) 鍵掛山, and all the way to Mt Oni 鬼ヶ岳 (“Demon mountain”) about two hours away. It’s best to factor in more time for this part since there are many spectacular views on the way: Mt Fuji, the Misaka mountains, the Tenshi Mountains, the Minami Alps, Yatsugatake, the Kofu valley, Oku-Chichibu mountains, and Kawaguchiko city with its lake.
Minami Alps (left), Yatsugatake (right) and Mt Kasuga (front right)
From the summit, the path back down is to the right (South) towards Mt Settou (1710m) 雪頭ヶ岳 (not to be confused with nearby Mt Settou 節刀ヶ岳). After this last peak and final views, the trail heads steeply down the mountain through the forest, and ends back at Iyashi no Sato 90 minutes later, where one can catch a bus back to Kawaguchiko station.
I had first climbed this mountain in early December 2009; I went up the Hinata-oya route on a beautiful autumn day and enjoyed some great views from the peak. In May 2014, I was invited by a friend to climb it again using the Shiroisazu route. We obtained permission in advance to use this trail, as it goes through private land; however, this time the weather was poor, and we turned back before reaching the exposed, rocky summit. I decided to give it another try the following year, but I wanted to try a different route. Looking at my map, I saw that by walking two hours along a small road, I could traverse from Hatcho Pass to Hinata-oya. The weather was supposed to be good all day, perfect for a long hike along a rocky ridgeline. It would be a success as long as I managed to catch the last bus back from Hinata-oya. I was looking forward to reaching the top for a second time and getting some great views of the Oku-chichibu area.
On a sunny spring morning, I rode the limited express from Ikebukuro to Seibu-Chichibu station, where I switched to the bus for Nakatsugawa. I got off a few stops before the end of the line and, after passing through a short tunnel, followed a road up a green valley next to a small river. Directly ahead, I could see rocky cliffs forming the summit of Mt Akaiwa (赤岩岳).
The ruins of the Nichitsu mine village
Mt Akaiwa from the approach to Hatcho pass
An hour after setting out, I passed the spooky, abandoned houses of the Nichitsu mine village (日窒鉱山), one of the many “haikyo” or urban ruin spots in Japan. I had heard about it before and was glad I had an opportunity to check it out in person. I found the start of the trail at a bend in the road and, just past noon, reached the top of Hactcho pass (八丁峠) and the start of the Hatcho Ridge route (八丁尾根コース).
First views from Hatcho ridge
The big dip between the Nishi and Higashi peaks
Before long, I was getting some fantastic views: northwards, I could see Nishi-joshu, the mountainous area of western Gunma; southwards I was looking at the highest peaks of the Chichibu-Tama-Kai national park; to the west was Yatsugatake, still covered in snow; straight ahead lay the impressive Hatcho ridgeline, leading to the summit. At 1h30, I reached the top of Nishi-dake (西岳 1613m).
Looking north towards the Nishi-Joshu area of Gunma
The steep climb up Nishi-dake, the rocky sections fitted with chains
From here, the trail made an huge dip and then rose again, passing numerous steep rocky sections, fitted with chains for safety. Since it was a long hike, I tried to keep a good pace and was lucky that there were few people on the same route that day. A little before 2h30, I reached the top of Higashi-dake (東岳 1660m), only slightly higher than the previous peak, but demanding quite an effort.
Northwest, Yatsugatake and Asamayama visible in the distance
Looking back at the route hiked so far
Looking north, was like seeing the view from a plane: I could look down on the the rocky summit ridge of Mt Futago half a kilometer below; looking east was the pyramid top of Mt Buko, with Chichibu city spread out at its feet; looking up was blue sky, not a cloud in sight. Even though the elevation was only half of the highest peaks of the Japanese Alps, it felt like alpine trekking, an impression reinforced by the steep rocky slopes covered in pine trees.
A bird’s eye view from the top of Higashi-dake
The striking shape of Mt Daikigi
I took a break on the single bench placed on the narrow summit, and enjoyed the view of the nearby, pillar-shaped Daikigi (大キギ). I soon set off again, and at 3pm, I was standing on the top of Mt Ryokami (両神山 りょうかみさん ryokami-san), a 100 famous mountain of Japan. I was happy to be standing on the top again, and with better weather than the first time round.
On the left, the mountains of Okutama
Westward view from the top of Mt Ryokami
From the summit, I now had great views to the south, including the massive Mt Wanakura; in the opposite direction, I could see the faint outline of Mt Asama, 50 kilometers away; much closer to me was the long ridgeline that had taken nearly 3 hours to traverse. I wanted to enjoy the views some more but I had to move on right away if I wanted to catch my bus.
It was the perfect weather for this hike
A photo of the private shiroisazu route from the previous year
I descended the mountain at a swift pace along the familiar route and arrived at the bus stop a little after 5pm, just as the valley was being engulfed in shadows. I sat down on the bus seat, tired but relieved, and got off at the nearby Yakushi no yu hot spring for a quick bath. Refreshed, I then caught the last bus for Seibu-Chichibu station where I hopped on the limited express for the 80 minute ride back to Ikebukuro.
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