Mount Tanzawa, Kanagawa, Japan

hikesasia

Jan 31

Written By Anne

Mt. Tanzawa is one of Japan’s 100 famous mountains, offering views of Mt. Fuji on clear days. I chose this hike for the challenge and left my accommodation at 5:30 AM, taking an early train and bus to the trailhead. I arrived around 8 AM, filled out the hiking registration, and set off.

My first stop was Mt. Tonodake (1,491m). The trail was well-maintained with resting huts, though they were closed for the off-season. Some sections were steep, but I found the climb manageable at my pace. I reached Mt. Tonodake in 2 hours and 15 minutes, took a short break to admire Mt. Fuji, then continued toward Mt. Tanzawa.

The 2.75 km stretch to Mt. Tanzawa (1,567m) had some snow and muddy trails due to winter conditions. The views of Mt. Fuji along the way were stunning, but the summit itself offered little scenery apart from the peak marker.

Instead of continuing to Mt. Hirugatake (1,673m), I turned back toward Mt. Tonodake and then hiked another 3 km to Mt. Nabewari. I had heard you could get nabe (hot pot) at the hut there, but since it was my last stop of the day, I knew I’d likely miss it—and sure enough, the hut was already closed when I arrived. The highlight of this section was the incredible view of Mt. Fuji directly ahead.

I didn’t stay long and started my descent. Some sections had 40% slopes, making it a tough and slow trek down. The trail eventually leveled out into a forested area and then a forest road, leading 6 km back to the bus stop. The entire hike took about 8 hours with breaks, and despite the challenging descent, I had a great time.