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Mt. Kobotoke-Shiroyama 小仏城山 – Sagamiko Station 相模湖駅
Distance: 11.4 km
Elevation change: 409 metres
Highest point: 670 metres
Start: Takaosanguchi Station (Keio Takao Line)
Finish: Sagamiko Station (Chuo Main Line)
Difficulty: ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ❷
Map: Yama to Kogen Chizu 山と高原地図 ［No.29 高尾・陣馬 TAKAO·JINBA］
GPX TrackKML TrackGSI MAPPDF Topo Map
Trudging Through Records Snow Falls to Mt. Takao
Mount Takao 高尾山 or as otherwise colloquially known as Takao-san is a popular recreational retreat on the outskirts of Tokyo and only a short 20-minute train ride from my neck of the woods. The hike can be easily accessed from Shinjuku Station by Special Express 特急 tokkyu, 39 minutes on the Keio Line or taking the Chuo Line to Takao Station and transferring for one station. Unlike weekends, which are absurdly busy, hitting the trails on a wintery Thursday morning seemed like a good plan. With Tokyo recording 4-6 cm of snow over the weekend – the heaviest snowfall in seven years I was keen to see how the trail held up. Though Mt. Takao is only 599 metres high, I was pleasantly surprised to find it had indeed received a good dumping of snow cover. There are no fewer than seven different approaches to the summit with the easiest being a leisurely 5 minute funicular or ropeway ride halfway up the mountain. The slightly more adventurous trail on which I embarked was the Inariyama Trail 稲荷山コース which takes around 90 minutes to the top.
The goal for this hike was to sidestep the summit in favour of glimpsing a view of Mount Fuji and heading to Mt. Kobotoke-Shiroyama 小仏城山 (670 m) for lunch and finishing at Sagamiko Station on the Chuo Main Line.
The beginning of the trail didn’t present much snow as it traversed a scenic ridge line along a southerly aspect, though as elevation was gained and the trail switched back more westerly, the snow line became evident. For many hikers, this meant fastening their crampons for extra stability – something to consider investing in if you prefer to spend more time on your feet. Halfway up, there is a good rest stop and a good view out over Hachioji City and on a clear day, it is possible to see the Tokyo Skytree. Before approaching the summit of Mt. Takao, I took the trail, which veers off towards Mt. Kobotoke-Shiroyama (2.5 km). As most hikers head up to Mt. Takao, this part of the hike tends to handle less foot traffic.
The snow cover on Mt. Shiroyama was pretty significant and made for an impressive lunch spot. The final part of the hike heads down to Sagamiko Station along the Tokai Nature Trail 東海自然歩道 which is actually the starting point of a 1,697-kilometre long-distance walk winding up in Osaka Prefecture. This section is pretty isolated, and I didn’t pass any other hikers. At the trailhead there is an option of catching a bus back to Sagamiko Station along National Route 20, but as it runs infrequently, I usually prefer to stretch out the legs for the final 2 km.
How long did it take to hike from the top of Mount Takao to the bottom of Mt. Kobotoke-Shiroyama (before walking to Sagamiko station)?
From the top of Mt. Takao across to Mt. Kobotoke-Shiroyama takes around 60 minutes and a further 40 minutes to reach the road at the bottom (bus stop).
Once you have descended from Mt Shiroyama and have reached Route 20, you can also continue south and cross over two bridges (follow the small signs to the bridge). This is a little more scenic. You will pass by an area with some feral cats and sometimes some chickens. Cross back over the river at the bridge after the dam, and continue back to Sagamiko station.
I take it the first bridge you mean is Benten Bridge 弁天橋 (over the Sagami River) and then cross back over the river on Route 412 back to Sagamiko Station. It sounds like a great idea. Along with being more scenic it would be appear to be a short cut back to Sagamiko Station.
Yes that’s it. Follow the small signs for 弁天橋, descending down towards the river. At the feral cat place, you will find a path leading up and close to the river. Take this, cross the second bridge, and then there is a steep walk up the opposite bank. You will see a sign at the top, pointing right, towards Sagamiko station. Follow the road next to the river and cross the bridge after the dam. Here, you will see steps rising away from the road. Take these, turning right at the top (there is another small signpost for the station) and you will soon be at Sagamiko Eki
I just made this very nice hike , thank you for sharing this ! Even in summer , it is a pleasant hike. I really enjoyed the view on the path to the 2 bridges , in Sagamiko.
This little scenic road is charming 🙂 so thanks to the nice comments also !
I was surprised today to find the upper section of the Inariyama course has been completely converted to stairs. I had seen the stairs on the upper section of the 6th course, but this was new to me. In all about .7 km at the top are all wooden stairs. It is not an improvement, at least not descending, which is what I was doing.
Good to know. I just checked Mt. Takao Magazine and looks like the wooden stairs were only installed back in March I imagine to help lessen the erosion and damage caused by foot traffic.
Do you have an itinerary for a complete day hike from Mount Takao to Mount Kobotake-Shiroyama? Do I need a guide to climb these mountains? It is possible that I climb these mountains in one day? Thanks in advance.
In fact, I have a couple of itineraries which can be done in a day. You could try: https://ridgelineimages.com/hiking/mt-takao-to-mt-jinba/ Alternately, consider this loop hike: https://ridgelineimages.com/hiking/mt-kobotoke-shiroyama/ No, you don’t need a guide, though if it’s your first time hiking in Japan, I recommend hiking with at least one other person or joining a Meetup group, etc.