Discovering Japan's Natural Beauty: A Day Trip from Tokyo to Hike Mount Tonodake
- That's How We Travel
- Mar 29
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 6
Summary. We selected this hike because it offers the best view of Mt. Fuji, even better than hiking the iconic mountain itself. Unfortunately, we had the bad luck of hiking on a cloudy day and didn't get to see the majestic mountain. Despite this, hiking Mount Tonodake was still an enjoyable and challenging adventure, and we would recommend this 8.4 mile trail to all hiking enthusiasts.
[This blog is part of a 15-days in Japan series].
Mount Tonodake. This 4,891 ft mountain is located in the Tanzawa Mountains. The hike spans 8.4 miles with an elevation gain of over 4,000 feet, featuring a profile that is essentially straight up and then straight down. Although it presents a fun challenge, we chose this hike for its excellent view of Mount Fuji. We had heard that hiking Fuji itself offers little to see, with a dull and crowded trail. Thus, by choosing this trail, we hoped for lush green paths and stunning views. We found the former, but unfortunately missed out on the latter, as the day we hiked was completely shrouded in clouds.
Getting There. Take the train from Shinjuku Station to Shibusawa Station (1 hour). From there, board the local bus right outside the train station to the Okura bus stop (15 minutes). Remember to ring the bell to get off the bus. At this location, you'll find restrooms and a place to change clothes after your hike. We suggest planning better than we did, as fellow passengers had the unfortunate experience of sitting near us on the return trip to Tokyo (imagine the state of our clothes after an 8.5-mile hike in humid conditions). The trailhead begins just down the road from the bus stop. We recommend starting early during the hot months due to both the humidity and the crowds of local hikers who frequent this popular trail.
The elevation profile for this hike is essentially 4+ miles up and 4+ miles down. Fairly early in the hike, the climbing begins for this well-maintained trail.
False summit. Close to the top, but certainly not at the peak, there is a false summit offering views below. Additionally, there's a small shack providing food and drinks. We grabbed some Coke to boost our energy with caffeine and sugar and also ate our packed sandwiches since it was lunchtime by then.
The Top at Last. After ascending over 4000 feet, we reached the summit. As luck would have it, Mt. Fuji was completely shrouded in clouds. Although this was a letdown, we were still pleased to have achieved another mountain summit.
Afterwards, we made our way back to Tokyo with our smelly selves, freshened up, and headed out for Pakistani food - once more! This small place in our neighborhood was so excellent that we had to visit it again. Additionally, we discovered some seltzer waters in the grocery store that really packed a punch!
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