This event is a hiking for “Hosawa Waterfall” selected as “100 waterfalls in Japan” and “Asama Ridge” where you can enjoy walking ridges for novice hikers with little up / down.
Asama ridge is the season when Katakuri (dogtooth violets) blooms just this season.
Also, because it is cherry blossom season, you may be able to watch them at the same time if you are lucky. https://www.at-roadside.com/drive/metropolitan/sengenrei3.html
In addition, the Asama Ridge is an important road from old times, called Koshu way, which connects both countries of Bushu and Koshu, in the Edo period was a road for an important life for charcoal transport.
Let’s relax and enjoy hiking while thinking of old time people in spring fresh green trail.
The meeting place is Musashi-itsukaichi Station on JR Itsukaichi Line, meeting time is 8: 34 am.
From Musashi-itsukaichi Station, we take a bus to “Honjuku-yakubamae”.
The departure time of the bus is 9: 00 am.
The return bus is scheduled for 14: 55 pm.
※ The schedule may change, please be forewarned.
Route advice:
The area around the waterfall is slippery, you can enjoy safer hiking if you bring steigeisen.
BELONGINGS:
• Non-slippery shoes for hiking
• water
• Warm clothes and gloves and hat
SCHEDULE:
Musashi-itsukaichi station 08: 34 → bus departure time 09: 00 → Honjuku-yakubamae Bus Stop 09: 20 → Hosawa Waterfall bus stop 9: 30 → Hosawa Waterfall parking lot 10: 00 → Tosaka Pass 10: 30 → Asama Ridge observation deck 11 : 30 → lunch time → 12: 00 → Henbori Pass 12: 30 → guest‐house Asamazaka 14: 00 → Asamaone Trailhead Bus Stop 14: 45
※ The departure time of the return bus is scheduled for 14:55 PM.
※ We can wait at the Guest House Asama slope until the departure time of the return bus.
※ The schedule may change, please be forewarned.
Waiver of Liability/Disclaimer: Please read before signing up for this event.
These organizers are not professional hikers or trained leaders and are not medically trained to handle emergencies. Hiking is an inherently dangerous activity that can lead to serious injuries including but not limited fall injuries, poison oak. By participation in this event/hike you agree to not hold these organizers liable for any harm that may come to you, or your property. Always remember to let the event organizer know if you are leaving the group. Stay on the trail, never hike alone and use your own common sense.
Booking Now
Please reserve this event from the following Meetups.
The hiking course of Sengen ridge (Sengen-one, 浅間尾根) offers beautiful mountain views and Hosawa waterfall. You can access to this trailhead for about 1 hours and a half from Shinjuku station. This trail was an important road from old times, called Koshu way (甲州道), which connects both countries of Bushu (武州) and Koshu (甲州), in the Edo period was a track for an important life for transporting charcoal. Let’s relax and enjoy hike while thinking of old time people in the clear air which hard to believe you’re still in Tokyo.
You can walk enjoying fine views of such nearby peaks as Mt.Gozen on your right side.
Area: Chichibu-Tama National Park, Hinohara village, Tokyo
Access: Musashi-Itsukaichi Station (武蔵五日市駅) on JR Itsukaichi Line, get off at Hosawa Waterfall Entrance (払沢の滝入口). For more information, click here
Start: Hosawa Waterfall Entrance Bus Stop (払沢の滝入口バス停)
Goal: Henbori Bus Stop (人里バス停)
Difficulty of this trail: ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Trail appearance rate: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Total distance: 8 km
Total difference in elevation: 661 m
Walking time: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Point of interest: Hosawa Waterfall (particularly in winter), wildflowers (spring to autumn), mountain views, japanese macaque (winter), an Edo-period track for transporting charcoal.
Access to Hosawa Waterfall Entrance (Hosawa-no-taki-Iriguchi, 払沢の滝入口)
Please refer to the following for detailed access method.
A Map of Sengen Ridge Hiking Route (include Hosawa Waterfall)
A Map of Sengen Ridge Hiking Course | Click on the image above to open the enlarged image in a separate tab.
The source of above the three maps are “Digital Japan Web System” of The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan. The maps were edited a author of this blog.
In Japanese: これらの3枚の地図は国土地理院の電子国土Webシステムから配信されたものをこのブログの著者が加工したものである。
From Hosawa Waterfall Entrance Bus Stop (払沢の滝入口バス停) to Sengen Peak (Sengen-rei, 浅間嶺)
I also recommend popular menu fried donuts and soy milk, both of which are 100 yen at this tofu shop.
A sign above the road next to left side of the Tofu shop (檜原とうふ ちとせ屋) reads “Hosawa Waterfall” (Howasa no taki, 払沢の滝). Following this sign, go to the narrow road a little bit further on. To get to the waterfall, veer left at a fork a few minutes later onto a dirt path also marked for Hosawa waterfall, though with a simplified first character (払沢の滝). The waterfall is 5-10 minutes along this high rocky path, which crosses several small bridges. In winter, parts of the 60-meter fall and most of the pool at the bottom freeze over, and the icicles hanging off the face make for a splendid sight.
Hosawa Waterfall freezes from late January to early February. This photo above is February 2, 2019.
After visitting the waterfall, return to the previous junction, turn hard left in the direction of Sengen Ridge (Sengen-one, 浅間尾根). This path merges with a dirt road, which you follow uphill to the large bitumen road and bear left. The trail leaves and rejoins this road several times over the next kilometer or so, and passes many old wooden houses.
A few minutes further on, at the sign for “Zizaka Pass, Sengen Peak” (時坂峠 浅間嶺), take the steps up to the left. Rejoin the road 10 minutes later, again heading uphill to the left. The path (similarly signposted) resumes sharply to the left after about 10 more minutes. From here it zigzags up the hill, crossing the road (at a similar sign) after 5 minutes.
The Path soon bend left (near a tiny shrine), and begins to trace the line of Sengen Ridge, merging with the dirt road that enters from the left after 5-10 minutes.
This farmhouse has been built more than 400 years.
Walking for 7 minutes or so will bring you to a magnificent old farmhouse, rustic sheds, and a water supply system consisting of lengths of bamboo split in half to form open pipes, which are joined together and connected to a nearby stream. This was a soba noodle shop until 2018, but unfortunately closed down now.
Ascend steeply for 30-40 minutes, first next to small stream and past rock pools, and latter through a forest with broad-leaved magnolia trees (and where orange fungi used in a herbal cancer treatment can be fond). There are also many wildflowers at various times of the year, such as summer yamayuri (gold-banded lily).
After passing more open area with fine views of such nearby peaks as Mt.Gozen, you come to the junction marked “Observation Deck and Sengen peak” (展望台 浅間嶺) pointing to the left.
Turning left as follow this sign, ascend moderate slope for a while.
After walking for 10-15 minutes, you arrive at the highest point (904 meters above sea level) on Sengen Ridge. From there, you can enjoy superb views including Mt.Fuji and mountains of Okutama area.
From there, you can enjoy superb views including Mt.Fuji and mountains of Okutama area. Suitable area for lunch is Asama Ridge Resting-Place descending right side from here for approximately 3-5 minutes.
There are picnic area with tables and chairs, a shelter, a fire place, and toilets.
Since snow may be piled up during the winter, let’s bring micro crampons. This photo above is February 2, 2019.
The map board provides some history of the area, as follows:
KANTŌ COMMUNITY ROADS Historical Path The 8 kilometer route from Kami-Kawanori to Honjuku leads up in the direction of Sengen Ridge and traverses Jizaka Pass. Passing through the middle the Hinohara-mura area and tracing the comparatively moderate lie of the land, Sengen-one Road, also called Naka-Kōshū Road, has form olden times been an important traffic thoroughfare. During the Edo priod, it was an important route for hauling charcoal by horse and for the transport of daily necessities. Besides the village folk, people from Ogouchi and Saihara also used the trail.
Another interesting feature of this area is the presence of the Japanese macaque, which descend in winter from the cold upper reaches of the surrounding mountains to these slopes. They are quite shy and more likely to be sighted on the southern side of the ridge.
From Sengen Peak (浅間嶺) to Hembori Bus Stop (人里バス停)
There is a descend slope on the left side of the map board. After few meters on this slope there are the signposted junction. Turn left as fallow marked “Kazehari-touge and Hembori Bus Stop” (風張峠・人里バス停).
After 5 more minutes you go straight through another T-junction. From here, simply follow the Hembori (人里) signs for about 25 minutes, keeping with an adjacent bamboo stand, to a concrete road near some tea plantations. You take this road down past a few houses to the main road. Hembori bus stop is immediately to your right.
The bus ride to Musashi-Isukaichi Station takes about 45 minutes, and the fare is 820 JPY. To return to Shinjuku Station, in any case follow in reverse the instructions provided in bellow article for this walk.
This hiking course is a secret long trail that you can experience a moderate downhill that continues in Tokyo in Japan.
The hiking Course in the west mountain area of Tokyo is named “Sengen-ridge”, you can arrive by train and bus in about two hours.
You may feel a little far, but as you get off the bus it is a world of altitude 1000 meters. Then only you can down hill like crazy with enjoying beautiful nature and lovely flowers and magnificent mountains.
If you are a hiker, and if you plan to come to Tokyo, I’d definitely want to introduce you to the course.
Tour details
Price : 3500 yen per person
Distance : 15.7 km
Private Tour (Your family and friends are OK.)
Difficulty : ★☆☆☆☆
Language : English, Japanese
Meeting point : Shinjuku Station or Musashi-itsukaichi station (武蔵五日市駅) on the JR Itsukaichi Line.
The exact meeting point will be set by your guide after booking confirmation, but I respond flexibly according to your area of accommodation. Transportation to the start point is not included in the tour price.
Meeting time : It is necessary to arrive at Musashi-itsukaichi station at least at 8:45 am because of the departure time of the bus.
What you can experience at this Course :
・Hosawa Waterfall
・Wildflowers (spring to autumn)
・Mountain Views
・Soba Restaurant in Mountain village (spring to autumn)
・Tofu Donuts Shop
・Hot Spring (optional)
There is a soba restaurant in this course and you can enjoy local food in traditional Japanese traditional houses. The final destination, Hosawa Waterfall, is a beautiful waterfall with a height of 62 meters, and it is the only one in Tokyo that has been chosen as “100 Japanese Waterfalls.”
There is a popular donut shop in front of the bus stop on the way back, and Tofu Donuts using soy pulp as a material is delicious.
For more information on this hiking course, click here.
Disclaimer
Please read and give me consent before booking for this tour.
Hiking is an inherently dangerous activity that can lead to serious injuries including but not limited to slip and fall injuries, fractures, snake bite, heat exhaustion, poison oak, ticks and frostbite. By participation in this event you agree to not hold these organizers liable for any harm that may come to you, your guests, or your property. Always remember to let the event organizer know if you are leaving the group. Stay on the trail, never walk alone and use your own common sense.
Booking Now
[contact-form-7 id=”4392″ title=”Private Hiking Guide to Sengen Ridge | Beautiful Long Down Hill in Okutama”]
Musashi-Itsukaichi Station function as a gateway to a lot of beautiful mountains in tokyo.
Mt.Hinode’s trail running course is a beautiful trail recommended especially for beginner trail runner among them.
Trail Running to Mount Hinode
In Tokyo it is like a beautiful valley like Switzerland.
Many Japanese mountains have steep slopes.
However, this Mt.Hinode trail is largely down hill.
Because the trailhead is already located at an altitude of 430 m so we can go by bus.
If you like trail running and are not good at steep climbing, I recommend this mountain.
The trail is gentle and well maintained and safe.
If the weather is nice, you can enjoy run down the hill with a wonderful outlook that can be seen from the summit to the sky tree and a beautiful ridge that goes on forever.
The goal of the running course has natural hot spring facilities, you can completely relax and return to the hotel.
The bathing charge is only 900 yen, you can taste the natural hot spring.
For more information on this hiking route, click here.
Tour details
Price : 1500 yen per person
Distance : 8.4 km
Private Tour (Your family and friends are OK.)
Difficulty : ★★☆☆☆ slightly hard
Language : English, Japanese
Meeting place : Hotel pick-up or Musashi-Itsukaichi Station (depends on your preference)
Meeting time : The departure time of the bus from Musashi-Itsukaichi Station is 9:30 AM.
Disclaimer
Please read and give me consent before booking for this tour.
Trail running is an inherently dangerous activity that can lead to serious injuries including but not limited to slip and fall injuries, fractures, snake bite, heat exhaustion, poison oak, ticks and frostbite. By participation in this event/hike you agree to not hold these organizers liable for any harm that may come to you, your guests, or your property. Always remember to let the event organizer know if you are leaving the group. Stay on the trail, never hike alone and use your own common sense.
Musashi-Itsukaichi Station function as a gateway to a lot of beautiful mountains in tokyo.
Mt.Hinode’s hiking course is a hiking course recommended especially for beginner hikers among them.
Hike the trail to Mount Hinode
In Tokyo it is a beautiful valley like Switzerland.
Many Japanese mountains have steep slopes.
However, this Mt.Hinode hiking course is largely down hill.
Because the trailhead is already located at an altitude of 430 m so we can go by bus.
If you like day hiking and are not good at steep climbing, I recommend this mountain.
The trail is gentle and well maintained and safe.
If the weather is nice, you can enjoy hiking down the hill with a wonderful outlook that can be seen from the summit to the sky tree and a beautiful ridge that goes on forever.
The goal of the hiking course has natural hot spring facilities, you can completely relax and return to the hotel.
The bathing charge is only 900 yen, you can taste the natural hot spring.
For more information on this hiking route, click here.
Tour details
Price : 1500 yen per person
Distance : 8.4 km
Private Tour (Your family and friends are OK.)
Difficulty : ★★☆☆☆ slightly hard
Language : English, Japanese
Meeting place : Hotel pick-up or Musashi-Itsukaichi Station (depends on your preference)
Meeting time : The departure time of the bus from Musashi-Itsukaichi Station is 9:30 AM.
Disclaimer
Please read and give me consent before booking for this tour.
Hiking is an inherently dangerous activity that can lead to serious injuries including but not limited to slip and fall injuries, fractures, snake bite, heat exhaustion, poison oak, ticks and frostbite. By participation in this event/hike you agree to not hold these organizers liable for any harm that may come to you, your guests, or your property. Always remember to let the event organizer know if you are leaving the group. Stay on the trail, never hike alone and use your own common sense.
