Mt Tanzawa (丹沢山)
Mt Tanzawa (丹沢山, Tanzawa-san) is one of the mountains that make up the Tanzawa mountain range in Kanagawa. At 18km the course is long, but still daytrip-accessible for hikers with stamina. It's also a 100 Famous Mountain, and with good public transport access it's one of the easier (and cheaper) mountains to check off your list.
I climbed Mt Tanzawa for the first time with a group of friends on Christmas day in 2022. Japan doesn't celebrate Christmas like back home in Australia, and since I'm far from my family it was nice being able to spend it with my friends.
The course we took was an out-and-back course starting and ending at the Okura (大倉) bus stop. Along the way, you will also pass another popular mountain in Tanzawa, Tono-dake (塔ノ岳).
Affectionately (?) called バカ尾根 (baka-one or "stupid ridge") by hikers, your hike starts with a 3hr+ climb of mostly stairs up Okura ridge. The first time I climbed it I told myself I would never climb it again, but I've done it four times at this point so it does grow on you.
From part-way up you start getting a clear view of Mt Fuji if the weather conditions are good. There's a couple of spots to rest and buy drinks/snacks from mountain huts along the way up as well.
Once you reach the first peak of Tono-dake, it's onwards to Mt Tanzawa! This is also a good point to check in with yourself whether you want to continue on. Going on to Mt Tanzawa and then coming back again to Tono-dake will add at least 2 hours to your hike.
Since most people don't climb past Tono-dake, the route here is a lot quieter. It's mostly along a ridgeline with some stairs and ups and downs.
For the true masochist, there's the option to continue on past Mt Tanzawa to Hiru-ga-dake (the highest peak in Tanzawa). But this will bring your total hike distance to 24km so generally people split that course up into 2 days.
Finally, it's time to go back all the way you came. Although the course is long, the stretch between Tono-dake and Mt Tanzawa is the prettiest part of the hike so it's worth the effort.
Once you make it back to Tono-dake, then it's onwards down all the stairs you climbed up in the morning. At this point, your knees are probably hurting.
There are generally plenty of people on this trail so as far as mountain trails go, it feels pretty "safe" if you descend a little bit later than you usually do. I don't worry as much about finishing early like I do on other less-populated trails. But of course I always make sure to finish before dark!
Hiking course details
| Date climbed | Length | Course time |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-12-25 | 18.5km | 10h45m (the expected time for an average hiker without breaks) |
The trail is long, but since there's a lot of stairs and it's very well-maintained it's easier than it looks. Its easy access makes it a good training mountain too.
There are toilets available at both the bus stop, and at multiple points on the way up (probably the most toilets I've seen on a mountain, which speaks to how popular it is!)
Public transport access with example schedule
There's a bus timetable here.
| Time | Location | Transport | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04:59 | 東京（とうきょう） | Train | 900 | |
| 06:39 | 渋沢 (しぶさわ) | |||
| 06:48 | 渋沢 | Bus | 250 | |
| 07:03 | 大倉 (おおくら) |
Since this bus route is so popular with hikers, you might not be able to get the 06:39 bus from Shibusawa station. If you're keen, make sure you get off the train from the carriage closest to the stairs to beat the rush of other hikers. Take a right out the ticket gates, and then down the stairs on your right to the bus stop.
The next one is at 07:02 so it's not really a big deal if you miss one, though!
For the return trip, there are buses every 20 to 30mins until 8pm, so I don't usually aim to catch a specific bus home, I just get whatever comes next.
| Time | Location | Transport | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16:38 | 大倉 | Bus | 250 | |
| 16:53 | 渋沢 | |||
| 17:13 | 渋沢 | Train | 900 | |
| 18:44 | 東京 | |||
| Trip total: | 2300 |
