Traveler reviews
Standing at 2,017 meters, Mt. Kumotori is the tallest mountain in Tokyo Prefecture—and a 2-day, 1-night climb that's well worth the effort. We hiked on a Monday and had the trail mostly to ourselves (only five guests stayed at the lodge that night, including us).
In June, the insects are relentless—no amount of repellent will fully keep them away. A face net is your best defense, along with light-colored clothing. We started our hike at 10:30 AM and reached the lodge around 3:30 PM, including a 40-minute break to take shelter from the rain.
Just follow the trail signs and use Google Translate when needed. However some of the signages cannot be read but we were very lucky to bump into climbers coming down which were able to point us the direction (there is just 1 part of the trail midway which is confusing and a wrong turn will lead you back down the mountain on the other side.)
Kee Lam Ho
Jun 30, 2025
11-Feb-2025
#intothewild
At the Top of Tokyo: Mount Kumotori (2017.1m) 🥾🧗♀️🏔️
This is highest point of Tokyo and route easy but very long.
We started our hike from Mitsumine Shrine around 11AM and arrived at Kumotori sanso at 6PM. For hikers, we suggest to arrive at least before 4PM.
We stayed at Kumotori sanso.
Next day we started at 6AM and sun was already on horizon. It took 1hr to reach the peak of Mt Kumotori. It was windy and cold in peak so we only stayed couple of minutes there.
For about an hour we stayed in emergency shelter near peak. The shelter is well established with toilets too but no water. We enjoyed breakfast in shelter with beautiful view from there.
Around 8:30 we descended to Okutama.
Always wanted to do winter hike, and on this special occasion of my birthday we embark for this challenge. It was also the birthplace of one my favorite anime Kamado Tanjiro (Demon Slayer)🥷
It was tough and memorable days with my beautiful wife❤️
A very long trek to the top from Kamosawa bus stop. Easy to climb except for some steep sections near the top.
A very good experience that also included encounters with deer, monkey and a cat at the Mt. Nanatsu cabin.
The trek itself is easy but feels difficult due to the long and unending trail to the top. I covered 24 km. in a single day starting at 0758 in the morning and finished at 1845 in the evening.
I do not recommend a day trip to this mountain but if you want to make sure to reach the trailhead by 0600 in the morning(only possible by car/taxi), or take the 0534 bus from Okutama station that will drop you near the trailhead at 0608.
Totally recommend warming up by starting from a breakfast spot on the lake level. I dropped 1 stop before Kamosawa and ate my bread on the Tozura floating bridge.
The approach to the parking lot was fairly easy to find. At the end of October, this route saw more traffic as my wife said it was some holiday period in Japan.
Everyone was friendly on the trail, I lost track of the number of greetings I said up the forest tracks.
Interestingly, there were a few water spring spots along the hike in the forest and the approach after the Nanatsuishi hut. I would pretend these had extra minerals and chug them sparingly from my bottle till the end of my hike.
This year (2023) also saw more bear sightings according to the news, and my mother in law packed a rusty bear bell for me carry, though the 'ching ching' does sounds like dinner bells to my ears.
Once you ascended Nanatsuishi, you can see Kumotori in the distant cloudy tree tops. Tracing the top of the ridge would bring you past a helipad and up rocky zig zags slopes before finally seeing the shelter hut at the top.
Foolishly, I chose the dark descent to Sanjo no Yu which was my hut, and the next hour saw a desolated, quiet descent which saw a few huge animals rustling away from the chingaling bells from my hips. I saw glimpses of 2 deers and 1 white animal which I believe to be a goat.
Overall I loved the climb despite the complaints from my thighs and feet.
Hiked from Chichibu to Okutama, including two stops to camp, which is a bit uncertain to arrange. We met very few other hikers. Mid summer was hot and we had to carry a lot of water. Also our own food supply, of course. (Nobody's fault that.) We chose this route because you can walk for hours and hours with barely a sign of humanity, even without seeing radio pylons or power cables.
I remember some kind of paying lodge North of the mountain, and there is a substantial and safe unmanned wooden lodge at the peak.
Better be really fit for this one. Walking down from Kumotoriyama was really long and hard on the legs.
