You may often decide to go hiking on a sunny day. There are many famous mountain climbing and hiking courses in Tokyo, but most of them are located in West Tokyo, such as Okutama and Takao. However, the West Tokyo area is geographically far from Asakusa, and you have to change trains many times. Therefore, I would like to introduce a one-day mountain climbing course that is easily access by train from Asakusa, where K’s House Tokyo Oasis is located.
Mount Tsukuba 877m above sea level
From ancient times, the mountain has been nicknamed ‘Fuji in the west, Tsukuba in the east’, and a panoramic view of the Kanto Plain can be seen from its summit. It has two peaks, the Nantaisan (male body) and Nyotaizan (female body), and is famous as a mountain of faith.
It is one of the 100 most famous mountains in Japan, and as it is the lowest of the mountains, even beginners can reach the summit. Like Mt Takao, cable cars and ropeways are available, so it is possible to climb the mountain on the way up and take the cable car on the way back down.
Main hiking courses
Gokogahara Course (Nantaisan side, distance: approx. 2.0 km, elevation gain: approx. 610 m, time required: 90 mins ascent / 70 mins descent)
Hakuunbashi Course (Nyotaisan side Distance: approx. 2.8 km Elevation gain: approx. 610 m Travel time: 110 mins ascent / 95 mins descent)
Access from Asakusa
[By train or bus] Take the Tsukuba Express Line from Asakusa station to Tsukuba Centre (Tsukuba Express Tsukuba Station) and transfer to the “Direct Shuttle Bus to Mt Tsukuba”.
If you are going by train, There are special tickets available to buy at the Tsukuba Express station. There are two types of ticket: “Mt Tsukuba Ticket” and “Mt Tsukuba Aru Ticket”.
- Valid for one round trip by train from the launch station to Tsukuba Station on the Tsukuba Express Line.
- Direct Mt Tsukuba Shuttle Bus (between Tsukuba Centre and Numata) and Tsukuba Bus (Northern Shuttle), valid for one round trip only.
- Mt Tsukuba ropeway free ride
- Valid for one round-trip train ticket from the launch station to Tsukuba Station on the Tsukuba Express Line
- Direct Shuttle Bus to Mount Tsukuba (from bus stop 1) and Tsukuba Bus (Northern Shuttle from bus stop 3), valid for one round trip only
Mt Tengu Hiking Trail
Ryogaizan 251 m above sea level, Mt Tengu 259 m above sea level
This course includes Orihime Shrine and the Ashikaga Castle that built in the Heian period (794-1185), so you can enjoy both Ashikaga’s history and nature. Rather than climbing a single mountain like Mount Tsukuba or Mount Takao, this course is a walk around a number of smaller mountains around the shrine. The elevation of each mountain is not high and the undulations are not too steep, so it is a great way to enjoy hiking and nature in a relaxed atmosphere.
Recommended route
Ashikaga Orihime Shrine – Kagami-iwa – Mt Ryogeiwa – Mt Tengu – Fujimiwa Viewing Platform – Dori 7-chome
Access from Asakusa
［Train] Take the limited express Tobu Ryomou or Tobu Line to Tobu Ashikaga-shi Station and walk 20 minutes from Ashikaga-shi Station to Ashikaga Orihime Shrine.
