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Mt. Bukozan Day Hike | The Omotesando Route in Chichibu, the Famous "Water Carry", and an Honest Look at a Mountain Being Quarried Away

2025.05.05

We took the Omotesando route up Mt. Bukozan (1,304 m) in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, as a day hike. Seen from the town below, its shape is unmistakable: the entire northern face has been cut away. It's a mountain of myth and a limestone quarry at the same time, which makes it a strange and thought-provoking place to climb.

The route is about 10 km with roughly 850 m of cumulative gain — substantial, despite the modest altitude. In this post: getting there from Yokoze Station, the famous "water carry" that keeps the summit toilet supplied, the history behind that quarried north face, and the view from Mitake Shrine — plus an honest answer to whether a beginner can do it, with times and cautions.

Route overview

• Route: Ichi-no-Torii (trailhead) → Osugi Hiroba → Bukozan summit and Mitake Shrine → toward Mt. Komochi → Shirajikubo junction → rejoin the Omotesando route → Ichi-no-Torii (loop)
• Distance and time: About 10 km, roughly 850 m of gain, around 5 hours as a guide
• Area and altitude: Okumusashi / Chichibu. Bukozan is 1,304 m
• Character: The first section is gentle forest road and pilgrimage path; the second half gains height fast. Numbered stone markers (*chome-ishi*) line the route to the summit and are useful for pacing — Ichi-no-Torii is number 1, and you're around number 51 just below the summit

Access: taxi from Yokoze Station (there is no bus)

Coming from Tokyo, the fastest and most comfortable option is the Seibu Line "Laview" limited express from Ikebukuro Station. It reaches Yokoze Station in about 80 minutes.

One important point: the trailhead at Ichi-no-Torii is about 6 km from Yokoze Station, and there is no bus service. That's a long way on foot, so realistically you take a taxi, about 15 minutes. That's what we did. The same applies coming back, so it's worth planning how you'll return to the station (arranging a taxi pickup, for instance).

The "water carry" — hauling water up for the summit toilet

One thing that's unique to Bukozan is the water carry that hikers take part in.

Partway up the trail, near the small Fudo shrine, there's a water point with empty plastic bottles set out. The request is simple: the toilet at the summit is short of water, so if you're able to, carry a little up with you. I figured I should at least cover my own use, so I put a 2-litre bottle in my pack.

Honestly, water is heavy. Two litres is about 2 kg, and while it's fine at first, it makes itself felt on the steep second half. It wasn't as bad as I'd braced for, but don't overdo it. Whatever you can comfortably carry (1–2 litres) is plenty, and if it becomes too much you can pour some out — knowing the contents are only water made it easy not to worry. Emptying it into the tank beside the summit toilet felt like a small accomplishment. If you want to join in, the empty containers are provided, so you don't need to bring anything. Just be ready for the weight.

Myth and industry in the same mountain

Bukozan has been worshipped for centuries as a sacred mountain watching over the Chichibu basin. One account of its name says that Yamato Takeru, the legendary prince, placed his armour in a rock cavity at the summit during his eastern campaign and prayed for the protection of the Kanto plain. Hence the "mountain of myth."

At the same time, search for Bukozan in Japanese and you'll see the word "kawaisou" — a kind of pity. That's because of the limestone quarrying on the north face. The northern slope holds one of Japan's largest limestone deposits, and it has been mined for cement since the Meiji era. From the town you can see the terraced steps of exposed rock, and the summit itself has been lowered — it stood at 1,336 m before quarrying, and the survey marker has been relocated. The current high point, 1,304 m, is west of the old summit. Mitake Shrine was reportedly moved to safer ground because of the mining as well.

Walking it, what struck me is that you can't reduce this to good or bad. Roads and concrete are inseparable from the way we live, and cement has to come from somewhere. On the other hand, this mountain supports many rare plants specific to limestone ground, and those are being lost. In recent years the companies involved have coordinated quarrying areas and schedules and worked on replanting and restoring vegetation, but the mining continues, and the mountain remains caught between landscape and faith. Knowing that background changes how each step looks.

From Osugi Hiroba to the summit and the view at Mitake Shrine

The early stretch is concrete and forest road with the pleasant sound of a stream. Around marker 15 it becomes a proper pilgrimage path, and after the Seiryu shrine you reach Osugi Hiroba for a breather. The great cedar there is genuinely imposing — I'd been wondering what that unusually large tree was for a while as we climbed. Looking up at the gnarled trunk stops you where you stand.

Past Osugi Hiroba it's a steep push to the summit. We paid our respects at Bukozan Mitake Shrine and went on to the viewpoint, where the whole Chichibu basin opens up below. The way your energy returns the moment the summit comes into view is one of the reliable facts of hiking.

Watch the temperature swing. On the day we climbed it was humid and around 17°C on the way up and I was drenched in sweat, but from the summit along the ridge the wind picked up and it dropped to 14°C. The altitude isn't extreme, but wind runs across the summit and you cool down fast. Bring layers you can adjust plus one warm piece to throw on.

The descent: a loop, and watch your navigation

Rather than retrace our steps we descended on the loop that runs toward Mt. Komochi, past the Shirajikubo junction, and back onto the Omotesando route. It's more varied and more interesting — and it's also where you need to pay the most attention. There are lots of junctions, and it's easy to be drawn onto gravel service roads or misleadingly wide tracks. I'll admit we went wrong and had to backtrack several times.

Pink and orange tape has been tied up as waymarks, so check the tape against your map or GPS app regularly. Gravel roads in particular give you very little to orient by. You pass the remains of Jisanji temple along the way, and finish with a long series of switchbacks through forest back to Ichi-no-Torii.

The other honest lesson: on the descent my legs had nothing left and I nearly fell. I'd used up my leg strength on the climb, plainly. If descents worry you, use trekking poles and do some leg strength work in everyday life.

Final thoughts: can a beginner do it? And the katsudon afterwards

The short answer is that Bukozan is very manageable if you already have some walking under your belt. At 1,304 m it's a low mountain on paper, but 10 km, 850 m of gain and about five hours make it a real day out, and the steep climb plus the loop descent will train you. Conversely, it's a bit much as a first-ever hike; a few local low mountains first will let you enjoy this one properly.

To summarise:

• Access: Laview from Ikebukuro to Yokoze Station, then taxi to the trailhead (no bus — arrange your return too)
• What to bring: Adjustable layers plus a warm piece, a map or GPS app, and trekking poles for the descent
• What's unique here: The water carry for the summit toilet, and a history where myth and limestone quarrying overlap

The reward afterwards is Chichibu's local speciality, waraji katsudon — a pork cutlet rice bowl with cutlets so large they hang over the edge of the bowl, which is where the name comes from (*waraji* are traditional straw sandals). They're already seasoned, so you eat them as they come. We also went to see the moss phlox at Hitsujiyama Park afterwards, which made it feel like a full day of sightseeing. Mountain, history, food and views in one — a generous day in Chichibu.

🛒 See the gear from the video as a list → A packing list for your first low-mountain hike

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