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The Jinbasan to Takaosan Traverse | A Complete Guide to 18 km of Ridge Walking

2024.06.07

"I've done Takaosan — now I'd like something with a bit more to it." If that's where you are, the first thing I'd point you toward is the traverse from Jinbasan to Takaosan.

Unlike an out-and-back to a single summit, a traverse links peaks along a ridge. This one starts at Jinbasan (855 m) in Hachioji, in western Tokyo, crosses Kagenobuyama (727 m) and Kobotoke-Shiroyama (670 m), and finishes by descending to Takaosan (599 m) — around 18 km and seven to eight hours.

The elevation gain is under 1,000 m and these are all low mountains, but walking that distance in a day is a real undertaking. Here's a guide for anyone thinking about the same route: access, the itinerary, what each section is like, and how to make a long day safe and enjoyable.

Route summary (Jinbasan to Takaosan)

• Area: the Oku-Takao traverse route, Hachioji, Tokyo
• Peaks crossed: Jinbasan (855 m) → Kagenobuyama (727 m) → Kobotoke-Shiroyama (670 m) → Takaosan (599 m)
• What we walked: Jinba-Kogen-Shita bus stop → Jinbasan Shindo trail → Jinbasan → Narako Pass and Sokosawa Pass → Kagenobuyama → Kobotoke Pass → Kobotoke-Shiroyama → Takaosan → descent
• Distance and time: about 18 km, seven to eight hours
• Difficulty: 2/5 — nothing technical, but long enough to be a test of stamina
• Direction: start at Jinbasan, the highest point, and work down to Takaosan. You lose height gradually across the day, which is easier on the body than doing it the other way round

They may be low mountains, but the time on your feet matches a day hike on a serious high mountain. Don't let "low mountain" tempt you into travelling light — bring water, food and rain gear properly.

Starting from the Jinba-Kogen-Shita bus stop

The start is the Jinba-Kogen-Shita bus stop in Hachioji, reached by bus from the north exit of Takao Station. Buses aren't frequent, so aim for the first service of the day and give yourself room.

A short walk along the road from the bus stop brings you to the Jinbasan Shindo trailhead. From there it's roughly 4.5 km and about 500 m of ascent to the summit, with a standard time of two to two and a half hours. Our day was properly humid, and I was soaked within minutes of starting.

The first summit, Jinbasan — the steep part comes first

The Jinbasan Shindo is short, which means it's steep. The hardest climb of the entire day arrives right at the start, before your body has warmed up at all, so I deliberately went slowly to keep my heart rate down.

The trail is a tangle of exposed tree roots. It takes care to place your feet, but it's a bit like a climbing frame and I enjoyed it more than I expected. We passed forestry crews felling timber and picked our way over muddy ground as we gained height. There was a wonderful smell drifting through the trees.

Top out on the steep section and you arrive at the open summit of Jinbasan. I took a break there and reapplied sunscreen. I don't like the stickiness of rubbing it on with my hands, so I use a spray, applying it directly to the skin and then smoothing it in. On a long day, reapplying regularly matters.

What I wore

With that many hours ahead, I chose for comfort and function.

• Top: Montbell Wickron, the Japanese brand's quick-drying synthetic. It dries fast when you sweat and barely shows sweat marks, which is genuinely excellent
• Pants: Patagonia
• Support tights: CW-X. I hurt a knee falling on a descent once, which convinced me these are necessary. They support the joints properly
• Socks: Montbell
• Shoes: HI-TEC

Along the ridge to Kagenobuyama

From Jinbasan the ridge walking that defines a traverse begins in earnest. You cross a series of passes — Narako, Sokosawa — on the way to the next peak, Kagenobuyama. It's about 7 km, and two and a half to three hours.

The ridge has its ups and downs, but after the climb to Jinbasan it's much easier walking, and it's a pleasant path that sheds height gradually. The teahouse at Myoo Pass appeared to be under reconstruction when I passed.

One thing I'd particularly like to pass on to beginners: trekking poles. I used to think they looked too serious for someone at my level, and using them changed my mind entirely. Anyone who, like me, hasn't yet mastered how to place their feet on a descent gets a completely different level of security from poles on slippery ground. I've come round to thinking that people just starting out are exactly the ones who should have them — they prevent injuries.

Easy walking or not, carrying a pack for that long also brought home how much pack fit matters. My shoulders started to hurt partway through, and it made me realise that choosing the right size for your frame and adjusting how it sits matters far more on a long route than I'd assumed.

Don't forget the bears

Partway along the ridge there's a sign warning about Asiatic black bears. Even here in Oku-Takao, you're walking through habitat. Carrying something that makes noise — a bear bell — is reassuring. I happened not to have one that day, and the sign gave me a jolt. Even just talking as you walk, so that you're not moving in silence, helps.

Several times along the route you'll find junctions between a maki-michi — a bypass path that contours around a peak rather than going over it — and the trail over the summit. The bypasses rejoin the traverse further on, so choose whichever your legs are up to. For what it's worth, the trail runner who passed us took the summit route without hesitating, at speed.

Push through a stretch of bamboo grass and the view opens out at the summit of Kagenobuyama (727 m). It's a good viewpoint, and I took a proper break and ate there before moving on.

Over the historic Kobotoke Pass to Kobotoke-Shiroyama

From Kagenobuyama you drop to Kobotoke Pass. It isn't just a place you pass through — during the Edo period it was part of the Koshu Kaido highway and had a checkpoint on it. The name Kobotoke is said to come from a small Buddha statue long enshrined here. Thinking about that history while you walk is one of the pleasures of a traverse.

From the pass to Kobotoke-Shiroyama (670 m) is about 900 m of climbing back up. Some of the bypass paths near the pass were closed, so I checked the signposts carefully.

Shiroyama to Takaosan — finishing on a very busy summit

Past Kobotoke-Shiroyama, the finish at Takaosan (599 m) is close. The trail from here is well maintained and runs gently to the summit via Icchodaira and Momijidai.

Arriving at Takaosan after a long ridge is a shock: it's the most-climbed mountain in Japan, with a cable car, a chairlift, teahouses and shops. The contrast with the quiet ridge behind you is startling. If your legs are finished, you can take the cable car or lift down — a reassuring thing to have at the end of a route like this. It's a fitting close to a hard day.

The "3 p.m. rule" for doing this safely

One last principle, and it matters most on a route with this much time on your feet: finish your day on the mountain by 3 p.m.

Why 3 p.m.? Weather becomes less stable in the afternoon, raising the chance of thunderstorms and mist. The later it gets, the lower the sun and the poorer the visibility, which increases the risk of losing the trail. Finishing early leaves you able to cope if something goes wrong, and it leaves you enough mental space to enjoy how beautiful the forest is.

Working backwards from that, 18 km and seven to eight hours requires an early start. Getting to Jinba-Kogen-Shita on one of the first buses is the first step toward a safe, comfortable traverse.

What I concluded

None of these mountains is high, and yet the Jinbasan to Takaosan traverse packs in the satisfaction of crossing four summits and the variety of a long ridge. It's one of my favourite routes.

There's almost nothing technical — no rock, no chains — but it's long, and it's purely a question of stamina. Choosing the direction that starts high at Jinbasan and works downward keeps the load manageable while still giving you the essence of a traverse. Protect your knees with poles, prepare for bears, carry enough water and food, and plan with time in hand, and even someone new to hiking will remember the day.

One step past Takaosan, there's a whole other world. It's worth putting on the list for your next weekend.

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