Blog

Kinpusan Day Hike | A 2,599 m Hyakumeizan Peak Beginners Can Climb, from Odarumi Pass

2025.11.29

"I'd love to climb one of Japan's 100 Famous Mountains, but a long ascent straight off feels like a lot." If that's you, the peak I'd recommend hardest is Kinpusan (2,599 m). You can drive all the way up to Odarumi Pass at around 2,300 m, which leaves only about 300 m of height to the summit. And yet, once you break above the treeline, you get a panorama that could pass for the Northern Alps, plus Gojoiwa — the enormous rock that stands on the summit itself.

I'd been hiking for about a year and had wanted to see Gojoiwa with my own eyes for most of that time. This post is based on the day I finally did it: an out-and-back from Odarumi Pass, covering how the route flows, what to watch for on the drive in, the highlights, and the cold-weather and bear precautions specific to late November. If you're looking for a famous summit with a big view and a modest climb, I hope this helps.

Route overview (Odarumi Pass, out-and-back day hike)

• Area: The Okuchichibu Mountains, on the border of Yamanashi and Nagano prefectures
• High point: Kinpusan, 2,599 m — one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains (Hyakumeizan)
• Route: Odarumi Pass → Asahidake (2,579 m) → Kinpusan summit and Gojoiwa → back the same way
• Distance and elevation: About 4 km each way, so over 10 km round trip. Odarumi Pass already sits at roughly 2,300 m, leaving about 300 m of net gain — but the trail rolls up and down constantly, so cumulative ascent works out to around 600 m
• Book time: About 5 hours. On this day I stopped constantly to look and to film, so the outbound leg took about 3 hours (left at 9:00, summit at 12:00) and I was back at the car park at 15:55
• Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆ (beginner-friendly). Almost no chains or steep rock, so it's walkable even if you're unsure of your fitness. That said, this is a serious mountain above 2,500 m — bring proper layers
• Access: Drive the forest road up from the Yamanashi side; Odarumi Pass is at the end of it, with a car park

Getting to Odarumi Pass, and the navigation trap

The great thing about Kinpusan is that the car does most of the climbing for you. Odarumi Pass is one of the highest passes in Japan crossable in an ordinary vehicle, and you're already at about 2,300 m the moment you park. From there it's roughly 300 m of climbing to a Hyakumeizan summit — which is exactly why people call this one beginner-friendly.

One warning about the drive. Searching "Odarumi Pass car park" straight into a car navigation system or Google Maps sent me, for reasons I still don't understand, to a hard-to-find spot on the Nagano side. If you're coming from the Yamanashi side, set Kotogawa Dam as your destination first, then follow the single forest road north from there. It's about 40 minutes from the dam up to the car park. Some stretches narrow down, but overall it's an easy road to drive. I hesitated over the route myself the first time, so I hope this saves you the same confusion.

Note also that the forest road closes for part of the winter. It's high enough that snow and ice arrive early, so check whether it's open before you set out.

Rolling forest to the treeline — Asahidake and the ridge

I left the car park at 9:00. It was late November, light snow was drifting down, and the temperature was 0°C. Even so, long sleeves and a single fleece were exactly right, and the clear cold air felt good rather than punishing.

The first section is gentle and easy underfoot. I walked slowly through the forest, listening to animal calls. The real character of this trail comes next, though: a long series of climbs and descents through the trees. As I mentioned, the summit is only about 300 m above the pass, but with all that rolling terrain you end up climbing something like 600 m in total. Nothing is steep enough to call a grind, and yet it quietly works your legs.

Partway along you cross Asahidake (2,579 m). The view opens all at once here, and I said "wow" out loud before I could stop myself. Mount Fuji stood out sharply, and beyond it were Kitadake and the peaks of the Southern Alps. At this altitude you can feel the strength of the UV on your skin even in late autumn.

Above the treeline the trees drop away and go pale, and the panorama that opens up genuinely feels like the Northern Alps. Another hiker who happened to be there pointed out Mizugakiyama in front of us and its rock spire, Yasuriiwa — a face climbers go up, apparently. Kinpusan and Mizugakiyama are the two peaks that define this part of the Okuchichibu range. The scenery once you reach the ridge is a serious reward for a route billed as easy.

The summit and Gojoiwa — meeting the sacred rock

After all the up and down I reached the summit at exactly 12:00. Slower than book time, but I'd had far longer with the view because of it. Kinpusan sits on the Yamanashi–Nagano border, and one nice detail is that the name changes sides with you: Kinpusan in Yamanashi, Kinposan in Nagano.

The symbol of this mountain is Gojoiwa, the giant rock on the summit. It stands about 15 m high, and up close all I could manage was "that's huge." A deity is enshrined here, and there are two competing pieces of local lore: that the rock is a sacred body and must not be climbed, and that climbing it and making a wish will get the wish granted. I wasn't sure which was correct, so out of respect for what it is, I stayed at the base and looked up. Having seen in person the rock I'd admired in a photo a year earlier, that was more than enough.

I ate lunch on the summit, tucked behind rock out of the wind. Salmon onigiri and amazake, the sweet fermented rice drink, to warm up — or that was the plan. The cold had turned the rice in the convenience-store onigiri completely hard, and I found myself thinking I should have brought bread. In cold weather you also feel less hunger and less thirst, and I carried most of my food back down uneaten. Winter snacks should be things that are still easy to eat cold; that lesson landed properly this time.

Coming down — bears, and being ready for winter

The descent is simply the same route in reverse. The same rolling terrain, but the climbs back up on the way down were unexpectedly enjoyable and kept the walk from feeling repetitive. I started down around 13:50 and was back at the car park at 15:55. Between the filming and the stopping, the light had already gone evening on me.

The thing to take seriously at this time of year is bears. There's been a lot in the news lately, so I carry bear-deterrent firecrackers to make my presence known. I used to use a pistol-style noisemaker, but I prefer the firecracker type — it's compact and doesn't stand out awkwardly when you're carrying it. Along with a bear bell and a radio, I make a point of making noise in quiet hours and in dense forest where visibility is poor.

Long sleeves and a fleece were the base layer for this day, but the ridge is windy and it feels much colder up there. The weather changes fast at this altitude, so insulation, gloves and a hot drink are non-negotiable. It's precisely because this mountain is easy to get up that you shouldn't let your guard down — that's the key to enjoying Kinpusan safely in this season.

What I'd tell a beginner

Kinpusan turned out to be one of the best-value peaks I know for someone starting out: drive up to gain the altitude, climb a modest amount, and get both a Hyakumeizan panorama and a sacred rock out of it. The alpine views above the treeline, the sheer presence of Gojoiwa, and enough rolling terrain to feel like you've walked — you take a shortcut and still come home feeling you had a proper day in the mountains.

At the same time, this is a real mountain above 2,500 m. The summit in late November was as cold as midwinter, and between fast weather changes, the winter road closure and the bears, preparation and up-to-date information matter a great deal. Plan within your limits and even a beginner will get a view they remember for good.

The reward afterwards is Yamanashi's other specialty: hoto, a hot pot of flat wheat noodles and vegetables, followed by an onsen. Mine was mushroom hoto that day, and it warmed me from the inside out. If Gojoiwa has been sitting in the back of your mind too, go and see it from Odarumi Pass. Safety first, and enjoy that ridge.

🛒 See the gear I use in the video as a list → Packing list for your first low-mountain hike

※As an Amazon Associate, Yoshimi Iwasaki earns from qualifying purchases.

Related posts

A Beginner on the Chains of Kentokusan | The Famous 20 m Hogan Pitch and the Ohira-Kogen Route

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

Montbell Spring Sun Protection, Part 2: The Active Setup | Shorts × Leg Covers for Movement and Coverage

A Whole Summer in 10 Montbell Pieces | An Honest Minimal Wardrobe

← All posts