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Nabewariyama Day Hike | Walking from Okura to the Famous Nabeyaki Udon — An Honest Guide to a Tanzawa Favourite

2024.08.30

Tanzawa has one rather unusual mountain where a single bowl eaten at the summit becomes the whole point of the day. That's Nabewariyama (1,272.5 m), and the bowl in question is nabeyaki udon — thick wheat noodles simmered in an earthenware pot — served at Nabewari Sanso, the hut on the summit. It's popular enough that people climb specifically to eat it. I started walking from Okura with exactly that in mind.

The conclusion first: Nabewariyama has few chains or difficult rock, but it is a long mountain and a test of stamina. And because the udon is served only within certain hours, there's a race against the clock on top of the walking. Here's how the route from Okura unfolds, the mountain culture behind those noodles, and the practical things — water, toilets, bears — that anyone planning Nabewariyama should know, including my own mistakes.

A day that began with rain and nearly broke my resolve, and ended with udon under a blue sky. I hope it's useful if you're planning the kind of Tanzawa hike where you walk for your reward.

What kind of mountain is Nabewariyama? Going for the nabeyaki udon

Nabewariyama is one of the most popular peaks in the Tanzawa range. At 1,272.5 m it's modest by the standards of the main Tanzawa ridge, but its popularity rests on the nabeyaki udon at the summit hut, Nabewari Sanso. Bubbling away in a clay pot, it's mountain food in the truest sense — the sort of thing that goes straight through a body that has walked a long way.

That bowl was exactly why I chose this mountain. As it happened, it rained hard that morning; when I got up at 3:30 and looked at the sky I genuinely wondered whether it was going to be possible at all. We set off half-doubting, on the basis that we'd get as far as the Okura bus stop and decide there. And then, as we got closer to the trailhead, the cloud broke and blue sky started to appear. That surge of "we might actually do this" belongs entirely to hiking at the mercy of the weather.

The route in outline (Okura to Nabewariyama, day hike)

• Area: eastern Tanzawa (Kanagawa Prefecture)
• Objective: Nabewariyama (1,272.5 m)
• Main route: Okura bus stop → Nishiyama forest road (a long stretch of road and forest track) → Futamata → Ushirozawa-nokkoshi (a saddle on the ridge) → summit of Nabewariyama
• Distance: roughly 7 km one way from Okura to the summit
• Access: bus to the Okura bus stop from Shibusawa Station on the Odakyu Line. There's parking at Okura if you drive
• Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆ to ★★★☆☆. Few hazardous rock sections or chains, but the long forest road and the overall distance make this a question of stamina and pacing rather than technique

With a late start on top of everything else, it took me about five hours to reach the summit — longer than the standard time — so I'd plan with room to spare.

Starting at the Okura bus stop — most people head for Tonodake

The walk begins at the Okura bus stop, the gateway to Tanzawa. I'd meant to arrive at 7, but between the rain unsettling me and missing a train, we actually set off around 7:45, having already lost time.

There were about five of us on that bus. At the junction, everyone except us went off toward Tonodake. Okura is best known for the Okura ridge leading up to Tonodake, so it makes sense that most people go that way. We split off and took the route toward Nabewariyama. Watching people leave the same bus stop for different mountains gives you a sense of how much there is in Tanzawa.

The long Nishiyama forest road, and bears

The way to Nabewariyama begins with a long stretch of the Nishiyama forest road, mostly concrete. It's a gentle vehicle-width track that goes on and on, so it isn't hard work, but there were moments of sighing at the distance markers — only 2.7 km so far. Generously, a warm-up; honestly, a slightly monotonous section.

One important note. A few days before we climbed, there had been news of a bear sighting close to Nabewariyama. Tanzawa is not a region without bears, so I walked this whole section with a bear bell ringing. Announcing yourself with sound is a basic and effective way to avoid a surprise encounter. It's precisely on a monotonous forest road that you don't want to let your guard down.

Partway along, sunlight started coming through the trees and lighting up the track, and the sky that had worried me so much turned into an improbable blue. That was the moment I was truly glad we hadn't called it off.

Futamata and the "bokka volunteers" — carrying the udon water up

Further along the road you reach a junction called Futamata. Vehicles can apparently get this far; there was a car with a puncture parked there.

Futamata is also where you see something specific to Nabewariyama: rows of plastic bottles full of water, laid out on the ground. This is the bokka volunteer system — *bokka* being the old word for carrying loads up a mountain on your back — for getting water to Nabewari Sanso at the summit. The famous udon obviously needs a lot of water, and there's no water source up there. So hikers carry it up out of goodwill, and that's what keeps the hut running. The bottles range from a light 1 litre to a heavy 5.

I'll be honest, I hesitated over the weight. But since I'd come for the udon, I added about 2 litres to my pack. A load of around 7 kg became 9 kg, and my shoulders felt it. Knowing that this small effort is what supports that bowl made the weight oddly something to be proud of. Take on only what's comfortable — but if you have the capacity, it's an experience worth joining in, and one that belongs to this mountain.

From Ushirozawa-nokkoshi to the summit — stream crossings, and a race against the clock

Past Futamata the character of the route changes completely. From here it's a proper mountain trail with a series of stream crossings: wooden bridges, a suspension bridge that swings more than you'd expect, and some atmospheric boardwalk, all taken carefully. With the sound of the stream and small waterfalls alongside, this is the section where you start gaining real height. Someone described it as being like a stream scramble and never getting dull, and I agreed entirely.

Climbing to the top of the stream section brings you to Ushirozawa-nokkoshi, the saddle on the ridge. From there to the summit it's a steep climb over exposed tree roots. Futamata to the summit is about 2.4 km — a section that hurts more than the figure suggests.

And in this final stretch, what occupied my mind was the hut's opening hours. The udon at Nabewari Sanso is served roughly from 11 a.m. to about 1 p.m., and finishes when it sells out. A sign at the junction told me the summit was an hour and a half away, putting arrival at 12:50 — genuinely marginal. Half-panicking at the thought of having come for udon and ending the day without any, I rationed my water and climbed that last steep section as hard as I could.

1,272.5 m, and the nabeyaki udon at Nabewari Sanso

The relief of finally seeing the solar panels that mark the summit. Out of breath and repeating "it's so hot," I arrived at the top of Nabewariyama, 1,272.5 m.

And — we made it. We slipped into the hut just before last orders and met the nabeyaki udon at last. Steaming in its clay pot, it repaid all of it: the long forest road, the weight of the water carried up, the anxiety about the time. Having eaten in a hurry, we then had time to photograph the summit sign at leisure and let the whole thing sink in.

In good weather there's a view of Mt. Fuji from up there. On a day when I'd expected nothing at all, the sky opened out — and the original plan, walk for your reward, came off about as well as it could.

What to know before walking Nabewariyama (difficulty, kit, cautions)

Points I came away with, for anyone about to try it.

• The difficulty is about stamina: few dangerous chains, but roughly 7 km each way, and with the forest road included there's a lot of walking. Fitness and pacing matter more than technique.
• The udon is a race against the clock: it's served within set hours (roughly 11 to 1) and stops when it sells out. If you want to be sure of it, start early. Being late, as I was, is genuinely nerve-racking.
• Carry plenty of water: I took 1.5 litres and in warm weather that felt thin. Without proper hydration there's a real risk of heatstroke.
• Use the toilet beforehand: there are no toilets between the Okura bus stop and the summit. I spent some of the day balancing that against drinking, so deal with it before you set off.
• Don't forget about bears: sightings do get reported here. A bear bell, or anything that announces your presence with sound, is worth carrying.
• Secure your small items: I dropped and broke a camera that day, which still stings. Keeping your important things in a small sacoche worn on the front stops them falling out when you bend over. Said from experience.

What I've settled on: a mountain where the reward is the point

Nabewariyama was one thing after another — morning rain, a missed train, the udon deadline. But when the water we'd carried up came back as a steaming bowl in front of us under a blue sky, I was completely certain we'd chosen the right mountain.

What makes Nabewariyama appealing isn't the summit itself; it's the story of a reward waiting at the end of the walk. Few hazards, considerable distance, and a clock to keep an eye on — which means that if you cover the basics (start early, carry plenty of water, deal with the toilet first), it delivers as much satisfaction as anything in Tanzawa.

On your next day off, go and walk Nabewariyama with that bowl of hot udon in mind. Your step may also be part of the water that keeps the hut going. Safety first — and enjoy one of Tanzawa's great edible objectives.

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