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Tonodake by the Omote-One Ridge | Do Bear Bells Backfire? I Carried Firecrackers to Find Out

2025.11.18

This time I took on the Omote-One ridge from Yabitsu Pass to Tonodake, in the Tanzawa area of Kanagawa. It's a long route: around 14 km, roughly 1,200 m of total ascent, and a reference timing of about eight hours. I'd wanted to walk it for a while, and I finally did in autumn colour season. There was a second theme too — bears, which have been in the news here a great deal lately. Alongside the usual bear bell I brought firecrackers, and actually set them off. Here's how that went, along with how practical they were to use.

Timings, distances and ascent figures are approximate. Check official sources for current trail and transport conditions, and for bear sighting information, before you go.

The route in brief: Yabitsu Pass → Tonodake → Okura

The route starts at the Yabitsu Pass bus stop, goes over Nino-To and Sanno-To to Tonodake, and comes down the long Okura ridge to the Okura bus stop. Around 1,200 m of climbing and, because the Okura side is lower, roughly 1,400 m of descent — more coming down than going up. It had been a while since my last hike, so I walked keeping an eye on the timings.

It's about a twenty-minute walk along the road from the Yabitsu Pass bus stop to the trailhead. The Kanto region was just turning autumn colours and the hillsides were starting to change, which made it a lovely time to be walking. It's a route I couldn't face in the height of summer, so this was a return trip once things had cooled off.

A steep start, and Mt. Fuji from Nino-To

At the entrance to the trail there's a sign warning of bears, straight away. Slightly on edge, we went on, making noise as we walked. The Omote-One ridge gives you steep climbing from the outset. It's hard on a body that hasn't hiked in a while, but the view opens as you gain height.

By Nino-To, Mt. Fuji had come out clearly. The ridge continuing to Sanno-To serves up a view at every landmark, and it's a genuinely enjoyable stretch to climb. Walking with Mt. Fuji in front of you is the particular reward of the Omote-One ridge.

Testing it: are firecrackers any use against bears?

The thing I most wanted to try on this trip was bear deterrence. In Japan, most hikers carry a small bear bell on the pack to announce their presence, but lately I've been hearing more often that a bell may not carry far enough to register with a bear — or in some situations may even work against you. So rather than relying on the bell alone, I brought firecrackers, which make a far bigger noise, and set some off to see how practical they actually are.

In the video I look at how loud they are and whether you could realistically deploy them when it mattered. My conclusion: no noise-based measure is a guarantee of safety. What counts is combining several approaches and, above all, letting a bear know a person is there early. Use the bell, your voice and firecrackers as the situation calls for, and be especially careful where there have been sightings. There isn't one correct answer to bear safety, so prepare according to your own area and the latest local information.

The summit, and the long descent of the Okura ridge

My body settled into it as the summit approached, and we reached the top of Tonodake. The view of Mt. Fuji from up there is something else, and sitting eating onigiri with it in front of me was as good as it gets. We took our time at the top, drank properly, and turned for home.

The descent is the Tanzawa institution that is the Okura ridge — the one they call "Baka-one," the relentless ridge. It goes down and down, and by the second half my legs were shaking. Even so, looking left from the Okura ridge at the Tanzawa peaks and recognising "that's the ridge I was on earlier" gives you a sense of how the ground fits together, and that made the day feel complete.

What I took away

Yabitsu Pass to Tonodake to Okura is a substantial long route with steep climbing, big views and a long descent. The autumn colour and the Mt. Fuji views are superb, and it's ideal for building fitness. Bear safety, meanwhile, is a subject that's only going to matter more. Combine the bell, your voice and, if you like, firecrackers — and put safety first out there.

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

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