17 November 2025
From the new to the old
Mount Odake from Musahsi-Itsukaichi to Mitake station
More correctly, from the old to the new to the old.
Today I went to a familiar station, Musashi-Itsukaichi, which is the terminal station for a branch on the Ome line, failed to heed the numerous bear warnings in and around the station and boarded a bus to take me along the wonderful valley to a hiking start point at Hinohara.
My course started on a hard and lonely trail, no one for a few hours other than a rock climber, before arriving at Mount Odake.
From there I continued on to Mitake, the shrine at the top of the cable railway that I have been to at least 3 times before. I ignored the cable railway and ran down the road, and then really ran to make a train so I did not have to wait 45 minutes for the next one.
So now, the stats, then a lot of photos, again -
31,500 steps
6 hours and 3 minutes - felt longer due to train/bus journey
19.27km
1,341m vertical ascent
2,147 calories burned - finally made it over 2,000 on this trip!
Great view from the station at the rather convolutedly named Musash-Itsukaichi station.
Here is the station. It is quite a large town, many convenience stores. It is the end of the train line but there are more towns beyond up the valley, so quite a few buses depart from here.
There are at least 10 warning signs about bears in the station, around the station, on the bus stops etc. None have dates about actual sightings and some were quite faded like they had been there for a year.
This is where I got off the bus. I believe right by Hinohara elementary school.
I will go up there. I think. Hard to tell.
The hike starts with a pathetic little waterfall. In my experience, waterfalls in Japan are not worth the effort.
Then I spotted some shoes and a bag and thought someone had been eaten by a bear who undressed him first. But above me was a guy rock climbing on his own. The only person I saw for the first few hours, until the summit of Mount Odake.
Nearby, a slightly less pathetic waterfall. The ways for crossing the streams were relatively safe today, nothing too slippery.
I was glad to leave the river behind, it was hard going at first.
Some good colour starting to appear.
There are numerous trails you can choose from, so a map would help. I had downloaded one and was following a course someone had completed yesterday on Yamap. No spiders today even though there were no other people, they all did it yesterday.
The whole area is popular with rock climbers.
I diverted slightly to go to this summit before doubling back to my desired trail. No view, not worth the effort.
The first third of the day really did not have many views. Across from here, not that you can see it, is Mitake shrine.
The trail started to get good, getting up to here was very strenuous.
Popular enough for lunch cabin areas, with no view and no other people.
Behold. Mount Fuji. I saw it from the bullet train in both directions, but this is the first time on this trip that I saw it from a hike.
I will probably post a few more photos of Mount Fuji.
Rocks and far away mountains make for a good view. Not even a single cloud in the sky today.
Some really nice areas to run through today, with zero spiders.
Wait, I lied, I think there is a tiny bit of cloud on the right.
This is the summit at Mount Odake. All these people came across from Mitake rather than up the hard way. Many took the cable pulled train. There are also multiple trails to get from here to Mitake, I will choose a less popular one.
1,266m summit today. I think the second highest on this trip of not many high mountains.
Just below the summit of Mount Odake there are predictably a few shrines. Some look abandoned.
Tokyo is down there in the smog.
Surprise public toilet.
Example of a nice smooth bit of trail without rocks.
There were 2 decent looking quad bikes in this shed. I have no idea why.
I took a detour up a less quad bike friendly trail and was rewarded with the low bamboo that I always seek out.
Time to join the main trail to Mitake.
Another nice view of Tokyo, with a foreground rock.
Annnnd a very similar view, no rock.
Korean style helicopter landing spot.
I believe I had come from around that way.
I was now right by Mitake shrine, so there were many picnic spots.
A view through the viewing spot.
I will now go up there to Mitake shrine.
On my previous 3 visits (at least) I went up to the shrine and was annoyed that there is no way to take a photo of the view or the shrine itself, so today I did not bother. Refer to the previous trips to see it, use the search and find Mitake.
The top of this mountain has a shopping street. 2 in fact.
As usual, I have to post a photo as proof that I did not take the cable railway.
Behold, what has on previous trips been my favourite view. I was too late for the good light today.
The view in the other direction over the ravine shows that the sun is about to vanish.
And finally, I was back at Mitake station, as were a lot of other people, who got off the bus that comes from the cable railway station.
Tonight's outing will be brief as it is now late (for me).