Mt. Kitaarakawa

Mt. Kitaarakawa (北荒川岳, 2,698 m), on the border of Nagano and Shizuoka in the Southern Alps, stands on the Senshio ridge just north of Mt. Shiomi and is one of the 100 Highest Mountains.
It sits on the long Senshio ridge linking Mt. Shiomi and Mt. Aino, with a large landslide scar on its east side. With few staffed huts and few visitors, it is a quiet peak deep in the Southern Alps. The usual route runs from the Torikura trailhead over Sanpuku Pass and Mt. Shiomi and north along the Senshio ridge — a traverse of at least three days with nights at the Sanpukutoge and Shiomi huts. By public transport you reach the Torikura trailhead by the summer mountain bus.

The base is the Torikura trailhead (about 1,790 m); via Sanpuku Pass (Sanpukutoge hut), Mt. Hontani and the Shiomi hut you reach Mt. Shiomi (3,052 m), then drop north from the Kitamata-dake junction along the Senshio ridge to Mt. Kitaarakawa. It is about 9 hours 45 minutes from the Torikura trailhead to Mt. Kitaarakawa, usually as a three-day trip with nights at the Sanpukutoge and Shiomi huts. The ridge around Mt. Shiomi is steep with chains and rock, and the Senshio ridge has no staffed huts, so self-sufficiency is required.
Use the Sanpukutoge hut (about 2,580 m, reservations only, booking tel 0265-39-3110 [7:00–17:00 / 19:00–20:00], with a campsite) and the Shiomi hut (open July 1–October 11, 2026, reservations only, web booking) as bases. The season is mid-July to September. The old campsite at Mt. Kitaarakawa can no longer be used for camping. The northern half of the Senshio ridge from Mt. Kitamata to Mt. Aino is outside the scope of this article.

*Information last checked: June 14, 2026

How to access the trailhead

1. [Round trip] Ina-Oshima Station ⇄ Torikura trailhead (summer mountain bus)

1. [Round trip] Ina-Oshima Station ⇄ Torikura trailhead (summer mountain bus)

The trailhead, Torikura, is about 1 hour 50 minutes by the Ina Bus “South Alps Mountain Bus, Torikura Line” from Ina-Oshima Station on the JR Iida Line. This bus runs only in the summer climbing season; in 2026 it operates from July 18 (Sat) to August 30 (Sun). Outside the operating period, or before the first bus, you need a taxi from the Ina-Oshima / Matsukawa IC area or a night nearby. From the Torikura gate (car park) below the trailhead, you walk the forest road.

Torikura-line bus: Ina-Oshima Station ⇄ Torikura trailhead (Ina Bus, South Alps Mountain Bus)

Overnight and taxi: outside the bus period (September to June) there is no public transport, so use a taxi from around Ina-Oshima Station (to the Torikura gate) or stay nearby. By car: there is a hikers’ car park at the Torikura gate; when full, you walk from the Koshiji gate. Check the latest service, times and fares with Ina Bus.

Reference: [Ina Bus — South Alps Mountain Bus, Torikura Line]

Route and safety notes

Route (from the Torikura trailhead via Mt. Shiomi): Torikura trailhead → Toyoguchi col (about 1 h 10 m) → Shiokawa-route junction (about 1 h 20 m) → Sanpuku Pass / Sanpukutoge hut (about 35 m) → Mt. Hontani (about 1 h 20 m) → Shiomi hut (about 2 h 10 m) → Mt. Shiomi East Peak (about 1 h 20 m) → Kitamata-dake junction (about 30 m) → Mt. Kitaarakawa (about 1 h 20 m). It is about 9 hours 45 minutes from the Torikura trailhead to Mt. Kitaarakawa, usually a three-day trip with nights at the Sanpukutoge and Shiomi huts.

Huts: at Sanpuku Pass the Sanpukutoge hut (about 2,580 m, reservations only, booking tel 0265-39-3110, with a campsite); below Mt. Shiomi the Shiomi hut (July 1–October 11, 2026, reservations only, web booking). There is no staffed hut on the Senshio ridge at Mt. Kitaarakawa and the old campsite can no longer be used, so climb Mt. Kitaarakawa out-and-back from the Shiomi hut, or continue to the Kumonotaira hut on a long itinerary.

Mt. Shiomi: from the Shiomi hut the climb to Mt. Shiomi is steep with chains and rock. The summit is a twin peak — East Peak (3,052 m) and West Peak; take care over rockfall and falls. From here, Mt. Kitaarakawa is reached via the Kitamata-dake junction down the Senshio ridge.

The Senshio ridge and landslide: the east side of Mt. Kitaarakawa is a large landslide scar, so do not go near the edge. The Senshio ridge is quiet but has few staffed huts and is long, so you must be self-sufficient in water, food and weather judgement.

Season and gear: the season is mid-July to September. In the snow and frozen seasons full gear and experience are needed. Carry rain gear, warm clothing, a helmet, a headlamp and plenty of water.

In an emergency: call 110 (police) or 119 (fire/rescue).
Check the latest with the Nagano and Shizuoka prefectural police.

Photo by Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0