Mt. Mitsudake

Mt. Mitsudake (2,845 m) stands on the border of Toyama City (Toyama) and Omachi City (Nagano) and is one of Japan’s 100 Highest Mountains.
Set on the “Ura-Ginza” traverse of the Northern Alps between Mt. Eboshidake and Mt. Noguchigorodake, it is a gentle white-sand-and-creeping-pine ridge crowned by three summits. The trail skirts just below the highest North Peak (2,845 m), but the colonies of komakusa (dicentra) and the sweeping views toward Yari and Suisho are the real draw.
For public transport, you ride the Ura-Ginza Hiking Bus from JR Shinano-Omachi Station to Nanakura, then transfer to a designated taxi from Nanakura to the Takase Dam trailhead.

The trailhead is Takase Dam (about 1,270 m). The standard route is Takase Dam → Bunatate Ridge → Eboshi Hut (overnight) → Mt. Mitsudake, with a total climbing time of about 6–7 hours. You gain about 1,250 m up the Bunatate Ridge — one of the Northern Alps’ three great steep ascents — and stay one night at Eboshi Hut; a day trip is not possible. From Eboshi Hut to Mt. Mitsudake takes about 1 hour 10 minutes, and the ridge continues on toward Mt. Noguchigorodake and the Ura-Ginza traverse.
Near Mt. Mitsudake the path splits into a flower-rich “Flower-Field route” (a contouring path) and a “Ridge route” (gravel) over the West Peak, and the two rejoin further on. On the ridge, Eboshi Hut and Noguchigoro Hut serve as bases for lodging, rest, and emergencies. The climbing season runs mainly from mid-July to the end of September, while the huts are open; above the tree line the ridge is exposed to strong wind and sudden changes in weather. Always check the latest trail and hut-operating conditions before you go.

*Information last checked: June 14, 2026

How to access the trailheads

1. [Outbound] Shinano-Omachi Station → Nanakura (Ura-Ginza Hiking Bus)
2. [Round trip] Nanakura ⇔ Takase Dam (trailhead, designated taxi)
3. [Return] Nanakura → Shinano-Omachi Station (Ura-Ginza Hiking Bus)

1. [Outbound] Shinano-Omachi Station → Nanakura (Ura-Ginza Hiking Bus)

The base is Shinano-Omachi Station on the JR Oito Line. From the station, take the “Ura-Ginza Hiking Bus” run by Omachi City and get off at Nanakura (Nanakura trailhead / Nanakura Sanso). The bus runs via Omachi Onsenkyo and Kuzu Onsen.

Ride time: about 35 minutes
Fare: 1,500 yen for adults (no reservation needed)
Operating period: selected days from July 17 to October 25, 2026 (4 round trips a day)

The bus runs only on selected days, so always confirm the dates on the official operating calendar. Outside the bus season, take a taxi from Shinano-Omachi Station to Nanakura (about 20 minutes).

Bus TimetableShinano-Omachi Station to Nanakura

Reference: Ura-Ginza Hiking Bus (Omachi City)

2. [Round trip] Nanakura ⇔ Takase Dam (trailhead, designated taxi)

The road from Nanakura to the Takase Dam trailhead is a maintenance road for the Shin-Takasegawa power station and is closed to general vehicles. You cover the stretch between Nanakura and Takase Dam by designated (shared) taxi or on foot.

How: designated taxi (about 2,700 yen per standard car, about 15 minutes, roughly 6 km), or about 1 hour 30 minutes on foot
Service: taxis wait at the Nanakura plaza and run back and forth as needed (from 5 a.m. in the busy summer climbing season)

Mobile-phone reception is poor around Takase Dam, so it is safest to book your return taxi in advance. From Takase Dam it is about 30 minutes on foot (via a suspension bridge and tunnel along the Fudo-sawa) to the start of the Bunatate Ridge.

― Alpico Taxi Omachi Branch 0261-23-2323
― Alps Daiichi Kotsu 0261-22-2121

Reference: Nanakura Sanso – Access (Takase Dam designated taxi)

3. [Return] Nanakura → Shinano-Omachi Station (Ura-Ginza Hiking Bus)

After your descent, board the Ura-Ginza Hiking Bus at Nanakura and get off at Shinano-Omachi Station. As on the way up, you return from Takase Dam to Nanakura by designated taxi (or about 1 hour 30 minutes on foot).

Ride time: about 35 minutes
Fare: 1,500 yen for adults (no reservation needed)
Operating period: selected days from July 17 to October 25, 2026 (4 round trips a day)

Bus TimetableNanakura to Shinano-Omachi Station

Reference: Ura-Ginza Hiking Bus (Omachi City)

Climbing route and safety notes

Route: Takase Dam → Fudo-sawa → Bunatate Ridge → Eboshi Hut (overnight) → Mt. Mitsudake (2,845 m) → toward Mt. Noguchigorodake. The total climbing time is about 6–7 hours, and this is an advanced Ura-Ginza traverse route with an overnight stay at Eboshi Hut. Eboshi Hut to Mt. Mitsudake takes about 1 hour 10 minutes, and Mt. Mitsudake to Noguchigoro Hut about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Steep climb and ridge: The Bunatate Ridge is one of the three great steep ascents of the Northern Alps, with a continuous climb of about 1,250 m. Numbered markers roughly every 100 m — from “No. 12” at the trailhead to “No. 0” at Eboshi Hut — help you gauge your progress. The ridge around Mt. Mitsudake is a gentle gravel-and-pine crest, but because it is above the tree line, watch for strong wind, lightning, and sudden weather changes. The trail contours just below the highest North Peak, so take care not to walk past the point marked as the summit.

Water, huts, season: There is no water source on the ridge, so buy drinking water at Eboshi Hut or Noguchigoro Hut. The climbing season is mid-July to the end of September, while the huts operate; outside that period snow and ice make the route unsuitable for general hikers. Eboshi Hut is fully reservation-based and Noguchigoro Hut takes reservations by phone (9:00–17:00), so book ahead.
― Noguchigoro Hut (Eboshi Hut) 090-3149-1197 (on site) / 0261-22-5758 (until early July)

Gear and emergencies: Carry rain gear, warm layers, a headlamp, a map/GPS, and plenty of water and food. In an emergency call 110 (police) or 119 (fire/rescue).
– Omachi Police Station 0261-22-0110
– Omachi Tourism Association 0261-22-0190

Photo by Alpsdake / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain