Mt. Noguchigorō

Mt. Noguchigorō (野口五郎岳, 2,924 m) stands on the border of Ōmachi City, Nagano and Toyama City, Toyama, and is one of the 300 Famous Japanese Mountains.
It is a broad, gentle mountain of white granite gravel near the middle of the Northern Alps “Ura-Ginza” traverse, and its summit gives a 360-degree view from Yarigatake and Suishōdake to the Tateyama range and the Ushiro-Tateyama peaks. The standard plan is 2 nights / 3 days: climb the Bunatate Ridge from the Takase Dam trailhead to Eboshi Hut for the first night, then follow the ridge over Mitsudake to Noguchigorō Hut and the summit.
By public transport, take the Ura-Ginza Mountain Bus from JR Shinano-Ōmachi Station to Nanakura and a licensed taxi from Nanakura to Takase Dam, or ride the overnight Mainichi Alpen-gō from Tokyo, which reaches Nanakura early in the morning.

The trailhead is Takase Dam (about 1,270 m), about 15 minutes by licensed taxi or about 1 h 30 min on foot from Nanakura. The standard route is Takase Dam → Bunatate Ridge → Eboshi Hut (overnight) → Mitsudake → Noguchigorō Hut (overnight) → Mt. Noguchigorō and back. About 5 hours to Eboshi Hut, about 3 hours from Eboshi Hut to Noguchigorō Hut, and about 20 minutes from the hut to the summit — an advanced route that cannot be done as a day hike. There is no water on the ridge; buy drinking water at the huts.
The bases are Eboshi Hut (2026: open 11 Jul – 30 Sep, closed 30–31 Aug, reservation only) and Noguchigorō Hut (open mid-July – late September, phone reservation only), so the season is mid-July to late September while both huts operate. The Bunatate Ridge is one of the three steepest climbs in the Northern Alps, and the “flower-field course” beyond Mitsudake is dangerous while snow remains — use the ridge course.

*Information last checked: Aug 16, 2026

1. [Outbound] Shinano-Ōmachi Station → Nanakura → Takase Dam (Ura-Ginza Mountain Bus + licensed taxi)

The base is Shinano-Ōmachi Station on the JR Ōito Line. Take the city-run “Ura-Ginza Mountain Bus” to the Nanakura trailhead (in front of Nanakura-sansō); from Nanakura to Takase Dam it is a licensed taxi (about 15 min, about ¥2,700 per car) or about 1 h 30 min on foot.
Operating period: daily 17 Jul – 28 Sep 2026; in October on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 25 Oct plus 12 and 13 Oct (no reservation needed)
Travel time: Shinano-Ōmachi Station → Nanakura trailhead about 35 min
Fare: adult ¥1,500 one way

Bus Timetable Shinano-Ōmachi Station → Nanakura trailhead (Ura-Ginza Mountain Bus)

Nanakura → Takase Dam (licensed taxi): beyond the Nanakura gate the road is a power-station service road closed to private cars and bicycles. Use the licensed taxis waiting at the Nanakura trailhead (Alpico Taxi 0261-23-2323 / Alps Daiichi Kōtsū 0261-22-2121): about 15–20 min, about ¥2,700 per car one way, up to 4 passengers can share. Operating hours: 5:00–19:00 from the spring road opening through August, 5:30–18:30 in September, 6:30–17:00 from October until the winter closure. On foot it takes about 1 h 30 min. Outside the bus season, take a taxi from Shinano-Ōmachi Station to Nanakura (about 40 min).

Reference: [Ura-Ginza Mountain Bus (Ōmachi City)] / [Eboshi Hut – Access]

2. [Outbound] Takebashi / Shinjuku → Nanakura Dam (Mainichi Alpen-gō overnight bus)

From Tokyo, Maitabi’s overnight hikers’ bus “Mainichi Alpen-gō” (reservation only) arrives at Nanakura Dam (Nanakura-sansō) early in the morning. In 2026 it runs on selected days from July to mid-October: Takebashi 22:30 / Shinjuku West Exit 23:00 → Nanakura Dam about 3:40. Alighting at Nanakura costs ¥1,000 more than the base fare, i.e. ¥9,300–15,300 one way depending on the date. After arrival, take a licensed taxi (from 5:00; 5:30 in September) to Takase Dam, or walk about 1 h 30 min.

Night Bus Takebashi / Shinjuku → Nanakura Dam (Mainichi Alpen-gō)

Reference: [Maitabi – Mainichi Alpen-gō Hakuba / Nanakura / Ōgizawa (outbound)]

3. [Return] Takase Dam → Nanakura → Shinano-Ōmachi Station (licensed taxi + Ura-Ginza Mountain Bus)

After the descent, take a licensed taxi waiting on the Takase Dam crest to the Nanakura trailhead (about 15 min, about ¥2,700). If no taxi is waiting, call a taxi company from the public phone (10-yen coins only) in front of the dam office (mobile reception is poor around Takase Dam, so it is safer to book from the hut the day before). From Nanakura, return to Shinano-Ōmachi Station by the Ura-Ginza Mountain Bus. The last bus leaves Nanakura at 15:05.

Bus Timetable Nanakura trailhead → Shinano-Ōmachi Station (Ura-Ginza Mountain Bus)

Reference: [Ura-Ginza Mountain Bus (Ōmachi City)]

4. [Return] Ōmachi Onsenkyō → Shinjuku (Mainichi Alpen-gō)

To return to Tokyo, take the 4th Ura-Ginza Mountain Bus (Nanakura 15:05) to Ōmachi Onsenkyō (arr. 15:28) and change to the Mainichi Alpen-gō return bus leaving Ōmachi Onsenkyō (in front of Yakushi-no-yu) at 16:40, arriving at Shinjuku West Exit around 20:30 (no return bus boards directly at Nanakura). ¥6,500 one way, reservation only. With the 3rd bus (Nanakura 13:15 → Ōmachi Onsenkyō 13:38) you have time for a bath at Yakushi-no-yu before boarding.

Night Bus Ōmachi Onsenkyō → Shinjuku West Exit (Mainichi Alpen-gō)

Reference: [Maitabi – Mainichi Alpen-gō Hakuba / Ōgizawa / Nanakura (return)]

Route and safety notes

Route: Takase Dam → Fudōsawa suspension bridge → Bunatate Ridge → Eboshi Hut (overnight) → Mitsudake → Noguchigorō Hut (overnight) → Mt. Noguchigorō (2,924 m). About 5 hours from Takase Dam to Eboshi Hut, about 3 hours from Eboshi Hut to Noguchigorō Hut, and about 20 minutes from the hut to the summit. The standard plan is 2 nights / 3 days, descending the same way to Takase Dam on day 3 (Noguchigorō Hut → Takase Dam about 6–7 hours). To continue the Ura-Ginza traverse, go on towards Suishō Hut, Washibadake and Sugoroku, or descend the Takemura Shindō to Yumata Onsen.

Steep climb and ridge: the Bunatate Ridge is one of the three steepest climbs in the Northern Alps, with about 1,250 m of elevation gain; numbered markers run about every 100 m from No. 12 (trailhead) to No. 0 (Eboshi Hut). The log bridge over the Nigorisawa beyond Fudōsawa can be washed away by heavy rain — check the latest trail status before entering. The “flower-field course” that branches off after the Mitsudake traverse is prone to slips while snow remains; use the ridge course until the snow is gone. Around Mt. Noguchigorō the broad white-granite ridge is easy to lose in fog, so follow the markers carefully.

Huts, water and season: Eboshi Hut (2026: 11 Jul – 30 Sep, closed 30–31 Aug, shared rooms; reservations via the Eboshi Hut call centre 050-3171-2604, weekdays 10:00–17:00, from one month before the stay) and Noguchigorō Hut (mid-July – late September, reservation only, ¥15,000 with two meals / ¥10,000 without meals; phone reservations only, 090-3149-1197, 8:00–18:00). There is no water source on the ridge; both huts sell disinfected rainwater (Eboshi Hut ¥200 per litre). Eboshi Hut’s campsite requires reservations on designated days in July–September. The season is mid-July to late September; outside that period snow and ice make the route unsuitable for general hikers.

Equipment and emergencies: carry a helmet, rain gear, warm clothing, a headlamp, map/GPS and plenty of water and food. In an emergency call 110 (police) or 119 (fire/rescue).
・Ōmachi Police Station 0261-22-0110　・Ōmachi Tourism Association 0261-22-0190

Photo by Koda6029 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0