Mt. Makihata (巻機山)

Mt. Makihata (1,967m) straddles Minamiuonuma City (Niigata Prefecture) and Minakami Town (Gunma Prefecture) at the northern end of the Tanigawa Range and is counted among the 100 Famous Mountains of Japan. The summit ridge is a vast alpine wetland strewn with countless tarns (chitō) — Fukada Kyūya called it “a magnificent mountain”. Nikkō-kisuge (day-lilies), chinguruma, and Hakusan-kozakura (primrose) bloom in summer, and the rust-red kusa-momiji (autumn grass color) in late September to early October is breathtaking.
The Ido-One ridge route from the Shimizu trailhead (Niigata side) is the only generally maintained hiking path. The sub-route via Nukubi-zawa has been effectively closed since the 2011 Niigata-Fukushima torrential rains. Sakurazaka Parking Lot (elev. 730 m, ~100 cars, ¥500/day) — about 25 min by taxi from JR Joetsu Line Muikamachi Station — is the realistic access point. On April 1, 2026, the former local bus line (Sawaguchi-Shimizu — Muikamachi) was abolished and replaced by the city’s new AI-on-demand transit “MOSS”, which does not operate on weekends or holidays. Hikers therefore depend mainly on taxi or private car.

*Timetable last checked: May 19, 2026

Access to Trailhead

1. [Outbound] Tokyo / Osaka → Muikamachi Station (Joetsu Shinkansen + JR Joetsu Line)
2. [Outbound] Muikamachi Station → Sakurazaka Parking (Trailhead) — 3 Options
3. MOSS “Ueda Fixed-Route” Timetable (effective April 1, 2026)
4. Route Overview, Mountain Hut Info & Regulations

Travel times from major hubs

Tokyo Sta. → Echigo-Yuzawa Sta.: Joetsu Shinkansen “Toki” approx. 80 min (¥6,790) | Omiya Sta. → Echigo-Yuzawa Sta.: approx. 65 min | Echigo-Yuzawa → Muikamachi: JR Joetsu Line local 20 min (¥330) | Muikamachi Station → Sakurazaka Parking: taxi approx. 25 min (¥6,000–7,000) | Shin-Osaka → Echigo-Yuzawa via Tokyo: Tokaido + Joetsu Shinkansen approx. 4 h 20 min

1. [Outbound] Tokyo / Osaka → Muikamachi Station

From Tokyo, take the Joetsu Shinkansen “Toki” to Echigo-Yuzawa Station (approx. 80 min), then transfer to the JR Joetsu Line local train and travel another 20 min to Muikamachi Station. Some “Toki” and “Tanigawa” services have well-timed transfers, but the local train runs roughly once per hour, so check the connection in advance.

Service period: Year-round
Travel time: Echigo-Yuzawa → Muikamachi local train 20–22 min
Fare: Echigo-Yuzawa → Muikamachi local one-way ¥330 (as of 2026)
Frequency: Roughly 1 train per hour (gaps of up to 2 h in early morning / late evening)

Reference: JR East Muikamachi Station | JR East Echigo-Yuzawa Station

JR Joetsu Line TimetableEchigo-Yuzawa → Muikamachi (toward Nagaoka, local trains)

Reference: [NAVITIME Echigo-Yuzawa → Muikamachi]

2. [Outbound] Muikamachi Station → Sakurazaka Parking (Trailhead) — 3 Options

After the April 2026 bus-line abolition, there is no longer any scheduled bus from Muikamachi Station to Shimizu / Sakurazaka. Hikers choose between three options.

(A) Taxi (most reliable, works weekdays and weekends)

About 25 min, ¥6,000–7,000 from Muikamachi Station to Sakurazaka Parking (¥7,000+ at night / early-morning surcharges). Major operators: Ginrei Taxi (025-772-2440), Masugata Taxi (025-772-4121), and Muikamachi Taxi (025-772-2550). Reserve the night before for pre-dawn (04:30–05:00) departures.

(B) MOSS (AI on-demand transit) — Weekdays only, 9:00–17:30

The “MOSS” on-demand service launched April 1, 2026. Operating days: Mon–Fri only (closed Sat/Sun/holidays and Dec 31 – Jan 3); operating hours 9:00–17:30. Reserve via the smartphone app (iOS/Android) or by phone (025-775-7778, call centre 8:30–17:00), from 1 week to 30 min ahead. Fare: adult ¥300 / child & disabled ¥200 (¥100 discount for first 3 months when booking via app). Stops “Shimizu” or “Shimizu-iriguchi” are closest to the trailhead.
Note: weekend hikers and those wanting an early start should rely on (A) taxi instead — MOSS does not run on weekends.

(C) Private car

Approx. 25 min from Shiozawa-Ishiuchi IC (Kan-Etsu Expressway) or 20 min from Muikamachi IC. Take Route 291 toward Shimizu; just before Shimizu village, turn left and drive ~2 km to Sakurazaka Parking. Sakurazaka Parking: ¥500/day, ~100 spaces, restroom available, paved. May fill up in peak fall foliage and Golden Week. Winter access (December – early April) closed.

Reference: Minamiuonuma City — Mountain Information | Minamiuonuma City — MOSS Official

3. MOSS “Ueda Fixed-Route” Timetable (effective April 1, 2026)

MOSS also offers a “fixed-route” service (no reservation needed) that inherits the morning and evening runs of the former Sawaguchi-Shimizu — Muikamachi bus line. Operates on weekdays only (Mon–Fri) and Dec 29–30 (closed Sat/Sun/holidays and Dec 31 – Jan 3). Operator: Ginrei Taxi Co., Ltd. (025-772-2440).
For hikers, the morning Shimizu → Muikamachi run is potentially useful on the descent day. The evening Muikamachi → Sawaguchi run terminates at Sawaguchi — it does NOT continue to Shimizu.

MOSS Ueda Fixed-Route TimetableUeda (Shimizu) → Muikamachi (Morning, weekdays only)

MOSS Ueda Fixed-Route TimetableMuikamachi → Ueda (Evening, weekdays only — terminates at Sawaguchi)

Reference: [Minamiuonuma City — Community Bus Timetables] | [MOSS Official Page]

4. Route Overview, Mountain Hut Info & Regulations

Course time (Ido-One ridge route, round trip Sakurazaka → Summit, approx. 7 h 45 min)

Sakurazaka Parking (730 m) → (1:10) → 5th Station Yakematsu (1,115 m) → (1:00) → 6th Station Observation Pt. (1,352 m) → (0:40) → 7th Station → (0:50) → 9th Station “False Makihata” (Mae-Makihata, 1,861 m) → (0:10) → Makihata Emergency Hut (1,803 m) → (0:40) → Onhata-ya summit marker (1,962 m) → Makihata highest point (1,967 m) → 3 h 05 min descent

Distance & elevation

Approx. 12.4 km round trip, cumulative gain ~1,237 m. Difficulty on Ido-One: beginner–intermediate. The sub-routes Nukubi-zawa and Yoneko-zawa have been effectively closed since the 2011 Niigata-Fukushima floods (trail eroded — now expert sawa-climbing only). General hikers should use the Ido-One route exclusively.

Mountain hut info

– Makihata Emergency Hut (1,803 m, 10 min walk from Onhata-ya, near Yoneko-zawa headwaters): unstaffed year-round, capacity ~30 on tatami flooring, no bedding or blankets, free of charge (donations welcome), pedal-flush toilets (2 units, indoor + behind hut), water source 3 min below at Yoneko-zawa headwaters (summer only — boil before drinking), emergency radio available, mobile phone docomo only (au and SoftBank are out of range), managed by the volunteer group “Makihata Tomo-no-kai”
– Shimizu village lodges (recommended for pre-trip overnight stays): “Shimizu Sansō”, “Unten”, several minshuku — reservations required

Water & restrooms

– Sakurazaka Parking: public restroom, no water source / no vending machine — bring sufficient water
– On the Ido-One route: no water sources — fill bottles fully at Sakurazaka
– Makihata Emergency Hut: Yoneko-zawa headwaters (summer only), pedal toilets

Regulations & seasonal info

– Hiking season: Late May to late October. The residual-snow period (April – mid-May) requires ice axe, crampons, and full route-finding skill — for advanced hikers only
– Forest road to Sakurazaka: Closed in winter (December – early April), exact dates depend on snowpack
– Vegetation recovery zone: Wooden boardwalk & rope guides are being installed between the 8th Station and the summit — strictly stay on the boardwalk, no entry to tarns or wetland
– Nukubi-zawa & Yoneko-zawa: Eroded since 2011, not treated as general hiking routes (sawa-climbing skills required)
– Autumn foliage: late September – early October (alpine kusa-momiji); mid-to-late October (beech zone below)
– Flowers: late June – July (Hakusan-kozakura, Nikkō-kisuge); late July – August (chinguruma)

Emergency contacts

– Niigata Prefectural Police (mountain rescue): 110
– Minamiuonuma Police Station: 025-773-0110
– Minamiuonuma City — Industry & Tourism Section (hut management, mountain info): 025-773-6665
– Minamiuonuma Tourism Association: 025-783-3377

Recommended plans

– Day hike (fit hikers only): Stay over the previous night in Shimizu or Muikamachi, take a 5:00 taxi to Sakurazaka → summit by 13:00 → back at Sakurazaka 16:00 → return taxi to Muikamachi. Plan for ~10 hours of activity
– Overnight (recommended): Day 1 — Sakurazaka morning departure → summit → Makihata Emergency Hut by 15:00 (collect water, dinner) | Day 2 — sunrise from the summit area → tarn-strewn ridge in the morning light → descend from 9:00 → Sakurazaka 13:00. Carry sleeping bag, blanket, food — the hut is unstaffed
– Best seasons: late June – July for Hakusan-kozakura / Nikkō-kisuge, or late September – early October for the alpine kusa-momiji palette

Photo by Raita Futo