Mt. Myoko

Mt. Myoko (妙高山, 2,454 m) is a stratovolcano rising above Myoko City in Niigata Prefecture. Its handsome cone has earned it the name “Echigo Fuji“, and it stands in Joshin’etsu-kogen National Park as one of the 100 Famous Mountains of Japan (selected by Kyuya Fukada).

It is the central cone of a double caldera built by volcanic activity, and the principal summit of the Kubiki Sanzan (Mt. Myoko, Mt. Hiuchi and Mt. Yakeyama). Linking it with neighbouring Mt. Hiuchi (2,462 m, also one of the 100 Famous Mountains) is popular, and both can be climbed in three days from the Sasagamine trailhead. There are three ways in: Tsubame Onsen (Sekiyama Station, then Keinan Bus), Sasagamine (Myoko-Kogen Station, then the summer direct bus) and the Akakura Sky Cable. Intermediate to advanced ★★★★, about 8 hours.

*Timetable last checked: May 21, 2026

1. [Outbound] Sekiyama Station → Tsubame Onsen trailhead (Keinan Bus, all year)

Tsubame Onsen (1,150 m), the trailhead for the Tsubame Onsen route, is reached on the Keinan Bus (Sekiyama Station → Tsubame Onsen) in about 32 minutes for ¥600 one way, with 5 to 7 services a day, all year round (fewer in winter, when the route is also shortened). From the Tsubame Onsen bus stop the trailhead is a minute’s walk through the hot-spring village. By car it is about 30 minutes from Myoko-Kogen IC, with parking at Tsubame Onsen for about 30 vehicles.

Operating period : all year (fewer services from December to March, with part of the route shortened)
Journey time : Sekiyama Station → Tsubame Onsen, about 32 minutes
Fare : ¥600 (one way)
Frequency : 5 to 7 services a day

Sekiyama Station → Tsubame Onsen (Keinan Bus, services useful for hikers, all year)

2. [Return] Tsubame Onsen trailhead → Sekiyama Station (Keinan Bus, all year)

After the descent, the same bus and route take you from the Tsubame Onsen trailhead back to Sekiyama Station in about 1 hour 5 minutes (details above). Miss the last service and you may struggle to find a bed, so check the departure times and plan the descent to fit them.

Tsubame Onsen → Sekiyama Station (Keinan Bus, return, all year)

Note : Departure times change from year to year, so confirm with Keinan Bus or the Myoko city bus service. On the way down you can bathe at the free open-air “Ogon-no-yu” and “Kawara-no-yu” at Tsubame Onsen, or at the Tsubame Onsen Hotel (¥700).

Reference : Keinan Bus official site ｜ Myoko Tourism Board: access
Inquiries : Keinan Bus ☎0255-72-3139 / Myoko City Hall, tourism and commerce section ☎0255-74-0021

3. [Outbound] Myoko-Kogen Station → Sasagamine trailhead (Keinan Bus direct service, summer only)

The Sasagamine trailhead (1,300 m), the base for the traverse to Mt. Hiuchi, is reached on the Keinan Bus direct service to Sasagamine (Myoko-Kogen Station → Imoriike → Sasagamine-kogen) in about 50 minutes for ¥1,500 one way. It runs from about 12 July, when the season opens, to 26 October (2025 figures; confirm for 2026), with 2 to 8 services a day depending on the date. The Sasagamine trailhead is the base for the Mt. Hiuchi and Mt. Myoko traverse, with free parking for about 100 vehicles.

Operating period : typically 12 July to 26 October (from the opening of the season through the autumn; confirm in advance)
Journey time : Myoko-Kogen Station → Sasagamine-kogen, about 50 minutes
Fare : ¥1,500 (one way)
Frequency : 2 to 8 services a day, depending on the date

Myoko-Kogen Station → Sasagamine-kogen (Keinan Bus direct service, summer only; services useful for hikers)

4. [Return] Sasagamine trailhead → Myoko-Kogen Station (Keinan Bus direct service, summer only)

After the descent, the same bus and route take you from the Sasagamine trailhead back to Myoko-Kogen Station in about 1 hour 5 minutes (details above). Miss the last service and you may struggle to find a bed, so check the departure times and plan the descent to fit them.

Sasagamine-kogen → Myoko-Kogen Station (Keinan Bus direct service, return, summer only)

Note : The operating period and the number of services vary a great deal from year to year, so always confirm with Keinan Bus or the Myoko Tourism Board. Miss the last bus (16:00) and you are staying at Sasagamine-kogen or paying for a car or taxi to Myoko-Kogen Station (about ¥10,000). On the traverse to Mt. Hiuchi, a night at Kouyaike Hutte (1,990 m, booking required) is the standard plan.

Reference : Niigata Tourism Association: Sasagamine direct bus ｜ Keinan Bus official site
Inquiries : Keinan Bus ☎0255-72-3139 / Kouyaike Hutte ☎090-7068-2061

5. The Akakura Sky Cable, the Mt. Hiuchi traverse and suggested plans

Akakura Sky Cable (Akakura Kanko Resort, south side): about 15 minutes by local bus from Myoko-Kogen Station, then the sky cable (return ¥2,200, summer only from mid-July to late October) up to 1,300 m. From there the Akakura trail gives a round trip to the summit of Mt. Myoko of about 8 hours. The trail is closed outside the operating season. Official site: akr-sky.com

About Mt. Myoko
A standalone peak (2,454 m) in the south-west of Niigata Prefecture, inside Joshin’etsu-kogen National Park, with the handsome cone that earned it the name “Echigo Fuji“, and the principal summit of the Kubiki Sanzan (Mt. Myoko, Mt. Hiuchi and Mt. Yakeyama). The volcano was active around 300,000 years ago, and the mountain is the central cone of a double caldera. It lies close to Joetsu-Myoko Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen and is surrounded by hot springs — Tsubame, Akakura, Ikenotaira and others. Kyuya Fukada listed it as Mt. Myoko in his 100 Famous Mountains of Japan.

The three main routes

• Tsubame Onsen route (intermediate to advanced, about 8 hours): from Tsubame Onsen, with the chains at Tengudo as the crux; reachable all year
• Sasagamine route (intermediate, about 10 hours plus a night at Kouyaike): the base for the Mt. Hiuchi traverse
• Akakura Sky Cable route (intermediate, about 8 hours, summer only)

Huts and hot springs
– Kouyaike Hutte (1,990 m, on the Mt. Hiuchi side): open typically June to October (in May, accommodation without meals only), booking required, ☎090-7068-2061
– “Ogon-no-yu” and “Kawara-no-yu” at Tsubame Onsen: free open-air baths (mixed bathing, climbing season only)
– Akakura Onsen: a large hot-spring resort with several day-bathing options
– Ikenotaira Onsen: close to Myoko-Kogen Station, good for families

Points to note
– Volcanic alert Level 1 (normal): open to climbers, but this is an active volcano — watch for volcanic gas
– The chains at Tengudo (Tsubame Onsen and Akakura routes): a fall would be serious, so turn back in rain
– The direct bus to Sasagamine runs in summer only: outside the season you need a car or a taxi
– Bears are sighted here: carry a bell and spray

Emergency and general contacts

• Myoko City Hall, tourism and commerce section: ☎0255-74-0021 / Myoko Tourism Board: ☎0255-86-3911
• Myoko Police Station (climbing plans, mountain rescue): ☎0255-72-0110
• Keinan Bus: ☎0255-72-3139 / Kouyaike Hutte: ☎090-7068-2061
• Akakura Sky Cable: ☎0255-87-2503 / Tsubame Onsen Tourism Association: ☎0255-82-3168

Suggested plans

• Day hike on the Tsubame Onsen route (intermediate to advanced, possible all year): Sekiyama Station 7:50 → Tsubame Onsen 8:22 → summit 13:00 → Tsubame Onsen 16:30 → Sekiyama Station 17:02, with a soak in the Ogon-no-yu on the way
• Two days, Mt. Myoko and Mt. Hiuchi traverse (recommended, the most popular): Day 1, Myoko-Kogen → Sasagamine → night at Kouyaike Hutte, with Mt. Hiuchi and back in the afternoon. Day 2, early start from Kouyaike → Mt. Myoko and back → descend → Myoko-Kogen Station

Reference : Myoko Tourism Board ｜ Mt. Myoko route guide

Photo by Σ64 (Flickr)