Mt. Tekaridake (てかりだけ, 2,591m) straddles the border of Iida City (Nagano) and Aoi Ward of Shizuoka City (Shizuoka) in the southern Southern Alps, selected in Kyuya Fukada’s One Hundred Mountains of Japan as the southernmost high peak among the Hyakumeizan. The mountain’s name comes from “Hikari-iwa” (white limestone) just below the summit, which appears to glow in the evening sun.
The Iroudo course (on foot from Shibasawa Gate, 2 nights 3 days standard) leads to this remote peak. Expert ★★★★★・distance ~21 km・elevation gain 1,711 m・action time ~18 hours (2 nights 3 days at Tekaridake Hut). The summit overlooks Mt. Hijiri, Mt. Akaishi, Mt. Ikeguchi and the deep southern range.
Access to the trailhead
- [Outbound / Return] To Shibasawa Gate & Iroudo by public transport (Mainichi Alpen-go / reserved shared taxi)
- Iroudo course, Tekaridake Hut, suggested plans
Estimated Trail Times (Iroudo course, 2 nights 3 days, Expert, ~18 hours)
Day 1 (~7 hr): Iroudo (880 m) → (1 hr) → Mt. Iro junction → (5 hr) → Mt. Iro (2,354 m) → (1 hr) → Mikkichi-Gare (camp) or Seikousha Hut (Benigashima) overnight
Day 2 (~5 hr): Mt. Iro → (2 hr 30 min) → Shizukodaira → (1 hr) → Tekaridake Hut (2,500 m) overnight + summit round trip (30 min + Hikari-iwa 20 min)
Day 3 (~6 hr): Tekaridake Hut → (1 hr) → Mt. Iro → (5 hr) → Iroudo → Shibasawa Gate
1. [Outbound / Return] To Shibasawa Gate & Iroudo by public transport (Mainichi Alpen-go / reserved shared taxi)
Trailhead = Shibasawa Gate (end of the drivable road). Private cars and local buses stop here; from the gate it is a 5 km / 1.5-hour walk along the forest road to Iroudo (the actual trailhead, 880 m) (no vehicles beyond the gate since the 2018 landslide). Without a private car there are only two ways to reach Shibasawa Gate / Iroudo, both in summer only (roughly July–September).
① Mainichi Alpen-go: an overnight direct climber bus from Shinjuku Busta to Shibasawa Gate.
② Reserved shared taxi: stay overnight in Tōyamagō, then ride Michi-no-Eki Tōyamagō → Iroudo direct the next morning (no 5 km walk).
① Shinjuku Busta → Shibasawa Gate (Mainichi Alpen-go, summer overnight direct)
| Shinjuku Busta dep | Shibasawa Gate arr |
|---|---|
| approx. 22:00 (overnight, summer Fri–Sun) | approx. 5:30 (next morning) |
Return : Shibasawa Gate dep approx. 14:00 → Shinjuku Busta arr approx. 22:00 (summer Sun & holidays). Fare : about ¥12,000 one way, around 8 hours. Confirm the dates and reserve on the official Mainichi Shimbun Travel “Mainichi Alpen-go” site.
② Iida Station → Kagura-no-Yu (Michi-no-Eki Tōyamagō) — Shinnan Kotsu Tōyamagō Line, year-round
| Iida Station dep | Kagura-no-Yu (Michi-no-Eki Tōyamagō) arr |
|---|---|
| 13:30 | 14:53 |
Return : Kagura-no-Yu dep 16:24 → Iida Station arr 17:32 (connects from the 13:00 shared taxi out of Iroudo); a morning bus runs Kagura-no-Yu dep 8:55 → Iida Station arr 10:25.
② Michi-no-Eki Tōyamagō → Iroudo — reserved shared taxi (summer, reservation only)
| Michi-no-Eki Tōyamagō dep | Iroudo arr |
|---|---|
| 4:30 | approx. 5:10 |
Return : Iroudo dep 13:00 → Michi-no-Eki Tōyamagō. Reservations : Tōyamagō Tourism Association ☎0260-34-1071 / Asahi Kotsu ☎0265-22-1616 / Iida Taxi ☎0265-22-1111 and other Iida-city taxi firms.
Outside the season (Oct–Jun) there is no public transport : both the Mainichi Alpen-go and the shared taxi run only in summer. Off-season the only options are a chartered taxi from Iida Station (far and expensive) or a private car.
(Reference) By car : Chuo Expressway Iida IC → R152 → Akaishi forest road → about 20 km of city road to Shibasawa Gate (free parking, 50 spaces); then a 5 km walk to Iroudo. Closures beyond Kitamatado Gate are frequent — check with the Iida City Forestry Section ☎0265-22-4511 before you go.
References : Tōyamagō Tourism Association — access to Iroudo ｜ Shinnan Kotsu local buses ｜ Tōyamagō Tourism Association — South Alps trailheads
2. Iroudo course, Tekaridake Hut, suggested plans
About Mt. Tekaridake
Mt. Tekaridake stands at the southernmost end of the main ridge of the Southern Alps and is known as the southern limit of creeping pine (haimatsu) distribution on Honshu, making it an academically valuable peak. Even among the Hyakumeizan, the elevation gain and distance from the trailhead are considerable, and its defining feature is one of the longest approaches of all: from the Shibasawa Gate and Iorudo, the climb requires one or two nights on the mountain, with Tekari-goya hut (2,500m, reservation required) just below the summit serving as the base. The quiet ridge walk, looking out over the peaks of the deep south such as Mt. Hijiridake and Mt. Akaishidake, draws visitors into a secluded wilderness.
Trail overview (2 main courses)
- Iroudo course (Nagano side, standard, Expert, ~18 hr, 2 nights 3 days): Shibasawa Gate → walk → Iroudo → Mt. Iro → Tekaridake Hut → summit / Hikari-iwa; shortest access
- Mt. Hijiri / Mt. Kamikochi traverse (Expert, 3-4 nights): Mt. Hijiri / Mt. Kamikochi / Mt. Chausu southbound traverse; serious traverse
- Sumatakyo course (Shizuoka side, Expert, 4-5 nights): Sumatakyo → Mt. Oneza-yama → Mt. Tekaridake; super-long
Mountain huts / hot springs (2026 information)
– Tekaridake Hut (2,500 m, operated by Kawanehon Town, Shizuoka, ☎0547-58-7077): Open July 1 – end of September 2026, reservation only, capacity 20, 1 night with 2 meals ~¥10,000, reserve via official reservation site
– Seikousha Hut (Benigashima) (☎090-7027-2645 satellite phone): Open April 26 – November 3, capacity 18, reservation required, base for both Tekaridake and Hijiri climbs
– Hijiri-daira Hut (☎080-1560-6309 Ikawa Tourism): Open July 12 – September 23, used for Mt. Hijiri traverse
– Toyamago Onsen “Kagura-no-Yu” (bath ¥620)・Akaishi Onsen “Shirakabaso” (post-descent)
Climbing season / flora: Early July to September. July: alpine pine, lingonberry, hakusan-ichige (southern-limit colonies). August-September: alpine plants. Late September onward: autumn colors. Snow remains on the ridge until early July. Forest road closes from October.
Cautions
– 5 km walk from Shibasawa Gate: Since 2018 collapse, walk required to Iroudo (~1 hr 30 min)
– Kitamatado Gate frequently closed: Pre-confirm with Iida City Forestry; worst case, walk the entire way from Shibasawa Gate
– Tekaridake Hut reservation only: No walk-ins; capacity 20 only
– Water at huts, Hijiri-daira Hut, Mt. Iro spring: Carrying water essential, at least 2 L
– Remote southern Southern Alps: Yamabiru (mountain leeches), hornets, bear sightings reported; appropriate gear
Emergency contacts / inquiries
- Iida City Forestry (forest road info): ☎0265-22-4511 / Iida Police Station (climbing notification / mountain rescue): ☎0265-23-0110
- Kawanehon Town Tourism (Tekaridake Hut): ☎0547-58-7077 / Ikawa Tourism Association (Hijiri-daira Hut): ☎080-1560-6309
- Seikousha Hut (satellite phone): ☎090-7027-2645
- Toyamago Tourism Association: ☎0260-34-1071
Suggested plans (Iroudo course, 2 nights 3 days at Tekaridake Hut, recommended, standard)
- 2 nights 3 days at Tekaridake Hut (recommended, standard): Day 0 Shinjuku 22:00 → Mainichi Alpen-go → Shibasawa Gate 5:30. Day 1 Shibasawa Gate 6:00 → Iroudo 7:30 → Mt. Iro 14:00 → Mikkichi-Gare or Seikousha Hut overnight. Day 2 Mt. Iro → Tekaridake Hut 12:00 → summit 13:00 → Hikari-iwa 14:00 → hut overnight. Day 3 Tekaridake Hut 6:00 → Mt. Iro → Iroudo → Shibasawa Gate 14:00 → return
- 3 nights 4 days via Mt. Hijiri traverse (for strong hikers): Day 1 Shibasawa Gate → Benigashima Seikousha Hut. Day 2 Mt. Hijiri → Hijiri-daira Hut. Day 3 Mt. Kamikochi → Mt. Chausu → Tekaridake Hut. Day 4 descend via Iroudo
Reference : Toyamago Tourism Association — Southern Alps trailheads
Photo by Alpsdake
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