Mt. Hamaibamaru (はまいばまる, 1,752m) on the Otsuki / Koshu City border, Yamanashi, is the 3rd-rank peak of the Shurei Fugaku Twelve Views (paired with Mt. Okuratakamaru), and one of the 100 Famous Yamanashi Mountains. The kanji 「破魔射場丸」 (Hamaiba-maru) comes from an ancient archery range site. Located at the southern end of the Koganesawa Range; summit offers a 360° panorama of Mt. Fuji, the Southern Alps, and the Yatsugatake range, with especially fine Mt. Fuji views.
The standard route is the Yu-no-sawa Pass → Mt. Okuratakamaru → Mt. Hamaibamaru out-and-back (~3 hr). Intermediate ★★★・distance ~6 km・elevation gain 220 m・action time ~3 hours (day hike). Ideal for 3rd-rank peak pair complete conquest; private car access to Yu-no-sawa Pass available.
Access to the trailhead
- [Outbound] Tokyo / Osaka → Kai-Yamato Station (JR Chuo Line local)
- [Outbound / Return] Kai-Yamato Stn ⇔ Yu-no-sawa Pass (taxi / private car / walk, no scheduled bus)
- Yu-no-sawa Pass course, Okuratakamaru link, suggested plans
Course time (Yu-no-sawa Pass → Mt. Okuratakamaru → Mt. Hamaibamaru out-and-back, day hike, Intermediate, ~3 hr)
Yu-no-sawa Pass (1,650 m) → (0:10) → flower fields → (0:50) → Mt. Okuratakamaru (1,781 m) → (0:50) → Mt. Hamaibamaru summit (1,752 m) → descent (1:10) → Yu-no-sawa Pass
1. [Outbound] Tokyo / Osaka → Kai-Yamato Station (JR Chuo Line local)
Kai-Yamato Station (JR Chuo Main Line, local-only) is the gateway for Mt. Hamaibamaru. From Shinjuku, JR Chuo Line Limited Express Kaiji to Otsuki ~1 hr 5 min・¥3,500, transfer to local ~16 min・¥330 to Kai-Yamato. Or JR Chuo Line local ~1 hr 45 min・¥1,690. From Tokyo Station via local ~2 hr. From Osaka via Shinkansen ~4 hr 30 min. From overseas, Haneda Airport → Shinjuku is convenient.
JR / Shinkansen reference :
Shinjuku Stn → Otsuki Stn → Kai-Yamato Stn : Limited Express Kaiji + local ~1 hr 30 min・¥3,830
Shinjuku Stn → Kai-Yamato Stn : JR Chuo Line local ~1 hr 45 min・¥1,690
Tokyo Stn → Kai-Yamato Stn : JR Chuo Line ~2 hr
Osaka Stn → Kai-Yamato Stn : JR Shinkansen route ~4 hr 30 min
Reference : JR East ｜ Yamanashi Hiking — Mt. Okuratakamaru / Hamaibamaru
Contact : JR Otsuki Station ☎0554-22-0029
2. [Outbound / Return] Kai-Yamato Stn ⇔ Yu-no-sawa Pass (taxi / private car / walk, no scheduled bus)
For Mt. Hamaibamaru trailhead Yu-no-sawa Pass (1,650 m, parking ~10 spaces free), no scheduled bus; about 30 min by taxi from JR Kai-Yamato Station・~¥6,000, or private car (Chuo Expressway Katsunuma IC → R20 → prefectural road / forest road, ~60 min). Yu-no-sawa Pass forest road closed Dec to late April for winter. Public transport on foot: 2.5 hr walk from Yamato Tenmokuyama Onsen (1.5 hr to trailhead + 1 hr to pass).
Operating period : Private car / taxi during climbing season May-November (forest road closed Dec to late April)
Travel time : Kai-Yamato Stn → Yu-no-sawa Pass (taxi) ~30 min
Fare : Taxi ~¥6,000 (one-way)
Frequency : No public scheduled bus, reservation taxi required
Kai-Yamato Stn ⇔ Yu-no-sawa Pass (taxi / private car, no scheduled bus, reference)
| Kai-Yamato Stn dep | Yu-no-sawa Pass arr |
|---|---|
| Taxi (reservation required) | ~30 min・¥6,000 |
| Private car (via Katsunuma IC) | ~60 min (trailhead parking 10 spaces free) |
Note : There is no public scheduled bus to Yu-no-sawa Pass; taxi must be pre-reserved at Kai-Yamato Station front (book return too). Private car: upper 3 km of forest road unpaved・closed Dec to late April for winter; even during season, road may close in bad weather. After descent, Yamato Tenmokuyama Onsen (bath ¥520) or Daibosatsu-no-Yu are recommended.
Reference : Tozanguchi Navi — Yu-no-sawa Pass ｜ Yamanashi Hiking — Mt. Okuratakamaru / Hamaibamaru
Contact : Koshu City Tourism ☎0553-32-5091 / Otsuki City Tourism Association ☎0554-22-2942
3. Yu-no-sawa Pass course, Okuratakamaru link, suggested plans
About Mt. Hamaibamaru
At 1,752 m on the Otsuki / Koshu City border, Yamanashi. Selected as the 3rd-rank peak of Otsuki City’s Shurei Fugaku Twelve Views (paired with Mt. Okuratakamaru), and one of the 100 Famous Yamanashi Mountains. The kanji 「破魔射場丸」 (Hamaiba-maru) comes from an ancient archery range site. Located at the southern end of the Koganesawa Range, with excellent Mt. Fuji views. With adjacent Mt. Okuratakamaru (1,781 m) 50 min away, the dual-peak through-traverse is the classic plan — ideal for 3rd-rank peak pair conquest.
Trail overview (2 main courses)
- Yu-no-sawa Pass → Mt. Okuratakamaru → Mt. Hamaibamaru out-and-back (standard, Intermediate, ~3 hr): Yu-no-sawa Pass → flower fields → Mt. Okuratakamaru → Mt. Hamaibamaru round trip, complete 3rd-rank peak conquest
- Yu-no-sawa Pass → Mt. Hamaibamaru → Komesoi Pass → Mt. Otanigamaru traverse (Expert, ~6 hr): Koganesawa Range south end traverse, for fit hikers
Mountain huts / hot springs (2026 information)
– Yu-no-sawa Pass Emergency Hut: Free emergency shelter, water source, for emergency use
– Yu-no-sawa Pass parking: ~10 spaces, free, toilet (in season)
– Yamato Tenmokuyama Onsen (Koshu City, bath ¥520): Post-descent drop-in bath
– Daibosatsu-no-Yu (Koshu City, bath ¥620): Post-descent drop-in
Climbing season / flora: May to November (Yu-no-sawa Pass forest road closed in winter). June-August: alpine wildflower fields (nikko-kisuge, matsumushi-so, hakusan-furo, etc.), late September to October: autumn colors. Winter (Dec-April) is effectively unclimbable due to road closure.
Cautions
– Yu-no-sawa Pass forest road closed Dec to late April: Climbing-possible period May-Nov
– No scheduled bus: Taxi or private car; book return taxi in advance
– Yu-no-sawa Pass parking 10 spaces: Frequently full on flower-field weekends; early morning arrival recommended
– Water only at Yu-no-sawa Pass emergency hut: Carry at least 1.5 L
– Local transfer required at Otsuki: Limited Express bypasses Kai-Yamato
Emergency contacts / inquiries
- Koshu City Tourism: ☎0553-32-5091 / Otsuki City (Tourism Association): ☎0554-22-2942
- Koshu Police Station (climbing notification / mountain rescue): ☎0553-32-0110
- JR Otsuki Station: ☎0554-22-0029
Suggested plans (Yu-no-sawa Pass → Mt. Okuratakamaru → Mt. Hamaibamaru out-and-back, day hike, recommended, standard)
- Day-hike out-and-back (recommended, Intermediate, complete 3rd-rank conquest): Shinjuku 6:14 → Otsuki Stn 7:50 → Kai-Yamato Stn 8:06 → taxi → Yu-no-sawa Pass 8:40 → flower fields 8:50 → Mt. Okuratakamaru 9:40 → Mt. Hamaibamaru 10:30 → Yu-no-sawa Pass 12:30 → taxi → Kai-Yamato Stn → return
- Koganesawa Range traverse (Expert, fit): Yu-no-sawa Pass → Mt. Hamaibamaru → Komesoi Pass → Mt. Otanigamaru → Mt. Kondo → descent (~6 hr)
Reference : Yamanashi Hiking — Mt. Okuratakamaru / Hamaibamaru ｜ Tozanguchi Navi — Yu-no-sawa Pass
Photo by Oda230
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