Mt. Okuratakamaru (おおくらたかまる, 1,781m) on the Otsuki / Koshu City border, Yamanashi, is the 3rd-rank peak of the Shurei Fugaku Twelve Views (paired with Mt. Hamaibamaru), and one of the 100 Famous Yamanashi Mountains. Located on the Koganesawa Range (ridge south of Mt. Daibosatsu), 10 min from Yu-no-sawa Pass reaches alpine wildflower fields; summit offers a 360° panorama of Mt. Fuji, the Southern Alps, and the Yatsugatake range.
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). With small elevation gain, ideal for 3rd-rank peak pair complete conquest; private car access to Yu-no-sawa Pass available.
Access to the trailhead
- [Outbound / Return] Kai-Yamato Stn ⇔ Yu-no-sawa Pass (taxi / private car / walk, no scheduled bus)
- Yu-no-sawa Pass course, Hamaibamaru 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 summit (1,781 m) → (0:50) → Mt. Hamaibamaru (1,752 m) → descent (1:10) → Yu-no-sawa Pass
1. [Outbound / Return] Kai-Yamato Stn ⇔ Yu-no-sawa Pass (taxi / private car / walk, no scheduled bus)
For Mt. Okuratakamaru 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: 1.5 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
Contact : Koshu City Tourism ☎0553-32-5091 / Otsuki City Tourism Association ☎0554-22-2942
2. Yu-no-sawa Pass course, Hamaibamaru link, suggested plans
About Mt. Okuratakamaru
The Shurei Fugaku Twelve Views are mountains chosen by Otsuki City for their outstanding views of Mt. Fuji, with 20 summits spread across numbers 1 to 12. Mt. Okuratakamaru, paired with the neighbouring Mt. Hamaibamaru, is counted as the 3rd-rank peak, and the two are usually climbed together. The bright grassland that opens up just below the summit is designated as the Koganesawa Nature Preserve, where the alpine plants are protected from trampling. The Koganesawa Range is a long ridge running south from Mt. Daibosatsu; Mt. Okuratakamaru stands just south of Yu-no-sawa Pass, a fine viewpoint from which the traverse continues toward Mt. Otanigamaru.
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. Okuratakamaru → Mt. Hamaibamaru → Komesoi Pass → Mt. Otanigamaru traverse (Expert, ~6 hr): Koganesawa Range 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. Okuratakamaru → Mt. Hamaibamaru → Komesoi Pass → Mt. Otanigamaru → Mt. Kondo → descent (~6 hr)
Reference : Yamanashi Hiking — Mt. Okuratakamaru ｜ Tozanguchi Navi — Yu-no-sawa Pass
Photo by Oda230
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