Mt. Azumaya

Mt. Azumaya (吾妻耶山, Azumayasan, 1,341 m) is a mountain in Minakami, Tone District, Gunma Prefecture, and one of the 100 Famous Mountains of Kantō (and the 100 Famous Mountains of Gunma). Standing at the front of the Mikuni Mountains, it takes its name from a profile said to resemble an inverted roof. On the summit stand three stone shrines carved with the rokurensen (six-coin crest) of the Sanada clan, the Sengoku-era warlords, and there are sweeping views of the Tanigawa range and Mt. Hotaka. A loop linking it with neighbouring Mt. Omine and the mysterious Omine-numa marsh is popular, and the mountain can be climbed on foot from Kamimoku Station on the JR Jōetsu Line.
The nearest station is Kamimoku Station (JR Jōetsu Line); the Omine-numa trailhead is about a 1 hour 20 minute walk away.

Mt. Azumaya is one of the 100 Famous Mountains of Kantō. By public transport, the starting points are Kamimoku or Minakami stations on the JR Jōetsu Line; from Kamimoku you can walk to the Omine-numa trailhead (follow the road from the station, cross the Tone River on a red bridge, and head up to the trailhead). By car, take the Kan-etsu Expressway to the Minakami IC for the Omine-numa trailhead, Norn Minakami Ski Resort, or Hotokeiwa Pocket Park. There is no bus running directly to the trailheads, so access is on foot from the station or by car/taxi.

*Train times last checked: May 15, 2026

1. [Outbound] Kamimoku Station → Omine-numa trailhead → Omine-numa → Mt. Omine → Mt. Azumaya
2. [Alternative] From Hotokeiwa Pocket Park / Norn Minakami Ski Resort
3. [Return] Descent → Kamimoku / Minakami Station
4. Recommended plans & area info

1. [Outbound] Kamimoku Station → Omine-numa trailhead → Omine-numa → Mt. Omine → Mt. Azumaya

Kamimoku Station on the JR Jōetsu Line is the public-transport starting point. Follow the road from the station toward Minakami, cross the Tone River on a red bridge and climb toward the hills to reach the Omine-numa trailhead, about a 1 hour 20 minute walk.
From the trailhead, stop by the natural lake Omine-numa, then go over Onuma-goe to Mt. Omine (1,255 m). Linking Akayagoe and the Hotokeiwa junction, you finally reach the summit of Mt. Azumaya. Starting from the Omine-numa trailhead, the loop over Mt. Omine and Mt. Azumaya is about 10.3 km, with around 735 m of cumulative ascent and roughly 5 hours of walking. It is a well-signposted ridge walk for intermediate hikers.

Reference: YAMAP — Omine-numa trailhead / Mt. Omine / Mt. Azumaya loop

2. [Alternative] From Hotokeiwa Pocket Park / Norn Minakami Ski Resort

By car, the shortest route is from Hotokeiwa Pocket Park. It is about 20 minutes from the Minakami IC on the Kan-etsu Expressway via National Route 291 and Gunma Prefectural Route 270, and about 2 hours 30 minutes from the car park to the summit. The ridge on the Hotokeiwa side is known for its rhododendron groves, which bloom from mid-May.
Another starting point is Norn Minakami Ski Resort (about 820 m) on the eastern foot. Climb the slope on the service road behind the first car park and join the trail near the top of the lift. Both have free parking and can be combined with the Omine-numa course into a loop.

Reference: Wikipedia — Mt. Azumaya

3. [Return] Descent → Kamimoku / Minakami Station

If you start from Omine-numa, the usual return is to descend toward the Norn Minakami Ski Resort side and loop back to Omine-numa. By public transport, you can descend from Mt. Azumaya toward Hotokeiwa and out to Minakami Station via Suzumori-no-yu, or retrace your outbound route down to Kamimoku Station. Trains on the JR Jōetsu Line are infrequent, so check departure times in advance to match your descent. Afterwards you can soak at the Minakami hot-spring resorts or Suzumori-no-yu.

Reference: JR East train timetable

4. Recommended plans & area info

Public-transport plan: Kamimoku Station → walk to the Omine-numa trailhead → Omine-numa → Mt. Omine → Mt. Azumaya → out to Minakami Station via Hotokeiwa (about 6–7 hours overall, for fit hikers).
Car plan: an out-and-back from Hotokeiwa Pocket Park (about 5 hours), or a loop over Mt. Omine and Mt. Azumaya from the Omine-numa trailhead (about 10.3 km, around 5 hours). You can enjoy the summit shrines, the Tanigawa-range views and the mysterious Omine-numa in one trip.

Mt. Azumaya Hiking Routes, Difficulty & Best Season

Mt. Azumaya is a 1,341 m peak in Minakami, Gunma Prefecture, counted among the 100 Famous Mountains of Kanto (and the 100 Famous Mountains of Gunma). Its appeal lies in the views of the Tanigawa Range and Mt. Hotaka-yama, the mysterious natural pond of Omine-numa, and the three stone shrines enshrined at the summit.

Main routes

• Omine-numa Trailhead → Omine-numa → Mt. Omine → Mt. Azumaya (loop): about 10.3 km / cumulative elevation gain about 735 m / time about 5 hours / difficulty: intermediate. A well-signposted ridge walk.
• Hotoke-iwa Pocket Park → Mt. Azumaya (out and back): the shortest route, about 2 hours 30 minutes to the summit (about 5 hours round trip). It is known for the rhododendrons that bloom from mid-May.
• From Norn Minakami Ski Resort: climb the slope on the eastern foot (about 820 m elevation) and pick up the trail near the top of the lifts.

Difficulty & fitness

It is intermediate, with technical grade B and moderate physical demand. The trail is well signposted, but the ridge can be windy with sharp temperature swings, so take care. There is no water source on the ridge, so prepare your drinking water at the station or the trailhead. In winter it becomes a snow-season climb.

Best season

From the fresh greenery to the autumn colours (early summer to autumn) is the most comfortable, and from mid-May the rhododendrons on the Hotoke-iwa-side ridge come into their prime. In winter it is a snow-season climb, requiring proper gear and sound judgement of the weather.

Highlights

The highlights are the sweeping views of the Tanigawa Range and Mt. Hotaka-yama, the three summit stone shrines carved with the Sanada clan’s six-coin crest, and the mysterious natural pond of Omine-numa.

Featured image: Yama0904 / CC BY-SA 4.0