Mt. Jominesan

Mt. Jōminesan (城峯山, 1,037.7 m) stands on the border of Chichibu City, Minano and Kamikawa in Saitama Prefecture, and is one of the 100 Famous Mountains of Kantō. Its summit has a first-order triangulation point and a radio tower whose base serves as an observation deck, giving a 360-degree panorama over the Oku-Chichibu mountains, western Jōshū and the Nikkō range. On the mountain stands Jōmine Shrine, linked to the legend of Taira no Masakado and famous for its “Okuma-sama” (wolf) talismans warding off fire and theft.
The nearest station is Minano on the Chichibu Railway; from there a Minano town bus runs to Nishikadohira, and the usual climb goes via the Kanekake Castle ruins.

Mt. Jōminesan is one of the 100 Famous Mountains of Kantō. From Minano Station on the Chichibu Railway, take the Minano town bus (Hinozawa Line) to Nishikadohira; the trail begins about 100 m beyond the bus stop. The standard route climbs from Nishikadohira over the Kanekake Castle ruins and Isama Pass to the summit and back — about 4 hours 20 minutes round trip over roughly 7.3 km.

*Timetable last checked: unverified

1. [Outbound] Minano Station → Nishikadohira → Kanekake Castle → Jōminesan
2. [Return] Jōminesan → Nishikadohira → Minano Station
3. Recommended plans & area info

1. [Outbound] Minano Station → Nishikadohira → Kanekake Castle → Jōminesan

From the bus stop in front of Minano Station (Chichibu Railway), take the Minano town bus on the Hinozawa Line (route T34, toward Nishi-Tatsuzawa) and get off at Nishikadohira. The trailhead is on the right at a left-hand bend about 100 m along the road from the bus stop. The path climbs over the Kanekake Castle ruins (a medieval mountain fort) to Isama Pass, then a short final pull leads to the summit — about 2 hours 15 minutes from Nishikadohira. Services are sparse on Sundays and holidays, so mind your arrival time at the trailhead.

Ride time: about 33 minutes
Fare: ¥290 one way

Bus TimetableMinano Station → Nishikadohira

Reference: Minano Town — community bus timetables

2. [Return] Jōminesan → Nishikadohira → Minano Station

To descend, retrace your route over Isama Pass and the Kanekake Castle ruins back to the Nishikadohira bus stop (about 2 hours downhill). From Nishikadohira, the Minano town bus returns to Minano Station. Services are limited, so check the times against your descent. The “Kantō Fureai-no-Michi (Path of the Masakado Legend)” also runs down to Jōmine Shrine and Jōmine Park on the Kamikawa side, but bus links there are sparse, so an out-and-back to Minano Station is easiest to plan. There are no shops on the mountain, so prepare food and water near Minano Station.

Ride time: about 33 minutes
Fare: ¥290 one way

Bus TimetableNishikadohira → Minano Station

Reference: Minano Town — community bus timetables

3. Recommended plans & area info

Day-trip out-and-back: Nishikadohira → Kanekake Castle → Isama Pass → Jōminesan (about 4 hours 20 minutes round trip, roughly 7.3 km, about 770 m of ascent). Enjoy the 360-degree view from the summit observation deck.
Traverse: The “Kantō Fureai-no-Michi (Path of the Masakado Legend)” also descends via Jōmine Shrine to Jōmine Park and Tosenbashi on the Kamikawa side. Bus links at the far end are limited, so check the times when planning.

Photo by Koda6029 / CC BY-SA 4.0