Mt. Iwaki (1,625 m) — known as “Tsugaru Fuji” for its graceful conical silhouette — straddles the cities of Hirosaki, Tsugaru, and the town of Ajigasawa in Aomori Prefecture and is the spiritual symbol of the Tsugaru region. The mountain features in the 100 Famous Mountains of Japan, the New 100 Famous Mountains, and the 100 Famous Mountains of Tohoku. Its summit hosts the inner shrine of Iwakiyama Jinja, and the three peaks (Iwaki, Chōkai, Ganki) together command sweeping views of the Tsugaru Plain, the Sea of Japan, and even Cape Esan in Hokkaido on clear days.
The standard route is the Dake Course from Dake Onsen (~4 hours one-way). Alternatively, the Tsugaru-Iwaki Skyline + Lift (late April – end of October) takes you to the 8th-station car park, where a lift hoists you to the 9th station, leaving only ~40 minutes on foot to the summit. The Yayoi Course is closed since September 1, 2025 due to overgrowth and ground cracks; the Hyakuzawa Course (intermediate, ~5 hours) follows the historic pilgrimage path from Iwakiyama Shrine.
Access to Trailhead
- [Outbound/Return] Hirosaki Bus Terminal ⇔ Dake Onsen-mae (Konan Bus Line 30, year-round)
- [Outbound] Hirosaki BT → Iwaki 8th Station Car Park (via Skyline — Bus + Shuttle connection, Apr 23 – Oct 31)
Travel times from major hubs
Tokyo Sta. → Shin-Aomori Sta.: Tohoku Shinkansen “Hayabusa” approx. 3 h 10 min (¥17,470) | Shin-Aomori Sta. → Hirosaki Sta.: JR Ou Main Line approx. 36 min (¥670) | Hirosaki Bus Terminal → Dake Onsen-mae: Konan Bus approx. 60 min (¥500, fare-cap) | Dake Onsen-mae → Iwaki 8th Station: Skyline Shuttle approx. 30 min (¥1,200) | Shin-Osaka → Shin-Aomori via Tokyo: Tokaido + Tohoku Shinkansen approx. 5 h 20 min
1. [Outbound/Return] Hirosaki Bus Terminal ⇔ Dake Onsen-mae (Konan Bus Line 30, year-round)
The Konan Bus “Hirosaki — Iwaki Town Hall / Iwakiyama Line (via Takaoka)” (service numbers 30/330/H30/S133/38) connects Hirosaki Bus Terminal (Stop 3) and Hirosaki Station-mae (Stop 6) with Dake Onsen-mae year-round (effective April 1, 2026). Fare is capped at ¥500 (adult, fare-cap system) regardless of section. The bus also stops at Iwakiyama Shrine-mae (Hyakuzawa Onsen-mae) and Hyakuzawa, convenient for Hyakuzawa Course hikers.
Service period: Year-round
Travel time: Hirosaki Bus Terminal → Dake Onsen-mae approx. 60 min (≈44 min to Iwakiyama Shrine-mae)
Fare: Adult ¥500 (fare-cap)
Frequency: 7 round-trips per day on weekdays + 7 short-routes terminating at Iwaki Town Hall; weekend service reduced (※-marked runs do not operate on Sat/Sun/holidays)
Bus TimetableHirosaki Bus Terminal → Dake Onsen-mae (Outbound, all runs reaching Dake Onsen)
| Hirosaki Bus Terminal dep. | Iwakiyama Shrine arr. | Dake Onsen-mae arr. |
|---|---|---|
| 7:10 | 7:54 | 8:10 |
| 9:10 | 9:54 | 10:10 |
| 11:10 | 11:54 | 12:10 |
| 13:10 | 13:54 | 14:10 |
| 15:10 | 15:54 | 16:10 |
| 16:50 | 17:34 | 17:50 |
| 17:50 | 18:34 | 18:45 |
Bus TimetableDake Onsen-mae → Hirosaki Station-mae (Return)
| Dake Onsen-mae dep. | Iwakiyama Shrine dep. | Hirosaki Station-mae arr. |
|---|---|---|
| ※6:40 | 6:50 | 7:40 |
| 8:25 | 8:35 | 9:25 |
| 10:25 | 10:35 | 11:25 |
| 12:25 | 12:35 | 13:25 |
| 14:25 | 14:35 | 15:25 |
| 16:25 | 16:35 | 17:25 |
| 18:05 | 18:15 | 19:05 |
Reference: [Konan Bus Hirosaki Area Timetable No.5 (official PDF, effective April 1, 2026)] | [Konan Bus Iwaki Line]
2. [Outbound] Hirosaki BT → Iwaki 8th Station Car Park (via Skyline — Bus + Shuttle connection, Apr 23 – Oct 31)
During the Tsugaru-Iwaki Skyline open season (scheduled April 23 – October 31, 2026), Konan Bus operates the “Skyline Shuttle Bus” (line 38) between Dake Onsen-mae and the Iwaki 8th Station car park (elev. 1,247 m). Trip time ~30 min, adult one-way ¥1,200. Service is suspended whenever the Skyline itself closes due to weather. The Skyline toll is separate (passenger car ¥1,830 reference, 2026 revision expected — see Iwaki Skyline official site or call TEL 0172-83-2314 for the latest).
Service period: April 23 (Thu) – October 31 (Sat), 2026 (scheduled)
Travel time: Dake Onsen-mae → 8th Station car park approx. 30 min
Fare: Adult one-way ¥1,200 (round-trip / Iwaki-Shirakami Pass also available)
Suspension: Closed when Skyline is closed due to weather
Connection TimetableHirosaki BT → Dake Onsen-mae → Iwaki 8th Station Car Park (Bus + Shuttle, outbound, via Skyline)
| Hirosaki BT dep. | Dake Onsen-mae arr. | Shuttle dep. | 8th Station Car Park arr. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:10 | 8:10 | 8:20 | 8:50 |
| 9:10 | 10:10 | 10:20 | 10:50 |
| 11:10 | 12:10 | 12:20 | 12:50 |
| 13:10 | 14:10 | 14:20 | 14:50 |
Connection TimetableIwaki 8th Station Car Park → Dake Onsen-mae → Hirosaki Station (Shuttle + Bus, return, via Skyline)
| 8th Station Car Park dep. | Dake Onsen-mae arr. | Bus to Hirosaki dep. | Hirosaki Stn arr. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:45 | 10:15 | 10:25 | 11:25 |
| 11:30 | 12:05 | 12:25 | 13:25 |
| 13:30 | 14:05 | 14:25 | 15:25 |
| 15:35 | 16:10 | 16:25 | 17:25 |
| 17:30 | 18:05 | — | — |
Reference: [Konan Bus Skyline Shuttle] | [Tsugaru-Iwaki Skyline Info]
Routes & Skyline Info
Main Routes
– Dake course (beginner-intermediate, ~6h round trip): Dake Onsen trailhead → 8th station → Mt. Iwaki summit (1,625m)
– Hyakuzawa course (intermediate, ~7h round trip): Iwakiyama Shrine → 1st station → 8th station → summit
– Skyline + Lift route (beginner, ~1h 30min round trip): 8th station car park → lift to 9th station → summit
Tsugaru-Iwaki Skyline
– Open: late April – end of October
– Toll (passenger car): ¥1,830 (verify latest)
– 8th → 9th station lift: ¥700 one-way / ¥1,000 round trip
Emergency Contacts
– Hirosaki Police (mountain rescue): 0172-32-0111
– Iwakisan Tourism Assoc.: 0172-83-2093
– Konan Bus Hirosaki Terminal: 0172-36-5061
Recommended Day Plan
Day trip (via Skyline): Hirosaki BT 7:10 → Dake Onsen 8:10 → 8th station 8:50 → lift + walk → summit 10:30 → descent → Hirosaki Stn 14:25→15:25
Reference: Tsugaru-Iwaki Skyline
Photo by 雷太 (Raita Futo)
Comments