Hikers will descend from Mount Kawamori and Moiunt Honita to Hatonosu, seen here on May 28, 2024. (Joseph Ditzler/Stars and Stripes)
There’s still time to enjoy a cool breeze in the mountains west of Tokyo before the June rains and summer heat catch the city in their respective grips.
Of the myriad mountain trails that begin from Okutama, a forested mountain enclave within the city bounds, the climb up Mount Honita, elevation 4,022 feet, will get your lungs pumping and your heart pounding. Stretch it to cover an ascent of nearby Mount Kawanori at 4,471 feet and earn yourself a cardiopulmonary attaboy.
The 5-mile trek up Honita and down to the train station in Hatonosu town starts from Okutama Station, a 1½-hour ride on the Ome Line from Fussa Station, a half-mile from Yokota Air Base. From Fussa, transfer at Ome for Okutama.
You’ll know you’re in the right car if all your fellow travelers are kitted out in backpacks and hiking boots. Take notes, because Japanese outdoor lovers are both fashionable and well-equipped.
At the Okutama Station, exit and turn right, head for the limestone processing plant, the behemoth ahead that resembles a colliery, and cross the bridge over the Tama River.
Turn right on the far side and follow the road to another bridge at a fishing concession on the river. Stay left on the road to an intersection with a sign in Japanese that indicates a dead end ahead.
A small, trailside shrine stands on the forested slope above Hatonosu, Japan, May 28, 2024. (Joseph Ditzler/Stars and Stripes)
Turn right, heading uphill about 100 yards or so to what looks like a pump house where a trail above a retaining wall on the hillside doubles back past what looks like an abandoned home. The trail is a shortcut that avoids several switchbacks and returns you to the road to the trail proper.
Soon, a sign to your right in a curve of the road will indicate where the trail departs from the pavement and pitches into the forest. From here, it’s another mile or so uphill to the Honita summit. The trail will climb boldly in places but provides a welcome switchback in others.
Ghostly banks of mist move along the flanks of Mount Honita above Okutama, Japan, May 28, 2024. (Joseph Ditzler/Stars and Stripes)
This walk began on a morning forecast to be overcast but was instead drizzly with plenty of mist moving through the woods, casting a gloomy aspect along the path. The climb imposed its toll but soon enough the trail topped a ridge where a ray of sunshine lit the way ahead.
The terrain eased its pitch. The imposing cedar formations gave way to a leafy forest chaos of oak and birch. Except for occasional bird calls, the woods were quiet, devoid of the city sounds — traffic, trains, construction — that ring out even from Okutama.
Mount Kawanori, second peak from left, rises above Hatonosu, Japan, May 28, 2024. (Joseph Ditzler/Stars and Stripes)
This respite site was still a respectable climb to the summit; after a pause for rehydration, I pressed on. Nearing the top of Honita, the forest breaks open for a view of the city below; at the peak itself are two stout benches set among trees.
I descended from there to the pass below in the gap separating Honita from the adjacent peaks, one of which is Kawanori. The afternoon was getting late and with four miles to the next mountain top and back, I opted to save that trek for another a day.
Sunlight illuminates the path atop the summit of Mount Honita above Okutama, Japan, May 28, 2024. (Joseph Ditzler/Stars and Stripes)
Happily, the walk from the gap to the station in Hatonosu 2½ miles below was the next-best part of the trip. An easy stride through open forest eventually dropped into a shorter, steeper section, parts of which were eroded into rocky gullies. No matter, though, the trail is well marked with signs in Japanese and English along the way.
It eventually empties into Hatonosu itself and the descending street leads straight to a rail crossing at the station. For 130 yen, a vending machine across the street delivered a refreshing sports drink. Day hikers ebbed and flowed through the small station’s turnstiles, all eager to escape the Tokyo cityscape for just an afternoon of mountain time.
On the QT
Directions: Take the JR Chuo or Ome lines from Tokyo to Fussa, and the Ome Line to Okutama, with a change of trains in Ome. Return via the Ome Line from Hatonosu.
Times: Hike the trail in daylight, but come prepared with a lamp, water and proper clothing.
Costs: Free to hike.
Dress: Take quick-dry clothing, boots or shoes with a good tread, water and snacks. A rain jacket is a good idea.
Food: Hatonosu and Okutama both have cafes and restaurants within two blocks of the stations.
Information: Online: www.gotokyo.org/en/destinations/outlying-area/okutama-and-around/index.html
