Mount Ryokami 両神山 Hike Itinerary
(Day 1) Jun 8, 07:31 AM:
Arrive at Mitsumineguchi Station 三峰口駅 via JR trains.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 07:32 AM:
Look for this bus, which should be parked right outside Mitsumineguchi Station 三峰口駅.
Note that you can arrive from Seibu-Chichibu Station 西武秩父駅 to get to Mount Ryokami 両神山 too. Refer to our article on "How to go to Mount Ryokami 両神山" for more information.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 08:08 AM:
Arrive at Yakushi Onsen 薬師の湯 and transfer to another bus heading to Hinata Ooyaguchi 日向大谷口, the trailhead for Mount Ryokami 両神山.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 08:08 AM:
You’ll receive a ticket as proof of payment. When you get off at Hinata Ooyaguchi 日向大谷口, you won’t need to pay again.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 08:34 AM:
It's a minibus, so there's limited space for large hiking backpacks.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 08:46 AM:
Arrive at Hinata Ooyaguchi 日向大谷口. The hike begins!
(Day 1) Jun 8, 08:52 AM:
Follow the road up to Ryokami Sanso 両神山荘 to reach the trailhead.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 08:58 AM:
The picture below shows the route, which is mostly tracks.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 09:00 AM:
The initial hike has a very steep slope beside it.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 09:06 AM:
The first of many locations with chains.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 09:17 AM:
The first checkpoint with a proper table.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 09:19 AM:
The greenery is just gorgeous 😍
(Day 1) Jun 8, 09:24 AM:
There are many tapes and well-maintained signboards along the way. They clearly show the path, so you don't need to worry about getting lost.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 09:36 AM:
Let's get back to enjoying the greenery 😍.
This is what the Japanese call 森林浴, or 'forest bathing'. It's the experience of immersing yourself in a forest and feeling the healing and therapeutic effects of nature.
This place definitely gives that feeling.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 10:13 AM:
Along the way, we see some people on pilgrimage.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 10:30 AM:
Arriving at another checkpoint, the Seiryuu Goya 清竜小屋. This used to be a proper mountain cabin accommodating hikers, but it doesn't seem so anymore.
It's a good place to rest before the more dangerous parts of the journey ahead.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 10:48 AM:
Continuing on the journey.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 11:23 AM:
The next checkpoint is Ryokami Shrine 両神神社.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 11:24 AM:
Another 800m left.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 11:24 AM:
The last 800m! 頑張るぞ！！！
(Day 1) Jun 8, 11:25 AM:
Before that, admire the amazing wood craftsmanship at the entrance of one of the shrines.
It's incredible to think how difficult it must have been to transport and craft such masterpieces here.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 11:32 AM:
It's not all ascent from here. Some parts involve descending, and one section is quite steep.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 11:45 AM:
That's quite a climb!
(Day 1) Jun 8, 11:46 AM:
Getting close!
(Day 1) Jun 8, 11:49 AM:
I swear, this is the last location with chains.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 11:50 AM:
Finally, the peak of Mount Ryokami 両神山.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 12:31 PM:
The peak of Mount Ryokami 両神山 is very narrow and not the best place for lunch. The view is also often blocked by trees unless you're standing on top of the rock platform.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 12:31 PM:
Mount Fuji 富士山 is supposed to be viewable in this direction. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't in our favor 🥲.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 12:41 PM:
The descent starts! Not many pictures on the way back as it's the same route.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 13:25 PM:
You can camp at the Seiryuu Goya 清竜小屋. However, note that there's no food or water supply since no one is around.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 14:45 PM:
Back at Hinata Ooyaguchi 日向大谷口, it seems we could have taken these stairs straight up to Ryokami Sanso 両神山荘 for a shorter, albeit steeper, ascent compared to walking up the road.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 15:02 PM:
The bus is here! This time, we're taking the bus to Seibu-Chichibu Station 西武秩父駅.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 16:07 PM:
At Yakushi Onsen 薬師の湯, we need to transfer to another bus. We're given a ticket to show we've already paid for the journey from Hinata Ooyaguchi 日向大谷口.
(Day 1) Jun 8, 16:52 PM:
When we reach Seibu-Chichibu Station 西武秩父駅, we pay a reduced fee with that ticket. It was ¥300 instead of ¥500 thanks to it.
This concludes our trip to Mount Ryokami 両神山!
