Hikes in Japan: The Mt. Shiroyama Loop Trail

BASIC INFORMATION

• Name: The Mt. Shiroyama Loop Trail
• Where: Hachioji, Japan
• Distance:  6.2 miles (10 km)
• Elevation Gain: 1,415 feet (431 meters)
• Max Elevation: 2,204 feet (672 meters)
• Difficulty: Easy
• More Information: 30 Day Hikes Near Tokyo

Google Earth Map of the Trail

Mt. Shiroyama Elevation Map

DIRECTIONS

The trailhead for this hike is located on a narrow road just below the Chou Expressway.  There are buses that run from Takao Station up this road to a northern trailhead for Mt. Takao.  From there people who planned to hike Mt. Kagenobu would just walk up the road to its trailhead.  I drove to the trailhead with no issues finding it.  Just be warned the road is pretty narrow and it can be tricky letting cars and especially buses get by.

PARKING

Parking for this hike is pretty limited.  At the end of the road where the Mt. Shiroyama trailhead is located at there is a small parking lot that can fit about 10-12 cars.  I arrived at the trailhead at about 7:00 AM and was able to find a parking space with about space for three more cars available.  If this lot is full there is some parking at the nearby Mt. Kagenobu trailhead as well.

Narrative

I had previously hiked up Mt. Kagenobu with my kids last year and during our hike I saw there was a trail that went in the opposite direction towards Mt. Shiroyama.  I vowed I would come back and hike that trail in the future and recently did just that.  From the parking lot trailhead I followed a rough dirt road up the valley towards Kobotoke Pass:

The trail was in great shape the whole way to Kobotoke Pass, which took about 30 minutes to reach.  Kobotoke Pass is located on the saddle of land between Mt. Kagenobu and Mt. Shiroyama.  The Chuo Expressway tunnel actually passes right below it.  Kobotoke Pass is a large area with benches to sit on and a few signboards with information about the area and its trails:

The forest is so peaceful here it is hard to believe there is a busy expressway directly below the pass:

Below is a closer look at a couple of the signboards.  One shows how before modern times this was once a mountain pass for travelers between Tokyo and the Mt. Fuji area:

This next sign shows all the various trails that can be found in the Kanagawa Prefectural Jimba-Sagamiko Natural Park:

The pass has a small Buddhist shrine as well:

From Kobotoke Pass it is only a .8 km hike up to Mt. Shiroyama.  In the opposite direction it is a 1.3 km hike to Mt. Kagenobu and 7 km to Mt. Jinba which are both mountains I have hiked before and recommend:

Just a short walk up the trail to Mt. Shiroyama I came to another clearing that had a large number of benches:

The benches were here because of the great view from the ridgeline of the always impressive 3,776 meter Mt. Fuji:

Considering Mt. Fuji’s close association with Shintoism, it was no surprise this lookout had a small Shinto shrine as well:

After taking in the Mt. Fuji views I then began a steep staircase hike up towards the summit of Mt. Shiroyama:

At a muddy section of the trail there was actually floorboards for people to walk on to avoid the mud:

I soon found myself approaching the summit of Mt. Shiroyama:

The summit is capped with a large telecommunications tower:

There is also a large cafe on the summit that serves the typical trail food such as ramen and udon:

The restaurant also had its very own wooden Tengu statue which is of Shinto origin.  The Tengu are deities that are believed to help protect mountains and other natural areas in Japan:

The summit is quite broad and as I walked around I found some signboards and trail maps:

As this map shows it is possible to have some really good long distance hikes in this area:

The summit of Mt. Shiroyama also had plenty of spring time colors to see:

Of course the best view to see was of Mt. Fuji rising up in the distance:

On the opposite side of the summit from Mt. Fuji is where the restroom facility is located and there is also a nice view looking towards the Tokyo region:

From the viewpoint not only could I see Tokyo in the distance, but the very popular Mt. Takao rising across a valley from Mt. Shiroyama:

Here is a closer look at Tokyo:

After spending about 30 minutes on the summit taking in the views I then proceeded to find the trail down the mountain I planned to use to make this a loop trail.  I found the sign pointing towards the Hikage Bus Stop which would be my next destination on this hike:

The trail was actually a small rough road that the cafe owners use to access the summit:

With such a great trail I actually did a slow jog down the mountain:

However, I made sure to stop and take in a few views from time to time.  For example here is the view from the trail looking back towards the summit of Mt. Shiroyama:

I could also see the Tanzawa Mountains off in the distance as well:

The road eventually descended into the the thick forest which meant no more views:

The road next came to an area lower on the slopes of the mountain that was recently heavily logged:

At this area is when the road began to follow a small creek:

The road then passed by what appeared to be a rental cabin for hikers:

Just below the cabin was a large clearing that was the Hikagezawa Campground:

The campground is pretty nice and has restroom facilities:

The campground had beware of bears signs posted, but I have hiked all over these mountains and have never seen a bear or even any scat or footprints:

From the campground the road continues to follow the creek down the mountain:

I then reached the section of the road where people park their cars to either use the campground or hike up the trails in the area:

I actually considered parking here earlier in the morning to start the hike, but the parking situation was already very chaotic.  Parking at the Mt. Shiroyama Trailhead that leads to Kobotoke Pass I found was an easier place to park than dealing with this chaotic parking situation:

For those that want to try and park at this trailhead here is what the turnoff from the main road looks like:

From the turnoff to the campground I found myself back on the main road.  I now just had to follow this back to where I parked.  As I walked down the road I passed underneath the busy train line that takes visitors to Mt. Fuji:

Residents along this stretch of road live right below the Chuo Expressway:

These residents also live near the small stream that flows through the valley that the road passes through:

It really was a nice spring morning as I walked down the road:

I next came to the busy bus stop where most people get off at to hike Mt. Kagenobu, Mt. Shiroyama, or even Mt. Takao from:

After the bus stop the road twists and turns up a hillside:

The road then levels out and goes right passed the Mt. Kagenobu Trailhead:

Just a short walk passed the Mt. Kagenobu Trailhead I found myself back at the parking lot for the Mt. Shiroyama hike:

Conclusion

Overall the Mt. Shiroyama Loop Trail is 6.2 miles (10 km) long with a manageable 1,400 feet in elevation gain.  The trail is in great shape throughout the hike and the summit of Mt. Shiroyama has great views of Mt. Fuji and the Tokyo area.  This is definitely a family friendly hike that can be shortened by not doing the loop and just going straight back down the mountain again.  If you are looking for a hike similar in difficulty to Mt. Takao then the Mt. Shiroyama Loop Trail is well worth checking out.