Mountain: Oyama (大山）1,252m
Nearest Station: Isehara
Bus stop: Oyama Cable
Cherry blossoms on Mt. Oyama in the late Spring of 2016
Not every mountain hike of mine is a wild and dangerous journey. And I think that Mount Oyama is the perfect day adventure into scenic Japan that doesn't require too much experience or skill, but also allows one to avoid the insane crowds that places like Mt. Takao bring.
I've hiked this mountain course so many times its a bit hard to single out any specific adventure or memory. My first climb was in 2012, and I've hiked it almost every year since. Perhaps the most unique one that comes to mind is the hangover hike in 2016 with my friend Evgeny. The night before, the two of us had gone out to a pub in Yokohama and had quite a few beers. Over the course of the night, we headed off in different directions, and I joined a group of random people in some Karaoke all the way until the first train. I came home at about 5:30am and crashed, but woke up on Sunday at around 10am. Feeling partly hungover and guilty that I would be wasting a lovely Sunday, I called Evgeny who also didn't want to waste the whole day. At the time he was living in Hiratsuka, and so I took the train there and we went to Oyama by car, stopping in at a starbucks for some expressos along the way to bring ourselves back to life.
We started the hike much later than most people should, at around 2pm. We first passed through a small shopping street filled with local goods as well as a few restaurants. From the top of the street, the are three paths to choose from, all leading to the Oyama Afuri Shrine, which is about 1/3 to the top. (The "manly" steep route, the "womanly" long and curving route, and the cable car). Interestingly, both times I hiked the manly route were with my friends Sarah and Sneha. One time, I met some guy who climbed the path bare footed. It takes about 60~90 minutes up this trail.
Just below the Shrine, there are a few food shop that sell several special types of roasted rice cake on a stick (think the Japanese version of roasted campfire marshmallows), including a pumpkin flavor and a sweet potato flavor. Recently, a very stylish cafe opened up beside them, which has some tasty pancakes and waffles. Once reaching the Shrine, there is a nice view of Isehara city below. From here is where the real hike begins, starting off with a very steep stairway.
Just a few meters about the stairway is a very notable "couple's tree", which stands out from the rest of the forest. From here on, it's a steady upward forest trail for the next 30~40 minutes. The odds of running into wild deer along this trail are very high, especially during the winter months. One year, I met a very friendly wild deer, and took some incredible photos with my DSLR. There is also a nice spot further up the trail with a view of Mount Fuji.
During the day that I hiked with Evgeny, there was a mild fog near the summit, and although it was mid-May, there were still a few cherry blossoms in bloom. It was a very unique atmosphere. About 90~120 minutes from the stairway, we finally reached the top of Mount Oyama. In the warmer months there are some shops open, but it really depends on the day. We started our hike far too late, and so we were the only ones at the top. That day, we returned to the mid-way point too late, and missed the cable car down. It got dark very fast on the mountain, and by the time we had reached the bottom of the trail it was pitch black. For safety, the womanly route is better for descending, and also has emergency lights. Of course, we ended up taking the other route, and had to use our iPhone lights to see. On the way down, we met another deer. Then, when arriving back near the parking lot, we met another hiker who we gave a lift back to the city, and all ate some green curry.
Ultimately, this is a great beginner-intermediate level mountain. It isn't going to break your back, but you'll still break a little sweat climbing it. There's plenty of souvenir/food shops in case you don't have enough, but there is never an overly crowded feeling like Mt. Takao.
Mt. Oyama is a bit tougher than Mt. Kintoki, but has a similar vibe.
Kommentare