Mount Ōyama Hiking & Autumn Leaves

In late November, I joined two other women to go hiking for the day at a famous mountain in Kanagawa. Our mission was to see the infamous red, Japanese maple leaves in full color. We were not disappointed.

Mount Ōyama is easily accessible from Tokyo or Yokohama by train and local Kanachu bus. We took the Odakyu line traveling towards Odawara, getting off at Isehara station, where we boarded a bus filled with hikers to the mountain's trail head. Mount Ōyama is not too difficult to climb; most take a cable car (two stops only) to reach one of two beautiful and very holy, shrines: the first, Ōyama Shrine and the larger, higher, Ōyama-Afuri shrine. Serious hikers can climb all the way to the summit (1,252m / 4,108ft).

Our day was marred with clouds and fog; we abandoned plans to reach the summit; instead, we enjoyed an outdoor meal at a lookout point at approximately 900 meters up.

Top row: famous red, momiji leaves, my fellow hikers + guide, a red cable car ascending.

Bottom row: collage of autumn leaves on the ground, 

a large map detailing all the hiking trails in this national park. 

After a short, 30 minute hike, we ascended using the cable car, stopping to visit Ōyama shrine. One of the train operators said this shrine had the best views of fully colored leaves. The sight was spectacular. We loved it so much, upon our later descent, we stopped here again for more photos!

Top row: A line of deities, abandoned fortune scrolls.

Bottom row: More scenes from Ōyama shrine on Mount Ōyama. 

I plan to enter several of these photos in a contest. ^_^ Wish me luck! 

Ōyama Shrine had several unique features. The first, is one which always surprises visitors upon reaching the shrine steps -- a priest can be heard blowing from a conch shell, to alert the Gods and begin prayers. The sound is quite loud and startling; at first, I honestly thought it was an earthquake alarm! (o_O)

The second, a fun activity, involves purchasing small, rounded disks made from clay. You are supposed to throw them into a circular hoop located down the mountain. It is believed that if you sail your disk through the hoop, good luck and happiness will follow. 

Top row: Guitar-wielding deity, clay disks (3 for ¥300 = $3)

Bottom row: small mochi-like dumplings sold at the shrine, the hoop, 

in which you are meant to throw the clay disks through. 

I gave the clay disks a shot, tossing mine one-by-one. In the photo above, you can see a tree to the right of the hoop -- I managed to hit that. Am I slightly lucky? My friends said I threw the strongest; one even teased me saying: "You throw like a man!" (laugh) 

Eating outdoors is always a highlight while hiking; our group of 3 enjoyed cooking on the mountain. We ate a verifiable feast compared to what most hikers brought (cup noodle) -- udon noodles with pork,  baked brownies, assorted candies and chocolates, salad and even fresh coffee. We were the envy of all. ^_^ 

Top row: sweets, including whiskey-flavored candies, my bowl of udon, brownies(!!)

Bottom row: My Chinese character "rabbit" at Ōyama-Afuri shrine, cooking udon, trail marker.

Of course, our day wouldn't be complete without a trip to the most famous shrine, Ōyama-Afuri. I only snapped a photo of the steps leading the shrine itself, as the area was quite crowded with other hikers. Why don't you visit and see it for yourself? ^_^

Top row: step to Ōyama-Afuri shrine, me and my delicious noodles. 

Bottom row: waterfall along the trail, more red leaves as seen from Ōyama shrine. 

Information:

Access:

-- Take Odakyu train going to Odawara, and get off at Isehara station. From there, you can catch a bus to Ōyama mountain (30 minutes bus - train varies based on your alighting station). Bus stop is clearly marked, follow other hikers. Get off at the last stop, which is the parking area at the base of the mountain. From there, it's a 30 minute hike up a steep hill with many stairs to reach the cable car. A cable car return ticket for one adult is ¥870 ($8). 

Travel time from Tokyo: maybe 2 hours. From Yokohama: 1 hour or so. 

Hiking:

-- The summit is quite windy & cold. Dress in layers and wear proper hiking shoes, especially if you want to climb all the way to the top. There are some toilets along the route. Near the summit, the hike is quite difficult -- you must climb over large boulders. Hiking stocks are recommended when descending. Gas burners are permitted for cooking. 

Useful sites: 

Oyama cable car timetable and price list (Japanese) 

Oyama access and parking fees (Japanese)

Mount Ōyama Wikipedia (English) 

Tanzawa-Oyama National Park Hiking information (English)