Please come hiking with me....!
Kintokiyama is located in Hakone area and is famous for its view of Mt. Fuji on a clear day. The hiking route chosen started in a parking lot, just off the main road where a map informed hikers of the routes available.
Photos: The start of the trail is marked with Kintaro's axe.
Mt. Kintoki is thought to be the setting of a legendary folk tale in Japan. A boy of great strength named 'Kintaro' (lit. 'Golden Boy') befriended numerous animals in (supposedly) this area and later, slayed a demon (wiki page with more info is HERE) who terrorized those on the mountain. Regardless of the folk story being true or not, it's commonly told to small children in Japan, who view Kintaro as a hero.
Photo: Only 20 minutes more to summit!
This mountain is relatively easy to hike, especially for beginners. There is only one section in which you need to climb up a set of steep rocks, next to a tree; however, a rope assists hikers there.
Photo: At the summit!
The entire hike to summit takes approximately 1.5 ~ 2.5 hours depending on one's strength. At the top, a mountain hut and coin toilets can be found (cost: 100 yen). There are some picnic tables to rest your feet, but be sure to bring your camera in case of a clear day which will give you beautiful views of Mount Fuji (sadly, on my hiking day the weather was cloudy...).
Photo: Summit marker
Mount Kintoki reaches 1,212 meters and at the summit marker, hikers can get a photo holding Kintaro's axe! As there were very few hikers on this day, I went overboard and took a lot of photos with the axe....(laugh)
Photo: That axe was a little heavy...
I mentioned earlier this hike was completed on X-mas day, so I celebrated the occasion with a special dinner at the top ..........Ta-da!
Photo: Merry Christmas to me~!
Thank you Santa.
For those who enjoy the outdoors and don't mind a 2+ hour hike, Mount Kintoki is a lovely spot to visit. On a clear day, close views of Mount Fuji can be seen.
Enjoy mountains!
~ Information ~
Mount Kintoki (also called Kintokiyama) is located in Hakone, Shizuoka prefecture. English PDF file of various hikes in the area is HERE. English info is HERE.
Access:
Okakyu Romance Car from Shinjuku station to Hakone-Yumoto station. Change to a bus -- use platform #3 -- the "Togendai Line" route (exiting the station, it's across the street on your left). Ride for about 20 minutes. This route will be a little expensive due to the express train fare.
Romance Car info is HERE.
OR
Take an Odakyu bus from Shinjuku and get off at Kintoki-tozanguchi bus stop. It takes about 2 hours one way and costs about 2,000 yen ($20).
Odakyu highway bus info is HERE.
Bring:
Good hiking boots or solid sneakers, a warm jacket as the summit is windy, a camera, water and lunch or snacks. No burners are allowed at the top due to the bio-toilets.
Hiking time:
Round trip is approximately 4 hours.
Special Bonus:
Madonna visited to Japan and I managed to snag a ticket to her "Rebel Heart" tour which was held at Saitama Arena on Feb.13th. With thanks from my friend in Chiba, and a radio station supporting the tour, my seat turned out to be an awesome one -- right on floor, two seats away from the end of the runway, which jutted out from the main stage. Woo! I didn't take many photos, because I wanted to enjoy the concert and dance till my little booty shook no more.
My two photos to share: Cutenekko waits for Madonna / Madonna points to my butterflies.
Madonna was actually really funny during this concert. She bantered with the crowd and chatted quite a bit. This point surprised me most. I heard Radiohead will come to Japan to participate in this year's FujiRock festival. I wish I could go!
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