Yumoto – Mt. Sengen – Mt. Takanosu – Yusakaji-iriguchi Bus Stop Time: 2-2.5 hours

After the eruption of Mt. Fuji in 802 the Yusaka Road was made through the mountains of Hakone because the road past Mt. Fuji became too difficult to pass. This was the main road through Hakone until the Tokugawa Shogunate established the Tokaido Road in the Edo Period (1603-1868).

This trail starts just up the road from Hakone Yumoto on the left after passing Asahi Bridge.

At first the trail is a steep zigzag path that opens up into a cedar and cypress forest after about 30 minutes. At this point you will reach the location of Yusaka Castle. There is little that remains of this small castle that was established for protection of the central Odawara Castle and the Hojo clan. The Hojo were one of the most powerful families in the warring states period of Japanese history and they ruled a large part of central Japan from Odawara. There were many castles like Yusaka castle that acted as protection for the center of the domain. After walking for a bit you will come to a bright path and the ascent will become a bit more gentle from here. Japanese maple trees and cherry blossom trees are planted along the path making spring and fall a good time to enjoy this hike. Throughout the year there are seasonal flowers like daisies, buttercups, angelica, and baneberry blooming along the path.

A grassland environment of pampas grass starts to take over around the Ohiradai area. In mid-October the pampas grass starts to dry and walking through the silvergrass is quite the scene. From here there is a good view of Mt. Futago and beyond the pine forest to Mt. Sengen.

The summit of Mt. Sengen is an open grassland. On a nice day you can find a place to stretch out on the grass and rest your body. There are benches and tables available to have lunch or take a break. It is said that this mountain was named after the Sengen shrine found near Mt. Fuji. The Sengen shrine is devoted to the deity associated with Mt. Fuji. It is about a 20 minute walk to the peak of Mt. Takanosu (takanosu means “hawk’s nest” in Japanese) from Mt. Sengen. This is a gentle descent and the challenging parts of the trail are finished. There was also a castle on Mt. Takanosu which protected Odawara Castle. The castles soon fell during the siege of Odawara in 1590. From here the gentle slope will take you down to Route 1 and the Yusaka-iriguchi bus stop.

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