Nokogiriyama: a Unique Hike Near Tokyo

After my article on Enoshima, let me introduce another day trip from Tokyo that should be of particular interest to hiking enthusiasts: Nokogiriyama (鋸山) or Mount Nokogiri, located in Chiba Prefecture.

This day trip is not well known to foreigners, or even to Japanese. This is all the more surprising as it concentrates many things to see and do: a ferry crossing of Tokyo Bay, a nature hike, beautiful views, a dose of culture and history, the largest Buddha statue in Japan and a cable car.

How to Get There

To get to Nokogiriyama, I recommend taking a ferry. Personally, I find it more fun and you can cross Tokyo Bay and experience taking a ferry in Japan.

From Tokyo, go to Shinagawa or Yokohama and take the Keikyu line to Keikyu-Kurihama station (¥430-800). From there, take the 7 or 8 bus out of the station to the Tokyo-Wan Kurihama Ferry Port. It takes about 10 minutes and costs about ¥200.

At the ferry port, you can buy your ticket from the ticket office or a vending machine (available in English) for ¥900 one way or ¥1,600 round trip and cross Tokyo Bay to Kanaya Port.

Once there, you will see signs on the main street that will guide you either to the start of the walk or to the cable car.

It is also possible to get there by car (the fastest) or by train. By train, the journey takes 2 hours from Tokyo Station to Hamakanaya Station, taking the Sobu Line Rapid to Kisarazu Station and changing to the JR Uchibo Line. It costs ¥1,980 one way.

Things to Do

Hike to the Top of Mount Nokogiri

The trailhead is located a few minutes walking from the Tokyo Bay Ferry Terminal or from Hamakanaya Station.

Here is a map made by Chiba Prefecture which clearly shows the trails. I recommend you download it on your phone or get it from the tourist office once you arrive in town to have it with you while hiking.

As suggested by "Nokogiriyama's Climbers Trail" on the map (link above), I recommend you to take the Sariki-michi trail to go up (path on the left in the picture) and the Kanto-fureai trail (path on the right in the picture) to go down the mountain and to take your time to stop at the various industrial heritage sites on your way.

You can walk to the top of Mount Nokogiri, 329.5 metres above the sea. To be honest, there are better views of the area from other places (next section). So if you want to save energy for the rest of the day and don't particularly want to reach the top, I think you can do without.

In terms of difficulty, I would say the hike is between easy and intermediate as there are some steep sections as well as some uneven stairs.

Enjoy Magnificent Views of Tokyo Bay and the Boso Peninsula

There are several viewpoints as you climb to the top of the mountain. The viewing platform near sign "F" on the map was my favourite viewpoint. This observation deck offers a panoramic view of Tokyo Bay (it can be found on Google Maps as “地球が丸く見える展望台”, which means “the observation deck where the Earth appears to be round”).

I also found the view of the "Laputa Wall" to be quite special (go up a bit after the "C" road junction on the map and check the viewing platform on your right).

But the most famous viewpoint in the area is "Jigoku Nozoki" or the view from hell. Nevertheless, every time I visited it, there was a long queue as it is a popular photo spot, so I always preferred to avoid it.

Witness the Splendor of Edo Period Quarry Ruins

What makes Nokogiriyama so special are the ruins of its quarry, a legacy of the mountain's former glory. Indeed, Nokogiriyama was home to an important stone quarry for the Tokyo area from the Edo period onwards, and the rock quarried from Mount Nokogiri, called Bōshū-ishi, was used in major construction projects around Tokyo Bay during the modernisation of Japan in the Meiji (1868-1912) and Taisho (1912-1926) eras. The huge cuts in the mountain are truly impressive, giving you the impression of standing in front of an architectural marvel.

Cat Choba

Kiridoshi

Kannon Cave

Marvel in Front of Japan’s Largest Buddha and other statues at the Nihonji Temple Complex

The next stop is the Nihon-ji temple complex (¥700 for adults and ¥400 for children aged 4-12). If you enter via the walking path, you will first see the Hyaku-Shaku Kannon Goddess of Mercy, carved as a memorial to those who perished in the Second World War.

You can also see the 1500 small Buddhist Arhat statues along the staircase down the mountain. Looking at them, I realised how different the faces of the statues are, some sad, some cute and happy and some scary.

Nihon-ji is also home to Japan's largest Buddha statue (31.5 metres including the pedestal), completed in 1783. Near the Buddha, there are toilets, vending machines, a small souvenir shop and a picnic area.

Hyaku-Shaku Kannon

Nihon-ji Daibutsu

Take the Ropeway Up or Down the Mountain

If you don't feel like hiking, there is also a cable car that takes you from the town to the entrance of Nihon-ji. The cable car also offers great views, so it may be worthwhile to hike up or down and take the cable car the other way.

Tips for Making the Most of this Day Trip

1/ Visit Preferably on a Sunny Day

Nokogiriyama is a hike that can be done all year round. But preferably, I would recommend doing it on a sunny day to make the most of the views. I went twice in April-May and it was perfect: not too hot or humid and with a cloudless sky allowing to see Mount Fuji in the distance. I noticed that there were some Japanese maples around the quarry, which means that the site must also be beautiful in autumn.

2/ Check Transport Schedules in Advance

This is more of a general tip for visiting the Japanese countryside or small towns: plan your transportation in advance. You can check the ferry schedule here and plan your transport to the ferry terminal accordingly using Google Maps or another transport app.

3/ Eating and Drinking

There is a souvenir shop (omiyage) at the ferry terminal, as well as restaurants and kombinis around the port. There are very few options once on the mountain: a cafeteria offering a limited range of meals, and a counter for ice cream and dango near the ticket office at Sancho ropeway station, the top station. I recommend bringing a picnic to eat at the top of the mountain.

For the record, we discovered that there were few dining options at our expense. Since we didn't bring any food with us and were hungry after the hike, we ended up buying the omiyage sold at the temple and some dango at the ropeway station, and that was our lunch!

4/ Beware of the Risk of a Long Queue at the Ropeway for the Descent

I don't know about the rest of the year, but I visited Nokogiriyama during Golden Week once, and the line to take the cable car down the mountain was crazy. As some of the friends in my group were tired after hiking up the mountain, we decided to take it anyway, and ended up waiting 1.5 hours. With the good company, dango snacks, and great views, the wait wasn't a problem, but it might have been faster to walk down the mountain. It may not be as crowded on a normal weekend, but I'd rather warn you just in case.

To Conclude

Nokogiriyama is one of my favourite hikes near Tokyo. There is so much to explore, yet it is still not well known by tourists. If you want to escape the city on a sunny day, this is definitely the place to go, and you can still get your dose of history and culture by visiting the quarry ruins and Nihon-ji.