Chichibu · MitsumineNo.081★Open in map →
Mt. Myohogatake
Mt. Myohogatake is a roughly 1,329-metre peak in the Oku-Chichibu mountains of Saitama. Its summit holds the Oku-miya, the inner shrine of Mitsumine Shrine, reached only on foot.
Most visitors to Mitsumine Shrine arrive by bus, see the rare triple torii gate and the carved main hall, and head back down. The shrine's Oku-miya — its remote inner sanctuary — stands apart on the summit of Mt. Myohogatake and can be reached only by walking the trail from the main shrine grounds. The route climbs through cedar and beech forest before the final approach turns rocky, where fixed chains and steep steps guide walkers over exposed sections to the small summit hall. Both shrine guidance and hikers' accounts note the chained scrambles and slippery footing: the walk calls for care, not technical climbing skill.
Why it stays quiet
The tour buses stop at the forecourt, and there is little English information about the trail beyond it, so few visitors walk the 90-minute ridge behind the shrine. The chained final climb also asks for hiking gear and care, which keeps the inner shrine quiet even on busy shrine days.
Background & history
Mitsumine Shrine is traditionally said to have been founded by the legendary hero Yamato Takeru, who enshrined the deities Izanagi and Izanami here during his eastern campaign. The name Mitsumine, meaning 'three peaks', refers to Mt. Myoho, Mt. Shiraiwa and Mt. Kumotori. The shrine is also known for worshipping the Japanese wolf as a divine messenger — stone wolves stand where the usual guardian-dog statues would be.
What to look for — in walking order
- The trailhead behind the shrine
- the path leaves from the main precinct and is the only way to the summit shrine — no road, no lift
- Cedar and beech forest
- the long forested section before the rock begins, quiet and shaded most of the way up
- Chained rock sections
- fixed chains and steep steps on the final approach to the summit
- Summit Oku-miya
- Mitsumine's inner shrine on the roughly 1,329-metre top of Mt. Myohogatake
How to enjoy it
The Oku-miya trail is open for roughly half the year, from the early-May mountain-opening festival to early October, and closes through the snowy winter. Allow about three hours round trip from the shrine grounds, start early, and treat the chained final section with extra care after rain.
How to actually get there
- Ikebukuro Stn → Seibu-Chichibu Stn (Seibu Ikebukuro Line, Laview Limited Express, ~80 min)
- Seibu-Chichibu Stn → Mitsumine Shrine terminus (Seibu Kanko Bus, Mitsumine Shrine Line, ~80 min, ¥1,100)
- Mitsumine Shrine terminus → summit Oku-miya (mountain trail on foot, ~90 min)
- Seibu train + Seibu bus
- From Tokyo: Ikebukuro Stn →(Seibu Ikebukuro Line, Laview Limited Express, ~80 min; a reserved limited-express ticket is required on top of the regular fare)→ Seibu-Chichibu Stn →(Seibu Kanko Bus, Mitsumine Shrine Line, from bus stop 5, ~80 min, ¥1,100)→ Mitsumine Shrine bus terminus. From the terminus, walk through the shrine grounds to the trailhead and up the ridge ~90 min to the Oku-miya. The bus runs only about 6 times a day on weekdays (about 9 on weekends and holidays), so check the day's timetable before leaving.
- Same route in reverse
- Return by the same bus from the Mitsumine Shrine terminus to Seibu-Chichibu Stn, then by Seibu train to Ikebukuro. The bus runs only a few times a day and the last departures are in the afternoon, so start the hike in the morning and check the return times on the posted timetable at the terminus when you arrive.
Before you go
- Cash
- The bus takes cash (¥1,100) and also accepts IC transit cards, but day passes are not valid; there are no shops on the ridge, so carry cash and water for the walk.
- Closing days
- The summit trail is seasonal, open roughly May to October, and closes in bad weather; it is a real chained scramble, not a paved path.
- Another way
- If the bus times do not suit you, you can drive the toll mountain road to the shrine parking area instead.
- After you get off
- From the Mitsumine Shrine bus terminus, walk through the shrine grounds to the trailhead torii gate, then up the ridge on a mountain trail, about 90 minutes to the summit Oku-miya.