Mt Hirugatake (蛾ヶ岳)
Mt Hirugatake (蛾ヶ岳, Hiruga-take) is a mountain that sits alongside Lake Shibire (四尾連湖) in Yamanashi. There is a campsite at the lake, which has apparently gained a little bit of popularity after being featured in the anime Yuru Camp. The mountain is one of the 100 Famous Mountains of Yamanashi, as well as one of the mountains in the 36 views of Mt Fuji series.
There is also a similarly named Mt Hirugatake (蛭ヶ岳) in Kanagawa, which has an elevation of 1675m. The one in Yamanashi has an elevation of 1278m, so be sure not to get them confused!
Usage of the carpark at the trailhead costs 500yen, which has a funny payment system whereby you write down your car's number plate with your money in an envelope and then drop it off inside the window of the truck parked near the entrance.
The trail starts right outside the carpark. It's mostly an out-and-back course, with the option to do a loop around Lake Shibire at the end.
The course is not too strenuous, but comes with a final steep climb before you reach the peak.
Today was cloudy so unfortunately we didn't get to see Mt Fuji, although I've been seeing a lot of him lately so I'm not too upset about it!
From the summit you can also see Lake Shibire in the distance, and if you happen to have really good eyesight, you can also barely make out the carpark we started at on the right hand side of it.
Then it's back down the same way we came.
Instead of heading straight back to the carpark, the course takes you on a slight detour to a lookout where you can see out to the city below. In the distance you can also spot the snow-tipped Minami Alps.
From here its back down to Lake Shibire, which we did a quick loop around. It was fairly quiet, although there was one group enjoying a lunch nearby the lake, as well as another group who were hopping in and out of a sauna tent they had set up.
Since it was the beginning of April, we were also just in time for the mitsumata flowers, which were also blooming around the lake.
There were also a couple of cherry blossom trees in bloom as well.
Before heading home, we stopped off at the onsen Mitama no Yu, which has been selected as having one of the top 100 onsen "night views" in Japan. From the outside onsen you get a view out on the city below, as well as the mountain ranges in the distance. Definitely worth the visit if you happen to be in the area.
Hiking course details
| Date climbed | Length | Course time |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-04-06 | 7km | 4h (the expected time for an average hiker without breaks) |
This is an out-and-back course beginning and ending at the carpark near Lake Shibire. There are toilets available at the nearby campsite.
Car access details
| Car park | Time ? | Cost ? |
|---|---|---|
| 四尾連湖水明荘「第２駐車場」 | 2h30m | 9520 |
This carpark is at the trailhead and costs 500yen, which you pay into kei truck parked at the entrance. We went on a weekend, but it was very empty so you should have no problem getting a spot.
Public transport access
Public transport options for this hike look very limited. The bus stop nearest to Lake Shibire is at the Shiorenjichi Community Center (四尾連公民館前), which is a 30min, 1.5km walk from the lake. Looking at a bus schedule from 2017 there is a community bus that runs there twice a day, but it only runs on certain weekdays and arrives around 12pm, so it's not too useful. I would recommend a car for this hike!
