From Takao to Kobotoke to Sagami lake 🍧👺
A refreshing summer route with rivers, greenery, lake views and tasty shaved ice-cream!
During the summer months, this is one of the best trailrunning routes near Mount Takao, featuring refreshing riverside trails, a shaded and gentle climb, a popular rest spot with delicious shaved ice (kakigori), and stunning panoramic views of Lake Sagami. It’s also a great, easy hike for winter, when the cold air makes Mount Fuji very visible.
As usual in the area, all trails are very safe and well-maintained, and public transportation makes it easy to access both the start and end points. Plus, you can always conveniently stop along the way if needed, making trail running in Takao always accessible and family-friendly. Compared to the routes going through the summit, which can become crowded on weekends and holidays, these more off-the-beaten path trails around Takao remain enjoyable year-round.
Details
| 📏 Distance | 16 km (~3h) |
| 🗻 Climb | 587 m |
| 📌 Start | JR Takao Station North Exit |
| 🏁 End | JR Sagamiko Station |
| 💪 Level | All levels, the run is a smooth, shaded 14 km with 450 meters of climbing and 60% paved |
| 👟 Shoes | Trailrunning shoes are recommended, but grippy running shoes can be sufficient |
Access and amenities
| 🚄 Access | Takao Station can be reached in approximately 50 minutes from both JR and Keio lines, costing around 500 JPY. Sagamiko Station is the next stop after Takao and is accessible from there in about 10 minutes for roughly 200 JPY. Both lines run frequently, with trains arriving roughly every 30 minutes. |
| 🗄 Lockers | Sagamiko Station does not have lockers, but Takao Station offers several, notably on the train platform near the North Exit, with costs of 400 or 500 JPY. |
| ♨ Hot springs | In the area, there are two hot springs (onsens). The most accessible is Keio Takaosan Onsen Gokurakuyu, located just behind Takaosanguchi Station, about a 15-minute walk or one train stop from Takao Station. The other is Ururi Onsen, situated near Morimori Theme Park, accessible via an hourly bus from Sagamiko Station, taking about 8 minutes. |
| 🚻 Toilets | Bathrooms are available at Takao Station, at the start of Hikagezawa Forest Road, before the Sagami Dam, and at Sagamiko Station. |
| 🍽 Food | Outside Takao Station’s North Exit, there are two 24/7 convenience stores. There are also small huts on top of Kobotoke-Shiroyama that are open from early morning until around 4 PM, as well as two small food shops at Sagamiko Station —one in front of the station and another nearby— both with limited options and hours. Both Takao and Sagamiko stations have multiple vending machines for drinks. |
The route
You can start this hike from either Takao Station or Takaosanguchi Station, as the trail begins somewhere between them. I usually choose Takao Station since it is accessible via both Keio and JR lines. After exiting Takao’s North Exit, head west along the road toward Takaosanguchi Station. Just before crossing under the Keio Line bridge, I recommend taking a small detour to Shinmei Shrine, which offers lovely river views.
From there, turn left onto Takao Plum Tree Road, a shaded and refreshing trail that follows along the Minamiasa River first, then the Koshu Kaido Road, all the way to the trout fishing pond. Along the way, you'll pass an abandoned atelier with half-finished statues—perfect for some fun photos.
After reaching the fishing pond, you can turn left onto Hikagezawa Forest Road to begin a gentle climb toward Kobotoke Shiroyama, surrounded by the tall trees of the Iroha Forest. The Hikagezawa Camping Ground has public restrooms with non-potable water. Depending on your pace, the way up from here can be one of the most easy to challenging trail runs around Takao.
After a few ascents and switchbacks, you'll arrive at Mt. Shiroyama, which offers panoramic views over Tokyo and, weather permitting, Mount Fuji. This spot is especially popular in autumn because of its stunning foliage. Here, you can take photos with two famous Tengu statues and enjoy large servings of shaved ice. In autumn, local nameko mushroom soup is also a popular treat, making this one of the most popular trailrunning paths near Tokyo.
After a well-earned rest, follow the Tokai Nature Trail —it starts steep but becomes wide and easy to walk. Cross National Route 5 at the Chigira Bus Stop, then descend to Sagami Lake. The final stretch of the hike has some charming surprises, including a shelter for wild cats, Benten Bridge, and Sagami Dam, before finally arriving at Sagami Station. If you wanted some off-the-beaten-path trailruns near Mount Takao, you will not be disappointed!
For the curious, there’s also Obarajuku Honjin (小原宿本陣), a rare 200-year-old preserved lodging that was once used by feudal lords during the Edo Period.