Mt. Izugatake Hiking Guide: A Train-Accessible Okumusashi Peak from Shōmaru Station

This guide is based on Saitama Prefecture's official page for the "Izugatake Crossing Trail" (posted September 4, 2026), checked October 24, 2026. Trail conditions change, so check the latest information from Saitama Prefecture and Hannō City before you go.

Introduction

Mt. Izugatake (伊豆ヶ岳) is an 851 m mountain in Hannō, Saitama Prefecture. The prefecture calls it "the representative mountain of Okumusashi." Shōmaru Station on the Seibu Chichibu Line is the starting point, which makes it a popular day hike by train.

Key points

The Otoko-zaka (男坂, chain section) is described by the prefecture as "a very dangerous route with risk of falls and falling rocks." It is not part of the official Kantō Fureai-no-Michi trail.
The Onna-zaka (女坂) is closed because of a landslide. The current route is the path between the two.
The prefecture's "Izugatake Crossing Trail" from Agano Station to Shōmaru Station is 14.5 km and takes about 4 h 30 min, for strong walkers.
Around Shōmaru Pass there is a risk of landslides and falling trees. In winter the trail can freeze, and you need crampons or other winter gear.

Otoko-zaka and Onna-zaka

North of the summit, the trail splits into the Otoko-zaka and the Onna-zaka (Saitama Prefecture).

Otoko-zaka (a rock face climbed with chains): not part of the Kantō Fureai-no-Michi. It is a very dangerous route with risk of falls and falling rocks. Note that the prefecture does not call it "closed."
Onna-zaka: closed because of a landslide.
Current route: the path between the Otoko-zaka and the Onna-zaka.

Follow the prefecture's guidance and use the middle path. Check the signs on site as well.

The traverse: Agano Station – Ne-no-Gongen – Mt. Izugatake – Shōmaru Station

The prefecture's Kantō Fureai-no-Michi "Izugatake Crossing Trail" goes in this order:

Agano Station → Tōgō Park → Asami Chaya → Ne-no-Gongen → Tenmezashi Pass → Mt. Takahata → Mt. Komitake → Mt. Izugatake → Mt. Odaka → Shōmaru Pass → Shōmaru Station

Distance: 14.5 km
Time: about 4 h 30 min (for strong walkers)
The prefecture warns that this is a demanding course with many ups and downs. If you are not used to mountain walking, add 1.5 to 2 hours. Between Tenmezashi Pass and Shōmaru Pass the trail never meets a forest road, so it is mountain path the whole way. Plan your timing with that in mind
There are toilets at Tōgō Park and Ne-no-Gongen (prefecture)
Mt. Izugatake is a checkpoint for the Fureai-no-Michi trail

Because you start and finish at different stations, check the train times for your return first. Seibu Railway's website has the timetable.

Don't take the shortcut from Mt. Gorin

The prefecture says that the route from Mt. Gorin (五輪山), just north of Mt. Izugatake, down to Shōmaru Station is not part of the Fureai-no-Michi. Some hikers take it as a shortcut to the station and get lost.

Out and back from Shōmaru Station

The prefecture's page does not give a time for the round trip from Shōmaru Station to the summit. Leave plenty of margin.

The name and the rock

Mt. Izugatake is also written 伊豆ヶ嶽.

The mountain is made of chert. According to the prefecture, chert is said to form when the remains of many living things pile up and turn to rock. It is especially hard among the Chichibu Paleozoic rocks, so it resists erosion and creates rugged terrain.

Along the trail

The prefecture describes the course as a route for strong walkers, from Seibu Railway's Agano Station over Mt. Izugatake to Shōmaru Station. It overlaps with two other courses: the "Okumusashi Old Temples Trail" from Agano Station to just past Ne-no-Gongen, and the "Trail of Pass History" from Shōmaru Pass to Shōmaru Station.

Ne-no-Gongen (Tenryū-ji)

Ne-no-Gongen (子ノ権現), officially Tenryū-ji temple, is a stop on the traverse. According to Hannō's tourism site, it is worshipped for protection against fire and illnesses below the waist, and iron sandals and children's straw sandals are offered at the hall. The grounds have a 2-ton iron sandal, said to be the largest in Japan, as a symbol of protection for the legs and back. There is also a pair of cedars about 800 years old, designated a prefectural natural monument in 1938.

Kyū-Shōmaru Pass

About 1.3 km north of Shōmaru Pass is the old Kyū-Shōmaru Pass (旧正丸峠), on the saddle north of Mt. Kawagoe (Mt. Kanze). It once thrived as a road between Edo and Chichibu. It lies on the "Trail of Pass History," and the prefecture says you can still walk the old pass road today.

Clothing and gear

The prefecture notes that the trail can freeze in winter and that you need crampons or other winter gear.

Shoes: hiking boots with good grip (there are rocky spots and steep ups and downs)
Rain gear, water, snacks and a light warm layer
A map app and a mobile battery
Winter: crampons or other winter gear

Access

By train

Both Shōmaru Station (the start) and Agano Station (the end of the traverse) are on Seibu Railway. Check times and fares on Seibu Railway's website.

By car

I could not confirm official parking information. If you drive and do the traverse to Agano Station, you will not end up back at your car.

Tips for beginners

Stay off the Otoko-zaka: the prefecture calls it very dangerous.
Don't get lost: the path from Mt. Gorin down to Shōmaru Station is not the official trail.
Around Shōmaru Pass: watch for landslides and fallen trees.
Winter ice: use crampons or other winter gear.
Give the traverse extra time: if you are not used to mountain walking, add 1.5 to 2 hours.

Submitting a hiking plan (Saitama)

The Saitama Prefectural Police say a hiking plan is used as a lead for search and rescue if an accident happens. Because some hikers did not submit one, the search area could not be narrowed, and many are still missing.

Online: submit through the prefecture's electronic application, and give your family or workplace a note with your destination and plan
Apps: the police page links to the hiking-plan services of Compass (Japan Mountain Guides Association) and YAMAP
On paper: hand it to the police station or police box that covers the mountain, or put it in the hiking post at the trailhead. The police publish a list of hiking posts in Saitama

Summary

Mt. Izugatake is a classic Okumusashi peak you can reach by train. The Otoko-zaka is very dangerous and the Onna-zaka is closed, so use the middle path. Check Saitama Prefecture's page for the current trail status before you go.