Mt. Daibosatsu-rei Hiking Guide | From Kamihikawa Pass to the Kaminari-iwa & Daibosatsu Pass ridge · course times
Difficulty & route
Intermediate
Daibosatsu, made famous by Nakazato Kaizan’s novel. From Mt. Daibosatsu-rei (2,057 m) you follow the scenic ridge over Kaminari-iwa and Daibosatsu Pass. A fine viewpoint route among Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains, looking out over Mt. Fuji and Lake Daibosatsu.
Mt. Daibosatsu-rei2,057m
Elevation
2,057m
Course time
A loop from Kamihikawa Pass — about 6 hours 57 minutes (the editor's measured time, incl. breaks; traversing on to the Kogenzawa Renrei ridge)
Best season
May to November (fresh greenery to autumn colours; grand views from the ridge). In winter, come equipped for snow-mountain conditions (it is popular but the cold is severe).
Distance
14.8km
Total ascent
1,249m
Parking
The car park at Kamihikawa Pass (Lodge Chobei). On weekends it can fill up early in the morning.
0:00Elapsed0.0km1,592m
Elevation profileEditor's measured GPX · surface distance14.86kmRoute overviewEditor's measured GPS route on the GSI base map ·14.86km
LocationKoshu City & Tabayama Village, Kitatsuru District, Yamanashi (Daibosatsu Renrei range)
TrailheadKamihikawa Pass (Lodge Chobei)／Kamihagiwara, Enzan, Koshu City, Yamanashi35.7320, 138.8321Open in Google Maps →
AccessBy car: from Katsunuma IC on the Chuo Expressway via Route 411 and prefectural roads to Kamihikawa Pass. In season there are also buses from Kai-Yamato Station.
Coordinates are the trailhead and summit points from the editor's own GPS track.
Watch
Watch this hike on video
Editor's note
Editor's note
編集長
Climbed on：2026-07-02
Mt. Daibosatsu-rei is the highest peak of the Daibosatsu Renrei range running south of Okuchichibu, and at 2,057 m it is one of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains. Known also as the setting of Nakazato Kaizan’s novel “Daibosatsu Toge (Daibosatsu Pass)”, it is a popular mountain where, if you drive up to Kamihikawa Pass, the elevation change is small and you can enjoy ridge walking with views of Mt. Fuji and Lake Daibosatsu. The Hokuto-based editor walked the autumn ridge in person and sets it out here.
I walked it in the autumn colours of November. From Kamihikawa Pass, via Fukuchan-so and Kaminari-iwa, up to Mt. Daibosatsu-rei. The summit is in the forest with no view, but back at Kaminari-iwa there was Lake Daibosatsu below and, beyond it, Mt. Fuji standing out crisply. Further on, crossing Ishimaru Pass from Daibosatsu Pass, I pushed on to the bamboo-grass ridge of the Kogenzawa Renrei range (Mt. Kumazawa, Mt. Kogenzawa, Mt. Ushioku-no-Gankgaharasuri).
The editor’s measured time, including breaks, was about 6 hours 57 minutes (depart 06:55, summit 8:18, descend 13:52), a loop of about 14.8 km. Mt. Daibosatsu-rei alone is an introductory mountain you can climb in half a day, but walking on to the Kogenzawa Renrei ridge lets you savour a quiet, majestic ridgeline to the full.
The summit of Mt. Daibosatsu-rei is in the forest with no view, so I recommend gazing at Mt. Fuji at leisure from the Kaminari-iwa or Daibosatsu Pass ridge. The ridge is windy with little shelter, so bring warm clothing. If you push on to the Kogenzawa Renrei ridge the distance is long, so allow plenty of time. The bamboo grass and Mt. Fuji in the autumn-colour season are exceptional.
Routes
Choose your route
The Kamihikawa Pass route (a loop over Kaminari-iwa and Daibosatsu Pass)
Loop
Difficulty
Intermediate
Approx. time
A loop of Mt. Daibosatsu-rei — about 4 hours (standard)
Day trip
Suited to a day trip · Beginner–Intermediate
Starting from Kamihikawa Pass (Lodge Chobei), you go via Fukuchan-so up to Kaminari-iwa. After a detour to the wooded summit of Mt. Daibosatsu-rei, you descend from Kaminari-iwa to Daibosatsu Pass along the ridge, with views of Mt. Fuji and Lake Daibosatsu — the classic loop. The elevation change is small and the path is clear, making it a good introduction to the 100 Famous Mountains. From here the editor pushed on to the Kogenzawa Renrei ridge.
A traverse on to the Kogenzawa Renrei ridge (toward Ishimaru Pass and Mt. Kogenzawa)
Traverse
Difficulty
Intermediate
Approx. time
The editor's measured time — about 6 hours 57 minutes (loop from Kamihikawa Pass)
Day trip
For strong walkers · Intermediate
From Daibosatsu Pass, via Ishimaru Pass, the Kogenzawa Renrei ridge continues over Mt. Kumazawa, Mt. Tengudana, Mt. Kogenzawa and Mt. Ushioku-no-Gankgaharasuri. It is a quiet traverse of bamboo grass and standing dead trees, with beautiful Mt. Fuji straight ahead. The editor followed this ridge and walked the roughly 14.8 km loop back to Kamihikawa Pass.
Editor's record
Editor's measured times
The editor's actual timings on this hike (from the video record). Use them as a guide to course times.
06:55Depart Kamihikawa Pass (Lodge Chobei)
07:20Fukuchan-so (junction for Kaminari-iwa and the Karamatsu-one ridge)
08:18Reach the summit of Mt. Daibosatsu-rei (2,057 m). Views of Mt. Fuji and Lake Daibosatsu from Kaminari-iwa
09:14Daibosatsu Pass (Kaizan-so)
11:06Mt. Kogenzawa (the bamboo-grass ridge of the Kogenzawa Renrei range)
13:52Descend to Kamihikawa Pass (loop, about 6 hours 57 minutes)
History & culture
History & culture
Mt. Daibosatsu-rei is the highest peak of the Daibosatsu Renrei range, which runs south of Okuchichibu, and at 2,057 m it is one of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains. It sits on the boundary between Koshu City and Tabayama Village in Yamanashi Prefecture.
The name “Daibosatsu” comes from Daibosatsu Pass, the saddle just to the south. Widely known as the setting of Nakazato Kaizan’s epic novel “Daibosatsu Toge (Daibosatsu Pass)”, the pass was long an important route linking Koshu and Bushu.
The summit of Mt. Daibosatsu-rei is ringed by forest and has no view, but from Kaminari-iwa and Daibosatsu Pass on the ridge a grand panorama opens out over Lake Daibosatsu (the Kamihikawa dam lake) below, Mt. Fuji rising beyond it, and the Southern Alps. Because you can drive up to Kamihikawa Pass, the elevation change is small and it is loved as an introduction to the 100 Famous Mountains; meanwhile the Kogenzawa Renrei ridge continuing south offers quiet ridge walking through bamboo grass.
Photos
Photos from the trail
All photos were taken by the editor on the actual hike. Tap to enlarge.
Because you can drive up to Kamihikawa Pass the elevation change is small, and the loop taking in Kaminari-iwa and Daibosatsu Pass is about 4 hours, making it a good introduction to the 100 Famous Mountains. The path is clear, too. The loop pushing on to the Kogenzawa Renrei ridge that the editor walked is a long roughly 14.8 km, and this one requires intermediate or greater fitness.
Is there a view from the summit?
The summit of Mt. Daibosatsu-rei itself is surrounded by forest and has no view. The views open up at Kaminari-iwa and Daibosatsu Pass on the ridge, from where you can see Lake Daibosatsu (the Kamihikawa dam) below, Mt. Fuji, and the Southern Alps. If you want to enjoy the views, the walk centres on the ridge.
Is it a different mountain from Daibosatsu Pass?
Mt. Daibosatsu-rei (2,057 m) is the mountain whose highest peak it is, while Daibosatsu Pass (about 1,900 m) is the saddle to its south. It is the name of the pass that is known from Nakazato Kaizan’s novel “Daibosatsu Toge (Daibosatsu Pass)”; on a hike it is usual to link Mt. Daibosatsu-rei and Daibosatsu Pass into a loop.
Can you traverse on to the Kogenzawa Renrei ridge?
From Daibosatsu Pass, via Ishimaru Pass, you can traverse the Kogenzawa Renrei ridge continuing over Mt. Kumazawa, Mt. Tengudana, Mt. Kogenzawa and Mt. Ushioku-no-Gankgaharasuri. It is a quiet path with beautiful views of bamboo grass and Mt. Fuji, and the editor followed this ridge too. The distance is long and there are few escape routes, so plan with plenty of time to spare.
