Senjogatake Hiking Guide | From Kitazawa Pass to the Queen of the Southern Alps · Course time
Difficulty & route
Intermediate
A 3,033 m peak of the Hyakumeizan (100 Famous Mountains of Japan), praised as the "Queen of the Southern Alps" for its soft, cirque-carved form. From Kitazawa Pass you cross Ko-Senjogatake and walk the ridge with its cirques in view all the way to the summit.
Senjogatake3,033m
Elevation
3,033m
Course time
Out and back from Kitazawa Pass — about 5 hours 42 minutes (editor's measured time, incl. breaks)
Best season
July to September (alpine flowers and cirques). In the residual-snow season (June) crampons are essential — beware of ice higher up.
Distance
8.5km
Total ascent
1,096m
Parking
Private-car restricted zone. Take the Southern Alps Forest Road bus to Kitazawa Pass from Senryuso (Todai Park).
0:00Elapsed0.0km2,046m
Elevation profileEditor's measured GPX · surface distance8.53kmRoute overviewEditor's measured GPS route on the GSI base map ·8.53km
LocationMinami-Alps City, Yamanashi / Ina City, Nagano (northern Southern Alps)
TrailheadKitazawa Pass／Ina City, Nagano (Southern Alps Forest Road bus, Kitazawa Pass)35.7421, 138.2137Open in Google Maps →
AccessBy car: from Senryuso (Todai Park) on the Nagano side, or from Ashiyasu / Hirogawara on the Yamanashi side, take the Southern Alps Forest Road bus to Kitazawa Pass. Private cars cannot go as far as Kitazawa Pass.
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：2026-06-22
Senjogatake is a 3,033 m peak of the 100 Famous Mountains of Japan, rising in the northern Southern Alps. From its soft, glacier-carved cirques it is praised as the "Queen of the Southern Alps" — a graceful high peak. It stands in fine contrast to its sharp, masculine neighbour Kaikomagatake. The Hokuto editor climbed it for real from the same base at Kitazawa Pass, and sets it out here.
He walked it in early June. From Kitazawa Pass he climbed through the forest to Ko-Senjogatake, and from there it was an open ridge walk with the Ko-Senjo cirque at his feet. That day there was a lot of residual snow and crampons were essential; the summit was unfortunately shrouded in mist and the views were limited, but now and then the clouds broke to reveal the cirques and the ridge — the queenly form showing its face.
The editor's measured time, including breaks, was about 5 hours 42 minutes (departed 09:01, summited 12:29, descended 14:43). Although it is a 3,000 m peak there are few dangerous rocky sections, and once you climb to Kitazawa Pass a day trip is possible. The editor felt that "Kaikomagatake is a little more demanding." It is a mountain he vowed to return to on a clear day.
As it is a 3,000 m peak, be prepared for sudden weather changes, the cold, and altitude sickness. In the residual-snow season (around June) crampons are essential. Kitazawa Pass is reached by bus, so plan your day around the first and last bus times. On a clear day, the cirques and the garden of alpine flowers are a beauty worthy of the name "Queen."
Routes
Choose your route
Ko-Senjo Ridge route (from Kitazawa Pass)
Out and back / loop
Difficulty
Intermediate
Approx. time
About 5h42m (editor's measured time) / standard about 6–7 hours
Day trip
Day trip · Intermediate
Starting from Kitazawa Pass, you climb through forest, cross the tree line, and reach Ko-Senjogatake. From there it is an open ridge walk to Senjogatake, with the Ko-Senjo cirque and the Yabusawa cirque in view — the classic route. Although it is a 3,000 m peak there are few dangerous rocky sections, and once you have ridden the bus up to Kitazawa Pass the height gain is quite manageable. In the residual-snow season crampons are required.
Combined with Kaikomagatake
Traverse base
Difficulty
Intermediate
Approx. time
Two peaks based at Kitazawa Pass
Day trip
Hut stay / tent stay
Kitazawa Pass is the base for the northern Southern Alps, and many people use the same pass to climb Senjogatake and Kaikomagatake on separate days. Staying at Choei Hut (Kitazawa Pass) lets you enjoy the contrasting pair — the queen (Senjo) and the sharp, masculine peak (Kaikoma).
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.
09:01Depart Kitazawa Pass (into the climb through the forest)
11:23Ko-Senjogatake (the ridge overlooking the Ko-Senjo cirque)
12:29Reach the summit of Senjogatake (elevation 3,033 m)
14:43Descend to Kitazawa Pass (round trip about 5h42m)
History & culture
History & culture
Senjogatake is a 3,033 m mountain rising in the northern Southern Alps, and one of Japan's 100 Famous Mountains. Sitting on the border of Yamanashi and Nagano prefectures, it is a popular high peak climbed — together with neighbouring Kaikomagatake — from a base at Kitazawa Pass.
Three glacier-carved cirques (the Ko-Senjo, Yabusawa and Dai-Senjo cirques) trace soft curves around the summit, and it is this graceful form that has earned the mountain the name "Queen of the Southern Alps." Its shape stands in fine contrast to the sharp, masculine Kaikomagatake.
In summer the whole ridge becomes a garden of alpine flowers that welcomes many hikers. Because it is a 3,000 m peak with few dangerous rocky sections, and can be done as a day trip once you take the bus up to Kitazawa Pass, it is also cherished as an introduction to 3,000 m peaks.
Photos
Photos from the trail
All photos were taken by the editor on the actual hike. Tap to enlarge.
It is a 3,000 m peak, but there are few dangerous rocky sections, and once you ride the bus up to Kitazawa Pass the height gain is quite manageable, so it is popular as an introduction to 3,000 m peaks. By the editor's own measurement the round trip was about 5 hours 42 minutes. In the residual-snow season (around June), however, crampons are needed, and you must also be prepared for sudden weather changes on the ridge.
How do you get to Kitazawa Pass?
Kitazawa Pass is a private-car restricted zone, reached by the Southern Alps Forest Road bus from Senryuso (Todai Park) on the Nagano side or from Ashiyasu / Hirogawara on the Yamanashi side. Plan your trip around the first and last bus times.
Can I climb it together with Kaikomagatake?
Yes. Many people use the same base at Kitazawa Pass to climb both Senjogatake and Kaikomagatake, typically staying at Choei Hut (Kitazawa Pass) and doing the two over two days. You can enjoy the contrasting pair — the graceful Senjo and the sharp-peaked Kaikoma. The editor felt that Kaikoma was a little more demanding.
When is the best time to climb?
To enjoy the alpine flowers and the cirques, midsummer — July to September — is best. When the editor climbed in early June there was a lot of residual snow, crampons were essential, and the cloudy weather limited the views. Pick a fine day and the sight of the cirques and the ridge is exceptional.
