(金時山) Mt. Kintoki Hike

This is Mt. Ashigara. But its nickname got so popular, people don't use its real name much (trail signs serve as evidence to this argument). The nickname? The second name of a kid that was born in this mountain that was raised by a mountain witch. Confused yet? 

In this mountain, Kintaro was born with supernatural strength and was raised by a mountain witch. He became a loyal follower of a regent (advisor to emperor), changing his name to Sakata no Kintoki. So Kintaro became Kintoki. This mountain became popular as Kintoki's birthplace, that people started referring to it as Mt. Kintoki. (wiki)

Budget: JPY4,820 (~USD46)

• JPY1,940. Bus, Shinjuku Bus Terminal > Trailhead 
• JPY1,940. Bus, Trailhead > Shinjuku Bus Terminal

Hike Date / Difficulty (Elevation: 1,212m / 3,976ft)

• November 8, 2020. I did this hike with Mt. Myoujin, blog post to be added later. 
• Difficulty: 2 out of 5.
• Route below is around 5.0kilometers, with an elevation change of ▲417m/ ▽784m
• PDF Map Link

When to Go

Anytime during the year!

Special Notes

• Weather check. 
• Trailhead. Quite a lot, but with blocked roads, there are two main areas that serve as the trailhead. 
• Kintoku Trailhead (金時山登山口) and surrounding area. There is a collection of bus stops, which are all along the line of one bus line. Bus details are here, reservations here. JPY1,940 one way. 

Bus schedule, Shinjuku Bus Terminal (新宿バスターミナル) ⇒ Kintoku Trailhead (金時山登山口)

Bus schedule, Kintoku Trailhead (金時山登山口) ⇒ Shinjuku Bus Terminal (新宿バスターミナル)

• Mountain huts.
• Paid. None
• Free. None
• Camping. None. 

Itinerary - Plan

• 08:05am. Bus, Shinjuku Bus Terminal to trailhead: Otome-touge (乙女峠)
• 10:08am. ETA: 乙女峠. 
• 10:30am. Start hike.
• 12:10pm. ETA: Summit. One hour lunch.
• 02:25pm. ETA: 湿生花園前. Go to onsen.
• 03:11pm-ish. Bus, 湿生花園前 area to Shinjuku (need to find the bus stop first)
• 05:50pm. ETA: Shinjuku Bus Terminal.

There is a direct bus to the trailhead of Mt. Kintoki, and the bus stop is an escalator outside Shinjuku Station (JR)'s New South Gate.

I checked the screens to check on where I should board. As a rule, I use the departure time to make it easier to see my bus. For that bus, my departure gate was B4. 

Arriving at the main trailhead - Kintokijinja-iriguchi (金時神社入口)

About ten meters next to the bus stop was this main entrance. Beautiful autumn colors welcomed me. Which also means that the place is going to be crowded. I simply followed the crowd (and the sign pointing to Mt. Kintoki)

Right next to the restroom was the turn to the trailhead. 

Just one path. Then I arrived at the shrine, though I kept left to keep on hiking. 

The initial trail up. 

Less than an hour in there were some sections where I can see the view. That smoking thing in the middle of the mountain is Owakudani, a consistently smoking stop in the Hakone Ropeways, and the main view for my hike (as Mt. Fuji was feeling shy that day)

The fork below the summit - left is a long ascent to Mt. Kintoki, right is a long descent down the valley in between Mt. Kintoki and Mt. Myoujin. 

Finally! The summit! With the most unique summit marker I've seen -  a reminder that this mountain was practically renamed because of a Japanese folklore. 

Ah, the very, very, VERY crowded summit. 

There were two shops too.  

Another summit marker, this time with an axe anyone can use as a prop. 

The cleanest restroom I've encountered in my hikes in Japan. The one restroom I didn't mind paying JPY100 for. 

There were plenty of signs saying poo and toilet paper (provided in side) goes to the back, while pee goes to the front. 

Back at the fork. I went straight because I wanted to do Mt. Myoujin too. 

It was a big descent. In front of me, visible in the next mountain is the trail up Mt. Myoujin. That is the ascent I have to do once I finish descending. 

Right before the fork is a flat spot wit a store (when I went it was closed). The turn was not so obvious and I wouldn't have had noticed it if not for the other hikes. Not to worry though, if you follow the trail, there'll be a sign at the official fork (yes, I checked). So, left for Mt. Myoujin, right to go down the trailhead. 
***
And this is the end of Mt. Kintoki post, as I decided to continue on to Mt. Myoujin!