A nature-filled daytrip to west Tokyo, Hatonosu Valley is an easy hike that can be completed by anyone with normal fitness. The views on the hike are beautiful and you soon forget you are even in Tokyo. While the valley is also famous for its autumn colors, the verdant landscape in summer offers the perfect respite from relentless heatwaves.
Starting the Hatonosu Valley hike
From Shinjuku Station take the Chuo Line to Ome Station, then transfer to the Ome Line to Kori Station (古里駅). Total journey time is around 1.5 to 2 hours.
Note the Kori Station is an unmanned station with no machines to top up your PASMO or Suica if you have insufficient funds to pay the train fare. In such a case, you will need to press a button on the orange machine on the wall to get issued a ticket proving you alighted here. You will later take this ticket and show it to the staff at a manned station upon your return. Pay the fare for the roundtrip journey at window by the gates.
Back to the hike. From Kori Station walk with the railway tracks on your left until you find a path to cross over. Once on the other side of the tracks, you should meet the main road. Turn right onto the main road and continue for around 5 mins until you see this signboard, indicating the start of the Otama hiking trail.
Hiking from Kori to Hatonosu Station
The trail will first take you through a quaint neighborhood of houses before finally giving way to a bridge and lush forest overlooking Tama River. You can swim in the river, where the water is refreshingly cold and perfect for a sweltering summer day.
The path, which is elevated from the river, is unmissable and winds through luscious greenery and small waterfalls. The temperature is markedly cooler than outside and the air easier to breathe.
Continue on the path for around an hour and you will find yourself at Hatonosu Station (鳩ノ巣駅). Congratulations! You finished a 3.5 kilometer hike. You can end your hike here, or continue on for another 5 km to Okutama Station (奥多摩駅). We just wanted a chill day and were already drenched in sweat, so we decided head back from Hatonosu.
Hatonosu is another unmanned station, so if your PASMO/Suica is out of funds, you will need to press the button on the orange machine again.
Resources
- Trail map as of April 2024 (English, PDF)
- Maps and trial information from official Okutama tourism office (Japanese only)
- GoTokyo official Tokyo travel guide (English)
If you do happen to find yourself in Okutama, you can try checking out the famous Okutama Ropeway haikyo.