Mt. Komagatake

I went hiking on Saturday, August 15th, 2026, during the Obon holiday. Since it was early in the morning, there weren't many people, and I was able to start hiking quickly. The hiking trail was empty because it was early in the morning. I also descended early, so I was able to take the ropeway and bus down when it wasn't crowded, which was great. The weather was also good, probably because it was early in the morning. When I descended 3 PM, it was foggy and the view was bad, so I'm really glad I bought this ticket. I've included photos of the scenery in the early morning and after descending. The morning buses are also packed with people and have long lines, so I think it's worth paying for time. The bus doesn't depart until 5 AM, so if you aim to arrive around 4:45 AM, you'll be fine. The parking lot is also empty.

For the past few years, our family trip has been a tradition to climb a cool mountain, and this time we wanted to see the Senjojiki Cirque, so we bought round-trip bus tickets from Komagane Station and Komagatake Ropeway tickets. The dates coincided with a typhoon, and we wondered what to do, but since cancellation was possible on the day, we decided to see what the weather was like and then decide. The forecast the day before predicted rain starting around 3 p.m., so we planned to head back by 1 p.m. and lined up at Komagane Station at 5 p.m., and were able to catch the 6 p.m. bus (no standing room). Buying the set ticket in advance meant we could line up right away, and all we had to do on the bus was show the QR code on the ticket screen when we got off, which was stress-free. The ropeway was also running every 9 minutes, so we didn't have to wait long and arrived at Senjojiki Cirque at 7:30 p.m. We were blessed with good weather and had plenty of time, and since we had gone to the trouble of preparing, the four of us decided to climb to the top of Senjojiki Cirque. My wife was speechless when she saw the towering cliff, but the hiking trail was crowded with people, so we managed to reach the top at a slow pace and enjoyed the magnificent view (some people were climbing in regular sneakers, but I recommend wearing hiking boots if possible). The only way to get to the Komagatake Ropeway base station is by local bus or taxi, and in the morning the buses are already full at the starting station, so boarding from Suganodai Bus Center is difficult. If there are 3-4 people, a taxi might be a good option.