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Hiking Mt. Shirouma: A 2-Day Trek in the Japanese Alps

7 hours ago
6 min read

If someone asked me where they should hike in Japan, I wouldn’t say Mt. Fuji – I’d say Mt. Shirouma.


If you want to pass through what feels like several different worlds on a challenging hike, this is the one for you. I even made a Youtube highlight video here to prove it. This hike is very much a choose-your-own-adventure, as there are multiple trails up Mt. Shirouma. 

 

Mt. Shirouma sits in the Northern Japanese Alps, on the border of Nagano and Toyama Prefectures. Although it is a popular winter destination for skiers and snowboarders, it is slowly gaining popularity for its breathtaking hikes in the warmer months.

 

In this post, I’ll walk you through the route I took over two days, and I’ll share some resources so you can plan and customize your own!

 

** All prices and timetables are based on my hike in August 2026. Always check the latest prices and timetables on the official sites. See the 'Helpful Resources' section at the end of this post.

 

Difficulty

 

I’m not a professional hiker, but I do get in several hikes each year.

Compared to Mt. Fuji (via the Subashiri Trail), Mt. Shirouma was significantly harder.

 

Overall, I’d rate this hike as hard to challenging. (Rated as hard on AllTrails.)

 

Some sections are steep and require a little rock scrambling. My route also included Hakuba Daisekkei, where I needed crampons to get through the snow field.


Northern Japanese Alps
Northern Japanese Alps

 

What to Bring

I carried a 14L hiking backpack throughout the whole trip. Here were my essential items:


  • Cash (for transportation, crampons, gondola, and food/drinks)

  • At least two sets of clothes (a fresh set + an emergency set)

  • Water & snacks - there aren’t many rest stations along the way 

  • A good pair of hiking boots - the terrain can get pretty rocky, so you want to protect your ankles. Crampons also fit and feel better over boots than over regular shoes.

  • A small hygiene bag - at minimum, bring a toothbrush and toothpaste. I also brought lotion, sunscreen, and shower wipes, since there are no showers at the lodge.

  • Crampons for the Daisekkei section. If you don’t have any, you can rent them from Sarukuraso Hut for ¥1,500 (¥500 is refunded when you return them).

 

Reserve in advance:

 

My Route

 

Sarukura Tozanguchi → Hakuba Daisekkei → Hakuba Sanso Lodge → Mt. Shirouma → Hakuba Oike → Tsugaike Hutte


  • Logged 11.6 miles

  • Point to point

  • 14 hours of moving time (ie. does not count the resting period at Hakuba Sanso Lodge)

  • Approx. 6,100 ft elevation gain

  • Overnight stay at Hakuba Sanso Lodge

 

Let’s dig into my two day hike!



 

Day 0

 

I wanted to maximize my two days, so the night before my hike I took the shinkansen/bullet train from Yokohama to Nagano Station, then a bus to Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal. 

 

For the bus from Nagano Station to Hakuba, check the timetable here (https://visit-nagano.alpico.co.jp/timetable/hakuba-nagano-green). You cannot reserve this bus in advance; seats are first come, first served. Tickets cost ¥2,900 per person to Hakuba Station or Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal, or ¥3,200 per person if you want to start at Tsugaike Kogen.

 

If you decide to drive, park at one of the free Happo parking lots, such as Happo Parking Lot No. 3 or No. 5.

 

You can’t park at Sarukura, so if you’re starting your hike there, you’ll need to take the bus. 

 

Before you leave the bus terminal, confirm the bus departures for Sarukura Tozanguchi and other trailheads as they may change from season to season.

 

I stayed at a cheap hotel within walking distance of the bus terminal.

 

** Again, be sure to reserve your seat on the next day’s bus to the trailhead on Alpico’s site!

 

While you’re in town, pick up extra cash, drinks, and snacks at a local combini!

 

 

Day 1

Sarukura Tozanguchi → Hakuba Daisekkei → Hakuba Sanso Lodge

 

Rough Time Stamps

Time Activity      

6:00 AM     Wake up   

7:00 AM     Walk to 白馬八方バスターミナル (Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal). Take the 7:25 AM Sarukura bus. Arrive at 猿倉登山口 (Sarukura Tozanguchi).

7:45 AM     Start hiking 

9:00 AM     Hakuba Daisekkei (Great Snow Valley) 

11:30 AM   Alpine flower fields      

12:30 PM   Lunch        

3:00 PM     Check into Hakuba Sanso   

                  Relax, explore the surrounding area      

5:30 PM     Dinner at the hut 

8:00 PM     Sleep        

 

When I arrived at Sarukuraso Hut, I filled out the hiker’s registration form and rented my crampons (¥1,500, with ¥500 refunded upon return) for the Daisekkei section. You can return them at Tsugaike Kogen.

 

Sarukuraso Hut
Sarukuraso Hut

After a moderate incline, I eventually reached Hakuba Daisekkei, one of Japan’s largest snow valleys. The path can be hard to see, but gray snow with lots of footprints is a good indicator, and I also followed the hikers ahead of me. Everyone stops to put on their crampons just before the snow section. Crossing the snow took roughly 20–30 minutes.

 

  • Welcome to Daisekkei

As soon as I climbed out of the snow valley, I was greeted by alpine flowers against a backdrop of seracs. This beautiful stretch took roughly 2 hours to climb. It was a somewhat steep climb, but the flowers kept me going.


  • Seracs and alpine flowers

 

I then reached Hakuba-dake Chojo Shukusha hut, roughly 30 minutes from Hakuba Sanso Lodge. It made a good, quick bathroom break before the last push.


Hakuba Sanso Lodge in sight from Hakuba-dake Chojo Shukusha hut
Hakuba Sanso Lodge in sight from Hakuba-dake Chojo Shukusha hut

 

Finally, around 3:00 PM, I arrived and checked into Hakuba Sanso Lodge, Japan’s largest mountain hut. Although there are no showers, there are changing and drying rooms where I changed into my spare set of clothes and dried out my gear.

 

The room had 8 people, with futons laid out. I think I lucked out with a good group that didn’t smell ;).

 

Around the lodge, there is a café and souvenir shop across from the reception building. It’s also a great place to look out the window above the clouds and gaze at the scenery.

 

Dinner was orderly and healthy. I had pork chops with veggies, rice, and tonjiru (pork miso stew).

 

I went to bed early and fell asleep fast, ready for the next day’s early start.

 

Optionally, you can summit Mt. Shirouma in 15–20 minutes from the lodge after dropping your gear off at the lodge, but I got rained out as soon as I settled in.

 

  • Hakuba Sanso Lodge

 

Day 2

Hakuba Sanso Lodge → Mt. Shirouma Summit → Hakuba Oike → Tsugaike Nature Park

 

Rough Time Stamps

Time Activity   

4:00 AM    Wake for sunrise

4:30 AM    Summit Mt. Shirouma

6:15 AM    Begin descent + Ridgeline hiking

7:15 AM    Mt. Ko-Renge

8:30 AM    Hakuba Oike (Oike Pond)

9:00 AM    Break

9:30 AM    Continue descent

11:00 AM  Tenguppara Wetland

12:15 PM   Tsugaike Nature Park 栂池自然園 (Tsugaike Shizen-en)

1:00 PM     Gondola/Ropeway down 

 

I woke up around 4 AM the next day to catch the sunrise from the summit. I lucked out: the summit was clear, with a sea of clouds underneath. The clouds drifted in and out, but it was a marvelous sight.


  • Sunrise over the Japanese Alps

I spent more time taking photos than climbing Mt. Shirouma, which took about 15–20 minutes from the lodge to the summit.


  • Mt. Shirouma

Right after the summit, I began the ridgeline hike toward Hakuba Oike Pond, passing Mt. Ko-Renge (where I had my bento to-go breakfast) along the way.


  • Ridgeline hike from Mt. Shirouma

I finally reached Hakuba Oike, a beautiful lake that sits high in the alps. There’s also a lodge where you can pitch a tent if you brought one. Another great rest stop before the final push.


  • Hakuba Oike

After Hakuba Oike, the terrain becomes very rocky, so this is where good hiking boots are worth having.


I continued my descent to Tenguppara Wetland, then down a muddy path to Tsugaike Nature Park, and finished the hike with a relaxing gondola ride to the base of the mountain at Tsugaike Kogen.


Tenguppara Wetland
Tenguppara Wetland

The gondola ride down to Tsugaike Kogen cost approximately ¥2,980.

 

From there, I stopped by a café for a quick lunch and hopped on the bus to Hakuba, then on to Nagano Station.



Helpful Resources




I gotta say... this was one of my favorite hikes I've done in my life. My legs, glutes and feet took a beating, but the views made the pain go away.


During that last push after passing Hakuba Oike, I was very glad I did not have to climb up the rocky terrain as it would've required burning through a lot of stamina at the beginning of the trail if you started from Tsugaike Kogen side.



To follow more of my journey and content, remember to follow my IG @meros.plate.


Get your last hikes in before the cold winter hits!


-Sarah



 
 
 

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