# Mount Chokai

> A 2,236 m active volcano on the Akita and Yamagata border, about 16 km from the Sea of Japan and called Dewa Fuji for its shape. Most climbers start at Hokodate, the fifth station at 1,150 m on the toll-free Chokai Blue Line, and reach the summit in about 4 hours 40 minutes on a route where snowfields last into July.

- Prefecture: Yamagata
- Type: Mountain
- Address: Yuza, Yamagata, Japan
- Official site: http://chokaizan.com/

From the rice fields of Shonai or the beach at Kisakata, Chokai looks like a mountain standing straight out of the sea, and that is close to true: the 2,236 m summit is about 16 km from the Sea of Japan. The usual way up starts at Hokodate, the fifth station at 1,150 m on the Chokai Blue Line, where there is a car park for 300 cars, a visitor centre, the Inakura Sanso rest house with food, and a lookout over the Naso gorge. Stone steps follow the gorge ridge to Sai-no-Kawara at 1,520 m, about an hour up, where a snowfield usually lingers until mid-July and the path is easy to lose in fog. At Ohama (1,700 m) the round crater lake Chokai-ko, about 200 m across, sits below the peaks. Past Shimekake you choose between the Senjadani valley, quicker and sheltered but on snow, and the outer rim, with the best views but narrow and often windy. The top, Shinzan, is a scramble over rock from the summit hut, and the whole climb takes about 4 hours 40 minutes one way. The summit lies in Yamagata, though Hokodate is in Akita. Chokai is still an active volcano; its last activity was a small steam explosion in 1974.

## FAQ

### How long does it take to climb Mount Chokai from Hokodate?

About 4 hours 40 minutes one way, according to the local tourism council, so most people need a full day for the round trip or stay at a hut. Sai-no-Kawara, about an hour up, keeps a snowfield until about mid-July, and people new to snow will be glad of crampons early in the season.

### When is the Chokai Blue Line open?

Usually from late April to early November, free of charge. It is closed all winter, and around opening and closing it shuts every night from 17:00 to 8:00 because of ice. Check the Akita and Yamagata prefectural road information before you set off.

### Can I reach the Hokodate trailhead without a car?

Only on set days. The reservation-only Chokai Blueliner bus runs from JR Kisakata Station on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from June to the second Saturday of October; book with Kisakata Godo Kotsu (0184-43-2030) by 17:00 the day before. Otherwise take a taxi.

### Can I stay overnight on Mount Chokai?

Yes. The Ohama hut and the Omuro hut just below the summit open from early July to the end of August and must be booked through Chokaisan Omonoimi Shrine (0234-77-2301). Hokodate Sanso at the trailhead charges 2,000 yen a night.

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Source: Mount Chokai — Japan Voyage