Mount Yotei

Mountain

Prefecture

Hokkaido

Type

Mountain

N/A

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About This Destination

A 1,898 m volcano with a near-perfect cone, called Ezo Fuji, that rises alone above Niseko and Kutchan. Four trails reach the crater rim in a little over four hours each way, and the round trip can take 10 hours with no water anywhere on the mountain.

From almost anywhere around Niseko, Yotei fills the eastern sky, a lone stratovolcano 1,898 m high with a summit crater about 2 km around. The comparison to Fuji is fair, and so is the effort. There are four trails, named for the towns they start from: Kutchan Hirafu, Makkari, Kyogoku and Kimobetsu. Kutchan's town office gives about 4 hours 25 minutes from the Hirafu trailhead to the crater rim and 4 hours 40 minutes from Makkari, plus another 40 minutes or so around the rim to the true summit. Kyogoku and Kimobetsu are listed at about 4 hours 15 minutes. Round trips can run to 10 hours, and there is no water source on any route, so carry all of it. The weather on top turns fast, and the bare upper slopes give little shelter from wind. Between the 9th stations of the Hirafu and Makkari trails stands an emergency hut, rebuilt by the Ministry of the Environment in 2014, staffed from mid-June to mid-October. Bears are seen on the mountain several times a year. Down at the foot on the Kyogoku side, Fukidashi Park is where snowmelt from Yotei comes back out of the ground, about 80,000 tonnes a day at around 6.5C.

Location

Prefecture: Hokkaido

Address: Kutchan, Hokkaido, Japan

Nearest Station: Kutchan Station

Best time to visit: July to September for hiking; alpine flowers above 1,700 m from early July to early August

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Visitor Information

Credit Cards: Unknown

Official Website

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to climb Mount Yotei?

Kutchan town lists about 4 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 40 minutes from each trailhead to the crater rim, and the true summit is up to 45 minutes further along the rim on the Hirafu and Makkari trails. The round trip can take up to 10 hours, so start early.

Can I stay overnight in the hut on Mount Yotei?

Yes, but book by phone with Kutchan town's tourism section (0136-23-3388, weekdays only); stays are capped at 10 people a night so space stays free for emergencies. The overnight fee is 3,000 yen and a daytime rest is 300 yen. No food, water, blankets or sleeping bags are provided.

When is the hiking season on Mount Yotei?

The hut is staffed from mid-June to mid-October, which is the usual summer season. Alpine flowers above 1,700 m bloom from early July to early August. Outside that period the hut is unstaffed, and winter climbing means avalanche risk and full winter gear.

What is Fukidashi Park?

A park in Kyogoku at the foot of Yotei where spring water fed by the mountain wells up, about 80,000 tonnes a day at around 6.5C. It was chosen as one of Japan's 100 best waters in 1985, and you can fill bottles for free, though the town asks you to boil the water before using it.