A classic route, Tokugo Pass to Kamikochi

72th Weston Festival took place on June 3, Sunday in Kamikochi.

So…what/who is Weston?

Walter Weston's tablet

Walter Weston was an English missionary and stayed in Japan three times in his life. During his stay in Japan, he climbed a lot of mountains such as Mt. Fuji, Hotaka or Yarigatake, and wrote a book to introduce Japanese mountaineering to overseas countries.

Before Weston did that, People in Japan did not hike/climb mountains as a hobby like we do today (it was for religious reason or for living), so, Weston opened our eyes to recreational mountaineering in Japan!

Japan Alpine Club thanks his huge contribution, and set a bronze tablet in Kamikochi, and keep holding a “Weston Festival” on the first Sunday of June of each year

As a part of the festival, it’s also been the tradition to walk Tokugo Pass for Kamikochi on the previous day of the festival since 1965…

And, I definitely recommend you this route as a one-day hike!

You won’t go to any peak of mountains in this route, but you’ll find it worthwhile to walk for 10 hours. Here is why:

To get to Kamikochi, we usually take bus from Matsumoto (or Shinjuku) and go through the tunnel (釜トンネル), but the tunnel was completed in 1927.

How could people get to Kamikochi where is surrounded by mountains? They walked the route from Shin-shimashima to Kamikochi, via Tokugo Pass.

So, you see, the route is the one which people used to walk for a looooong time in the history.

It’s known as one of very famous classic route in Japan.

Here is our plan:

6am morning: Start at “Azumi Shisho (安曇支所)” bus stop

(If you plan to go by bus, time table is here: http://www.kamikochi.or.jp/access/bus-timetable_1/　(you catch a bus at 5:30 in Matsumoto, you can arrive the bus stop at 6:06))

It will be a long path and take approx.10hrs, so I recommend you to start by 6am (so you can get to Kamikochi before it gets dark and the accommodations/restaurants close (most of them close before 5pm)

Just follow the sign to “徳本峠”