Mt. Fujisato-Komagatake: Kuroishizawa Trailhead
Distance: New Trail: 2.13 kilometers
Old Trail: 2.34 kilometers
Duration: New Trail 1 hour 35 minutes (one way)
Old Trail: 1 hour 45 minutes (one way)
Kuroishizawa Trail leads to the top of Mt. Fujisato-Komagatake (1,158 m). About half a kilometer from the trailhead, the path splits into the new west trail, which passes through the Tanashiro Wetlands, and the old east trail, which is a more direct route to the summit. The trails re-converge about 330 meters from the top. When descending the mountain, hikers wishing to return by the Kuroishizawa Trail should choose their path carefully, as there is a separate trail, the Kabadai Trail, that continues to the south.
Mt. Fujisato-Komagatake has been worshipped by the people of Fujisato since ancient times. In spring, the farmers who live in the foothills wait to plant their crops until the melted snow looks like a horse running on the side of the mountain.
While Mt. Fujisato-Komagatake is not part of the Shirakami Sanchi World Heritage Site, it is part of the historical area that was called Shirakami Sanchi. As animals often come out of the mountains to feed on plants that grow along the trail, hikers should be on the alert for Japanese macaques, wild boar, and Asian black bears.
Note: there are no toilets along the trail.