Hi,
My wife and I are planning to visit the Kamikochi area for 3 days in the 2nd week of October as part of our holiday to Japan. We’re hoping to hike up to Mt Oku-hotakadake via Karasawa and stay 2 nights in the mountain huts between.
We’d like some advice on how the reservation/accomodation system works in the huts here. We wanted to stay in Karasawa but had trouble trying to reaching both Hutte and Goya by phone. By the time we did, the day we wanted was fully booked for both places.
Would it still be possible to stay there via walk-in? I came across a TripAdvisor thread where someone mentioned that Hutte doesn’t take reservations for group with fewer than 4 people, however that was posted over 5 years ago and I’m unsure if that’s still the case. Alternatively we’re thinking of staying at Hotakadake-sanso on our first day (we’ll arrive at 5:20AM via overnight bus) but that might be cutting it close time-wise – we’re in our late 20s ~avg fitness, like to go hiking during holiday trips.
Appreciate any sort of information/advice regarding staying in the area!
![[Itinerary check] Kanagawa/Shizuoka and Tokyo (late September - early October)](https://www.lonelyjapan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IrhIcv_dqhj8WPkUiP0dkh_XeZyQ8rrIB2bEhsVLyog-380x220.jpg)
2 comments
This is the busiest time of the year. The hut will be packed.
So no, you can’t walk in. You can stay in a tent though. So if you’re set on going on those days you need to bring a tent
It’s the tail end of the autumn foliage season in Karasawa and the second weekend in October is a three-day weekend.
If you’re absolutely set on hiking in the area and staying at a hut at elevation, Chougatake Hutte has online reservations and openings available on the 10th and 11th as of right this moment. Reservations open one month in advance.
You can stay two nights and hike out to Jonen and back on the second day with a gorgeous view of the Hotaka range and Yari.