Access and Climbing Information
Hiking up Mt. Shichimen takes four to six hours to reach Shichimensan Keishin-in Temple, which is near the summit. Due to icy trail conditions, crampons are required for climbing from November to March.
What to bring
- Body towel (you will need this at Keishiin-in where towels won’t be available)
- Drying towel (you may want this for drying off after a bath)
- Water bottle
- Clothes for all conditions—note that at nearly 2,000 m, weather conditions can vary throughout the day on Shichimen.
- A set of clean, soft clothes (loungewear) appropriate to attend services and warm enough to keep you comfortable in the evening on top of Mt Shichimen.
- Pyjamas (if different to loungewear)
- Cash to pay for lodging, and you may wish to purchase a blessing or souvenir. There aren’t EFTPOS or credit card facilities on Mt Shichimen.
- Charger and cables (there is electricity and WiFi on Mt Shichimen, you can charge your devices in your room)
- A separate bag (with a closure) or a clean plastic bag that can be tied closed for sending heavier items up the goods lift/ropeway to the top of Mt Shichimen.
General advice (From JR Minobu Station to Mt. Shichimen trailhead)
There are 3 ways to get from Minobu to the Shichimen trailhead: bus, taxi, car. This guide only covers the Hayakawa bus that runs from JR Minobu Station to Narata Onsen. The one way fare from Minobu to Shichimen is ¥600 per person, exact change only, though you can get change for 1,000 JPY bills when getting off.
Walking sticks are highly recommended. You can borrow a (gently used) wooden hiking stick from the many sticks available at the taxi companies and stores in the Shichimen bus stop vicinity. You can also purchase a new stick for ¥800. Near the Shichimen bus stop there is also a mural-style map of the Mt. Shichimen climb across the street from Tawaraya Ryokan, showing both the South Sando and North Sando trails.
We encourage walkers to take a taxi from the bus stop area to the South Sando trailhead. The South Sando is more suitable for an ascent, it has the historical association with Lady Oman (including the purification waterfalls and her statue), and it has water and Bo’s (resting places) along they way that the North Sando does not.
The taxi cost is about ¥1200, and allows you to bypass local construction along the way (river channel clean-out and the new linear shinkensen build). Walkers without good Japanese language skills can use Google translate to ask for the ride to the South Sando.
At the South Sando, visitors staying at Keishin-in temple can use the baggage lift for heavier items. One way baggage fare is ¥500 yen per bag which you will pay at Keishin–in. Lift time is generally 9 am and does not run on Wednesday and Thursdays.
We suggest packing an extra carry bag (with a closure) or a plastic bag that can be tied closed. The goods lift carries lots of utilitarian items that can be dirty/greasy, so using a plastic bag, or putting a plastic bag over your cloth bag will keep your items clean. Keep first aid, food, water, and hiking gear (including warmer clothing) with you, as you will need it for the climb.
Climbing from south trailhead to Keishin-in Temple
Start your hike at the by going through the entrance Toori.
Remember that Shichimen is a sacred mountain. Respect the environment and the temple/rest areas along the hike. Take all of your trash with you. Soap, detergent, shampoo, etc. use is not allowed.
Do make a small donation if you use the toilets (especially if you use the nice new Washlet toilets!). Do make a small donation if the caretaker brings you a cup of tea. Feel free to sit on the benches in the shelter. That’s what they’re in place for! Note that in warmer months, there can be leeches along the North Sando. Use the spray bottles placed at rest benches to spray your ankles with salt water to keep the leeches away.
The signs beside the distance markers have inspirational sayings on them. You can use your smartphone to read the text and be inspired as you go, even if you don’t read Japanese.
You can fill your bottle at taps (spigots/faucets) at the Bo’s. Note that the caretakers keep the taps running even when not in use to prevent freezing. So, don’t turn the tap off once you fill your bottle, just close it so the water trickles. (This will be unusual for visitors from Australia or other countries where it is generally dry and warm.)
Entering Keishin-in Temple grounds
We recommend using the traditional viewing area and gate to the temple complex because it is phenomenally beautiful. After ringing the bell (once per person!), continue to the left. If you look to the mountains on your left, you may see Mt Fuji if it is clear. Then, turn to the right and walk through the Zuishinmon gate, down the slope, using the log stepping stones. The gate will frame the Hondo (main hall) building of the temple, and as you descend slowly down the stepping stones, it is an incredible entrance to an incredible place.
Keishin-in Temple Info and Etiquette
Overnight stay: ¥6,500 per person, dinner and breakfast included.
Bath time from 3 pm.
Dinner time: 5 pm
Wake time: generally 1 hour before sunrise.
Breakfast: served after morning service that changes during the year depending on sunrise. If you need to leave early, tell the staff the night before departure that you want your breakfast at wake time.
There is a large entry at the temple immediately to your left once you descend the slope. Just inside the entrance there is a large space with benches for removing shoes and a place to store your hiking stick. Just in from the entry is the temple office where you pay for your stay and buy blessings or memorial reading of deceased family member names to pray for their enlightenment.
You can also pay a small fee to have your temple/shrine book stamped and dated by the priests working at the office. The priests working at the office desk will let you know all of the important information regarding dinner, service, breakfast, and sunrise times.
There is also a live camera showing the Mt Fuji viewing conditions. Some priests or staff speak English well, and others don’t. There is WiFi, and so you can use google translate to communicate if you and the priests on duty don’t speak the same language.
There are lots of things to see around the Mt Shichimen temple complex, such as visiting nearby Okunoin Temple, hiking to the top of Mt. Shichimen and so on. Use the Shichimen tourist webpages to get an idea of the attractions. The deer are tame, and you can see them up close.
No body soap or shampoo is allowed to be used on Mt. Shichimen. This is to protect the delicate sacred mountain environment. Remember that the temple complex is on top of a mountain, and the soil is rocky. The temple complex uses a septic system combined with a sludge dewatering centrifuge to treat wastewater. Here is a link to an article on mechanical dewatering (the dewatering centrifuge): https://sswm.info/water-nutrient-cycle/wastewater-treatment/hardwares/sludge-treatment/mechanical-dewatering. For the visitor, it’s good to know that the mechanical dewatering just reduces the volume of wastewater to be treated, but the wastewater still has to be treated by the on-site septic tank (Link to how septic tanks work: https://sswm.info/water-nutrient-cycle/wastewater-treatment/hardwares/site-storage-and-treatments/septic-tank), so it’s important to respect the ‘no soap and shampoo’ policy!
If you are staying at Mt. Shichimen at a quiet time with few visitors, a single bath may be used for males and females (alternating, not mixed). If so, check the sign on the door of the bath before entering. The wooden sign says ‘men’ on one side and ‘women’ on the other. You can use your smartphone to read the sign, or the kanji for ‘women’ is written in red, and the kanji for ‘men’ is written in black, so you can easily tell who is using the bath.
Dinner is served in the guest room. The meal is vegetarian, and a small amount of sake is provided for warmth and is also a shared gift as sake (made from rice, a gift of the land) is the traditional offering from pilgrims in honor to the temple and the goddess Shichimensan. Dinner is served Japanese style (eat at low, individual tables while sitting on cushions on the floor). The guest rooms have heaters and heated tables for extra warmth.
As a visitor to Mt Shichimen, you have the privilege of attending a special altar opening and blessing ceremony before the regular evening Nichiren Shu Buddhist services. It is recommend that you attend this, even if you aren’t religious or spiritual, as it is an opportunity to enter the inner-most area of the temple that is usually off-limits to lay people.
Taking photos is not permitted in the Hondo (main hall). The inner area is very beautifully decorated, and you have a chance to see the famous sculpture of Shichimen Daimyojin (the goddess) up close: in one hand she holds a key, in the other she holds three ‘power balls’, or as one priest described using a Dragon Ball metaphor, “She has the key to open your heart and insert the power balls that nourish your spirit and power your life purpose.”
It can be chilly in the innermost area of the temple, so dress warmly. The alter opening ceremony includes an opportunity to offer incense and say a personal prayer. There was a heated carpet in this area, but it can still be chilly in from October to April. At the end of the ceremony, the priest blesses all attendees with a large scroll of the entire Lotus Sutra. You will receive a commemorative alter opening certificate that documents your attendance at what is a very special religious and cultural ceremony.
This would be a good place to put in some information about the incense-offering/personal prayer religious aspects of the services. Attendees sit for most of the service, the only time you get up is during the incense offering. The incense-offering is your opportunity to offer incense and say a personal prayer.
The priest will indicate when it is incense offering time. When it is your turn, bow lightly, stand and walk to the incense burner, take a pinch of incense and drop it on the small piece of charcoal in the center of the burner. Put hands together, say a silent prayer or wish, bow lightly and walk back to your seat. Here is an example with a how to offer incense video (no need to be as stiff and formal as the video, just be relaxed and natural).
Following the alter opening ceremony in the inner sanctuary, evening service is held. Before the service, find and place a stool so that you can sit comfortably. You can also take a drum so that you can participate in the service.
The evening and morning services follows the Nichiren Shu order of service. . The worshipers are encouraged to take a hand drum to participate in chanting portion of the service.
Following the evening service, a priest will take interested visitors on a tour of the treasure house at the temple behind the altar. There are treasures including the ‘dragon claw’ fossil found in Ichinoike pond, an unusual sculpture of Shichimen, and Lady Obon’s mirror. If you don’t speak Japanese, use google translate so that you can understand what you’re being shown.
Get ready for bed after the tour as temple lights go out at 9 PM so everyone can wake up early the next morning. The temple staff will be trying to close off hallways (to keep the heat closer to you when you are sleeping!), so don’t be slow. Remember to keep the taps dripping/running gently so that the pipes don’t freeze.
The rooms at Shichimen are Japanese style with futons. There are extra blankets on the futon and under the quilt to keep you warm. It is also possible to turn on a heater if you get cold. If you are at Shichimen at a quiet time, you may have a room to yourself. However, if you are there at a busy time, you could share a large futon with other visitors. There are power points (plugs/outlets) where you can charge your phone overnight.
If you need to leave early be sure to request an early breakfast before lights out!
The Keishin-in priests will tell you the local sunrise time so that you can be sure to see the sunrise over Mt Fuji. If you are fortunate to see it, the sunrise is incredible. The morning wind can be cold so dress warmly. After seeing the sunrise, you can quietly enter the Hondo if morning service is already taking place. It’s ok to get a stool to sit on even if you are arriving late.
It is ok to leave the service early if you need to depart early. Just be quiet and respectful. And, remember to put your stool away.
If you are trying to leave in time to catch the 10.30 bus from Hayakawa, you should be starting out no later than 6.30 AM and take the North Sando trail straight into Hayakawa village Shichimensan bus stop. The trail is steep and somewhat less developed than the South Sando, there are fewer bo rest areas and no water. The terrain can be slippery with fallen leaves and loose rocks. Be especially careful on the final leg down from 19-cho-me Tochinoki-Anjubo rest area to the trailhead as fatigue and clouded concentration can result in slipping and falling.
For more information and reservations: Shichimensan Keishin-in Temple Phone 0556-45-2551* Fax 0556-45-2553* (Japanese language only)
4217-1 Minobu, Minobu-cho, Minamikoma-gun, Yamanshi-ken 409-2524
E-mail: keishinin1297@gmail.com (English emails).
General information English websites
Yamanashi Prefecture Tourism Website: https://www.yamanashi-kankou.jp/english/staff-journal/2021_shichimenzan.html
Hayakawa Tourism Website: https://hayakawakankou.jp/english/archives/spot/shichimensan/
Akasawa (Akasawa-Shuku) (Yamanashi Prefecture Tourism Website): https://www.yamanashi-kankou.jp/english/staff-journal/akasawasyuku2019.html?mode=preview
Blog of a westerner who hiked from Minobu to Shichimensan in 2017:
Part 1: https://closetomountfuji.com/2017/04/16/mt-minobu-to-mt-shichimen-pilgrimage-stage-one/
Part 2: https://closetomountfuji.com/2017/05/24/mt-minobu-to-mt-shichimen-pilgrimage-stage-two/
Last updated: 2024-01-17
Mt. Shichimen Keishin-in Temple 
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