Sonbutsu Sanso

Mountain hut on the summit of Tonodake (1,491m), the highest peak of the Omote-Tanzawa. The view runs full circle over the Tanzawa ranges to Mount Fuji, the Southern Alps, the towers of central Tokyo and Sagami Bay, and the night view is famous. The long Okura ridge, the Omote ridge traverse from Yabitsu Pass and the main Tanzawa ridge towards Tanzawasan all converge here, making it one of the most climbed mountains in Tanzawa. It opens year-round, strictly by reservation, and same-day bookings are not accepted. Dinner is a home-made vegetable curry — said to be the only one of its kind among Tanzawa's huts — with free refills of both curry and rice; breakfast is oden. There is no campsite, and the hut has no plumbing, so water must be carried up or bought at the shop; a spring called Fudo-no-shimizu lies 300 horizontal metres below the summit. The ground-floor rest room can be used for self-catering, and non-guests may use the shop between 8am and 4pm.