Hiking • Shiroyama
About this place
In 1180, Minamoto no Yoritomo lost the Battle of Ishibashiyama to the Taira clan and retreated through the hills above Yugawara before eventually crossing to the Boso Peninsula. Shiroyama (Shiroyama - “castle mountain”) is part of that escape route. A local samurai, Doi Sanehira, sheltered him. The hiking course is signposted with historical markers at key points, including the castle-ruin site near the summit, and reads as a proper historical walk rather than a generic ridge hike.
The loop is 13.6 kilometres, runs for about 3 hours and 50 minutes at a steady pace, and starts and ends at Yugawara Station. The summit at 563 metres gives you a long view across the Odawara plain toward Hakone. Trail surface is mostly packed dirt and stone steps; one section gets exposed in summer and benefits from early starts in July and August.
Part of the Kanagawa Prefecture hiking-route network, which means signage is in both Japanese and English on the main waypoints. The 2025 summit-section closure has been lifted; check Kanagawa Prefecture’s hiking page before a trip in case of landslide advisories. Free. No permits. Bring water and proper shoes.
Evidence
Why we say this
We promote only facts that exist in the detail record. If a field is missing or sources disagree, we either omit it or flag it below.
- Sources checked
- 2 public sources
- Data notes
- 1 conflict note
- Currentness
- Static guide record, not a live inventory feed. Confirm hours, prices, closures, and booking availability before travel.
What to know
Quick facts
Location: Shiroyama area, Yugawara, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa
Access: Start walking from Yugawara Station.
Season: Year-round; best spring and autumn
Hours: Daylight hours
Cost: Free
Duration: 3 hours 50 minutes (13.6 km loop)
Difficulty: moderate
What to bring:
- Hiking shoes
- Water (1L+)
- Sun protection
- Rain layer in Jun-Oct
Highlights:
- 13.6 km loop starting and ending at the station
- 563 m summit with Hakone views
- Minamoto no Yoritomo historical route
- Castle-ruin signage at the summit section
- Part of Kanagawa’s official hiking-route network
Where our sources disagree
Data notes
These are points where the platforms and official pages we consulted gave us conflicting information.
- Summit section closure (2025): Summit section was temporarily closed Jun-Dec 2025 for trail repair per Yugawara Tourism. Confirm current status on the town tourism site before planning a trip. If the summit is closed, the lower-loop alternative still gives 10+ km and ruins signage.
Where this came from