Mount Koma

Overview

Mount Koma (Komayama) is a 168-meter hill straddling the cities of Hiratsuka and the town of Oiso in Kanagawa Prefecture. Standing at the eastern edge of the Oiso Hills, its rounded, dome-like form is a landmark of the scenery along Sagami Bay. Though low, it retains a fine natural forest of broadleaf trees and holds greenery precious enough to be chosen among Japan's 100 Natural Landscapes to Preserve into the 21st Century. In Utagawa Hiroshige's Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido, its form appears behind the Hiratsuka post station, a landmark for travelers of old. An approachable Shonan-area mountain, it lets you enjoy both nature and history on an easy hike.

Highlights

• ●A natural broadleaf forest chosen among Japan's 100 Natural Landscapes to Preserve into the 21st Century
• ●A mountain form painted in the Hiratsuka station of Hiroshige's Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido
• ●Walking trails in the roughly 29-hectare Komayama Prefectural Forest
• ●A low hill at the eastern edge of the Oiso Hills, easy to climb at 168 meters

History

The name Mount Koma is said to derive from immigrants from Goguryeo, an ancient realm stretching from northeastern China across the northern Korean Peninsula, carrying to the present a connection with ancient East Asia. In the Edo period it was known as the mountain rising behind the Hiratsuka post station on the Tokaido, and its distinctive silhouette was depicted in Utagawa Hiroshige's Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido. It is a mountain with a long history as a famous scenic spot, engraved in the memory of those who traveled the highway.

Map

35.3229, 139.3210 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Enter the Komayama Prefectural Forest from a trailhead along the old Tokaido
2. 2Follow the natural-forest trails toward the summit
3. 3Enjoy views toward Sagami Bay from the top and along the way
4. 4After descending, stroll the towns of Oiso and Hiratsuka where traces of the old highway remain

Did you know?

💡 About 29 hectares including Mount Koma are designated as prefectural forest under the name Komayama Prefectural Forest, serving as a place to protect nearby nature. Because Utagawa Hiroshige painted it in the Hiratsuka station of his Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido, its mountain form has been widely known as a celebrated view since the Edo period.

Nearby spots