Home
Back

Dear visitor, if you know the answer to this question, please post it. Thank you!

Note that this thread has not been updated in a long time, and its content might not be up-to-date anymore.

Oze national park in late October 2012/9/20 08:59
Hello, it seems difficult getting into Oze national park, Ozegahara Marshland and Ozenuma Pond. Are all public roads closed from mid-October? What is the alternative, are there any ways of reaching the national park? Public transport also seems limited, including trains and buses, how about renting a car for the day and driving there?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Clive
by alpine1970  

Re: Oze national park in late October 2012/9/20 10:35
Oze can be reached by train and bus, or by direct bus from Tokyo. Its pretty thoroughly explained here:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7440.html

Renting a car is also an option, however you will still need to park and take a bus to the trailhead.
by yllwsmrf rate this post as useful

Re: Oze national park in late October 2012/9/20 17:28
Checking opening period of the huts in Oze this year, I see that most are open only until Oct. 20th, which "could" mean the whole Oze might get closed for hikers around that time. There will be frost at least, if not snow.

You need to plan well to visit Oze - no matter with public transport or rental car, you need to allow for the bus ride to the trailhead; one on the west end is Hatomachitoge, and if you are not booking a hut and stay IN Oze, even with an early start in the morning from Tokyo, you will not be able to get as far as the middle of the "marshland" as marked in the map in the link above. You need to return early to Hatomachitoge before it gets dark.

I've taken bus tours (from Tokyo) to Oze twice:

- One tour took us to another natural wonder in Gunma on day 1, we stayed at a hotel nearby, then on day 2 started off to Hatomachitoge early, hiked for about 4, 5 hours, returning to Hatomachitoge, then took the tour bus back to Tokyo.

- The second tour took us on day 1 to Hatomachitoge, we hiked through the whole afternoon to get to the area with the little "hut" signs around "Ozegahara Marshland" on the map, stayed in one of those huts, then on day 2 we hiked to Ozenuma Pond, then out east to Numayamatoge, from where the bus tour picked us up and drove us back to Tokyo.

If you are thinking of a day trip, using the Tobu Railway's night train to Oze (departing Asakusa at 23:55, reaching Aizu-kogen Oze-guchi station at:3:18, then taking the bus that gets you to Numayamatoge, the trailhead on the east side, at 6:10). Whoops, I see that the last night train to Oze this year is on the 19th of October..
by AK rate this post as useful

Re: Oze national park in late October 2012/9/20 17:48
One tour took us to another natural wonder in Gunma on day 1

Was that pther wonder Fukiware no Taki by chance?
by yllwsmrf rate this post as useful

Re: Oze national park in late October 2012/9/20 18:04
Yes, it was, yllwsmrf :) Ever since I saw its picture on this website (among the photos that appear on the left column), I've wanted to go see it... and was glad we did... :)
by AK rate this post as useful

Re: Oze national park in late October 2012/9/20 18:07
Yea, I liked it a lot too. Probably not to great this year though...
by yllwsmrf rate this post as useful

Re: Oze national park in late October 2012/9/20 18:41
I didn't mention what date I was planning on visiting Oze, 21st October, but by the looks of it, this is just too late! Best to give this national park a miss and head to Nikko instead.

by alpine1970 rate this post as useful

reply to this thread