Yugawara Makuiwa: A Sunny Winter Crag Among Plum Trees | Japan Climbing Crags

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Yugawara Makuiwa (湯河原幕岩, ゆがわらまくいわ) sits inside Makuyama Park in Kajiya, Yugawara-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa, with its boulders and walls scattered across the slope above a plum grove. CLIMBING-net (in Japanese) describes it as sunny and warm — "関東クライマーの冬の定番" (a winter staple for Kanto climbers) — and says popular routes have queues on clear winter weekends.

It is also a tourist spot. The park has about 4,000 plum trees and hosts the Ume no Utage (梅の宴) plum festival every year from early February into early or mid March. During the festival there are entry and parking fees, and climbers are asked to use the farther parking lots. One part of the crag has been closed for years. Read the rules section before you go.

What kind of crag is it

Rock type: two claims

• Tuff (凝灰岩): the rock-type field on CLIMBING-net.
• Andesite: PAPERSKY says "The rock is andesite", textured with high friction but not sharp enough to hurt your fingers. MadBoulder also says "The rock is andesite", formed by ancient lava domes on the outer ring of Hakone.

The ROCKTOPO page has no rock-type field. I found no geological source that settles it, so both are listed here.

Routes and grades (checked 2026-10-12)

• ROCKTOPO: 365 lines — 295 face, 11 crack, 58 boulders, 1 multi-pitch. Face routes by grade: 3 ungraded, 5.2+: 60, 5.10a+: 135, 5.11a+: 72, 5.12a+: 24, 5.13a+: 1. Boulders run from 10-kyu to 4-dan.
• CLIMBING-net: 370 routes, broken down as up to 5.9: 91, 5.10s: 154, 5.11s: 85, 5.12s: 17, 5.13s: 1. Those five add up to 348, not 370; the page does not explain the gap.

Both sites agree the 5.10s are the core, with little above 5.12. CLIMBING-net adds a warning: many routes at Makuiwa are short and not steep, which makes them look easy, but on lead they can be "長く、前傾したルートより実は危険な場合もある" — more dangerous than long, overhanging routes, since a fall is more likely to hit rock or ground.

Areas

ROCKTOPO divides Yugawara into 29 sub-areas. The larger ones (counts by type):

CLIMBING-net says that lately "茅ヶ崎ロック" (Chigasaki Rock) has become more popular than the Front Wall because the base is flat and the scale is manageable, and that new crags found higher up have produced many routes — though "アプローチに危険な部分もある" (parts of the approach are dangerous). The name Chigasaki Rock does not appear in the ROCKTOPO sub-area list I read; it may be listed under another name.

When to go

In short:

• Winter is the main season. MadBoulder says the hillside faces south and catches the sun; PAPERSKY says the nearby Izu coast keeps it warm enough that a long-sleeve T-shirt and a light jacket are enough in the sun.
• Spring and autumn work too: CLIMBING-net stretches the season to October–May.
• Summer: too hot and humid per MadBoulder; CLIMBING-net says only shaded areas like Otogi no Mori and the right end of the Front Wall are worth it.
• Early February to early/mid March is the plum festival, right in the middle of peak season. The park gets crowded and parking and entry are charged (see below). Dates are announced each year; the 2027 festival is listed as February 6 to March 7, 2027 (Yugawara Onsen official tourism site, in Japanese).

Getting there

Public transport

1. Take the JR Tokaido Line to Yugawara Station. PAPERSKY puts it at about an hour and a half from Tokyo.
2. Take the Hakone Tozan Bus toward Makuyama Park. The official tourism site says to board the bus bound for Makuyama Koen and get off at the last stop, "幕山公園", about 15 minutes (Makuyama Park page, in Japanese).
3. An alternative from CLIMBING-net: take the bus bound for Kajiya, get off at "診療所前" (Shinryojo-mae), and walk about 25 minutes to the park. I could not confirm this stop name in Hakone Tozan Bus materials; go by the official timetable.
4. During the plum festival there is a temporary direct bus from Yugawara Station to Makuyama Park. The tourism association says it is a large coach: no standing, it leaves once everyone is seated, and no pets (2026 festival page, in Japanese).

Return buses are few. Hakone Tozan Bus's Makuyama Koen stop timetable (revised April 1, 2025) lists these departures to Yugawara Station:

The last bus is 16:25, so in winter you pack up before dark. Timetables change; check the current one, including outbound buses, on Hakone Navi.

Driving

• Route: The tourism association's directions from the Tokyo side: turn right at the "幕山公園（梅林）入口" intersection on Route 135, go about 1.7 km (passing under the JR Tokaido Line and Shinkansen), turn left just before Miyanoiri Bridge, and continue about 1.7 km (Yugawara Onsen official tourism site). CLIMBING-net instead says to come off the Manazuru Road onto Route 135 and turn right at the Yoshihama intersection.
• Expressway exit: Rurubu (in Japanese) gives Odawara-nishi IC (小田原西 IC) on the Odawara-Atsugi Road, then about 20 km and 30 minutes via Route 135.
• Parking: ROCKTOPO's Makuyama Park parking page says "公園の駐車場を利用、混雑時は少し下の駐車場を利用するように" (use the park lot; when crowded, use the lot a little further down) and lists "約 10 台" (about 10 cars). Rurubu says 50 spaces. The gap is large; they may be counting different areas.
• Fees: Outside the festival, entry and parking are free; only during the plum festival are they charged (Yugawara Onsen official tourism site).

Rules to know before you go

The JFA access-issue list (in Japanese) tags Yugawara Makuiwa as "利用再開・利用規約注意" — reopened, follow the usage rules.

• No entry around Tentomushi Rock: The ROCKTOPO page header says "テントウムシロック周辺は立入禁止です。（立ち入り禁止の案内がある場所に入らないこと）". Background: in January 2008 rockfall from Tentomushi Rock hit a bench beside the trail, the town closed part of the park, and the Front Wall area reopened in October 2013 (JFA, JFA case study). CLIMBING-net's notes still say "現在テントウムシロック以西は立ち入り禁止" (everything west of Tentomushi Rock is closed), which predates the 2013 reopening.
• Follow the rules or it may close again: JFA writes that after further incidents including a fatal accident, the town office and fire department asked climbers to prevent recurrence, and that "トラブルの発生で再度入山禁止措置が取られる可能性は少なくない" — trouble could easily bring another closure.
• The 2013 reopening notice: A notice dated October 1, 2013 from JFA and a group of free-climbing instructors (I read the full text as reposted by a Yamareco user; I did not find the original on the JFA site) asks climbers to: climb in groups where possible; use only the two designated approach paths, and on the one left of Tentomushi Rock never cross inside the tiger-striped rope marking the closed area; not install fixed ropes, including on approaches; not cut trees or brush; not place new bolts, and contact JFA before developing routes; and report loose rock or doubtful bolts rather than dealing with them yourself.
• No fire, no smoking: The volunteer-run Yugawara Bouldering Area Guide (in Japanese) says "公園利用に関する町の条例により、火器の使用は全面禁止…喫煙も不可" — a town ordinance bans all fire and smoking. PAPERSKY also says that to protect the trees, "open flames are strictly forbidden".
• No camping: CLIMBING-net says "2005年4月1日から幕山公園でのキャンプは全面禁止となった" — camping in the park has been banned since April 1, 2005.
• Plum festival fees: announced each year. For 2027: entry 300 yen (age 15 and over, excluding junior-high students), standard car parking 300–700 yen per visit (Yugawara Onsen official tourism site). For 2026: entry 300 yen, standard car 500 yen (2026 page). The 200 yen entry fee on CLIMBING-net and the Bouldering Area Guide is the old price; it rose to 300 yen from the 2026 festival.
• Where to park during the festival: ROCKTOPO's notice says "クライマーは第３駐車場など離れた駐車場を利用してください" (climbers should use distant lots such as Lot 3). CLIMBING-net says "クライマーは車を第3駐車場より下に置くこと" (park at Lot 3 or below), park within the lines, never park in the coach lane at Lot 3, and notes that some climbers once entered before the fee hours and came down after 5 p.m. without paying. The Bouldering Area Guide says to use Lots 4 and 5. All three point the same way — leave the lots near the venue for visitors — and on the day, follow the staff.
• Busy days outside the festival: The Bouldering Area Guide says you may normally use the lot near the management building, but when it is crowded or the town asks, use Lot 1 (by the bus stop).

Toilets: CLIMBING-net's public toilet field says "有" (yes). Registration and climbing fees: none of the JFA, ROCKTOPO, or CLIMBING-net pages I read mention registration or a separate climbing fee.

Notable routes

Popular routes on ROCKTOPO (Yugawara page, 2026-10-12):

• いんちきするな (5.8)
• 帰還兵 (5.10c)
• シャックシャイン (5.11a)
• コンケスタドール (5.12a)

theCrag's Front Wall page gives three stars to Spiderman (スパイダーマン, 5.12a, 25 m), calling it "One of the most classic and historical routes of Japan". The Front Wall also has trad lines such as No.1 Route and No.3 Route.

For bouldering, MadBoulder says the area is better known for sport routes, with boulders scattered among the fruit trees and terraces; landings can be uneven and the rock is sharp, so bring tape and enough pads.

Where to look things up

• ROCKTOPO Yugawara: route lists for 29 sub-areas, grade distribution, popular routes, and current notices at the top. Offline download requires login.
• ROCKTOPO Makuyama Park parking: parking location and which sub-areas it serves.
• CLIMBING-net Yugawara Makuiwa (in Japanese): Yama-Kei's crag data — route distribution, festival parking rules, nearby lodging and hot springs; the guidebook field lists "関東". Some fees and closure notes are out of date.
• Yugawara Bouldering Area Guide (in Japanese): a free bouldering topo and rules from local volunteers, who also post the festival dates each year.
• JFA access-issue list (in Japanese): history of the closure and reopening; check for new restrictions before you go.
• theCrag: English route data. Its "As of March 2010" access note predates the 2013 Front Wall reopening; go by JFA.
• Yugawara Onsen official tourism site: Ume no Utage (in Japanese): this year's festival dates, entry and parking fees, temporary buses.
• Hakone Navi: Hakone Tozan Bus timetables.

References

• ROCKTOPO: Yugawara (in Japanese)
• ROCKTOPO: Makuyama Park parking (in Japanese)
• CLIMBING-net: Yugawara Makuiwa (in Japanese)
• Japan Free Climbing Association (JFA): access-issue areas nationwide (in Japanese)
• JFA: case where negotiation succeeded with a lawyer's help (in Japanese)
• Yamareco: Yugawara Makuiwa Front Wall notes (repost of the 2013 JFA notice) (in Japanese)
• Yugawara Bouldering Area Guide: rules (in Japanese)
• Yugawara Onsen official tourism site: Makuyama Park (Yugawara Plum Grove) (in Japanese)
• Yugawara Onsen official tourism site: 2027 Ume no Utage (in Japanese)
• Yugawara Onsen official tourism site: 2026 Ume no Utage events (in Japanese)
• Hakone Tozan Bus: Makuyama Koen stop timetable (PDF) (in Japanese)
• Rurubu&more.: Makuyama Park (Yugawara Plum Grove) (in Japanese)
• PAPERSKY: Climbing in Yugawara
• MadBoulder: Yugawara Maku Iwa
• theCrag: Front wall