Mount Nokogiri is a 329.5-meter-high mountain located on the border between Kyonan Town and Futtsu City in Chiba Prefecture. Its Japanese name, Nokogiriyama, literally means “Saw Mountain,” referring to the distinctive jagged ridgeline that resembles the teeth of a saw.
Located close to Tokyo Bay, Mount Nokogiri is known for its spectacular scenery, historic stone quarries, Buddhist monuments, and hiking trails. Among its most famous attractions are Jigoku Nozoki (“Hell Peek Point”), the enormous Hyaku-shaku Kannon, the stone statues of Nihon-ji Temple, and the collection of more than 1,500 Buddhist figures known as the 1,500 Arhats.
The mountain’s official name is Ken kon-zan, meaning “Mountain of Heaven and Earth.” This is also the mountain name used by Nihon-ji Temple. Mount Nokogiri has been included in historical and modern lists of notable Japanese mountains, including the Japan 80 Famous Mountains depicted in the Edo-period work Illustrated Guide to Famous Mountains of Japan and the modern 100 Famous Low Mountains of Japan.
Jigoku Nozoki, or “Hell Peek Point,” is the popular name for a dramatic viewpoint near the summit of Mount Nokogiri. The viewing point projects outward from a steep cliff formed by the mountain’s former stone quarry.
From the exposed rock, visitors can look down from a height of approximately 100 meters. The dramatic drop provides an exhilarating experience, while the surrounding scenery stretches across Tokyo Bay, the Boso Peninsula, and, on clear days, toward Mount Fuji.
The combination of the sheer cliff and expansive panorama makes Jigoku Nozoki one of Mount Nokogiri’s most memorable viewpoints. Visitors should take care while approaching the edge and follow all safety instructions in the area.
The summit area provides remarkable views across Tokyo Bay and the surrounding Boso Peninsula. On clear days, the panorama can extend as far as Izu Oshima in the Pacific Ocean.
Visitors can also see several mountains in the surrounding Boso region, including Mount Tomiyama, Mount Goten, and Mount Iyogatake, which are known together as the Three Famous Mountains of Awa.
Because the mountain is situated relatively close to the coast, the scenery combines mountains, forests, coastline, and open sea. The landscape changes considerably depending on the season, weather, and time of day.
Mount Nokogiri is composed largely of tuff, a type of volcanic rock that is suitable for use as building stone. The stone quarried here became known as Boshu Stone and was highly valued as a construction material.
Quarrying developed on a large scale from the Edo period onward. The extensive quarrying activity dramatically altered parts of the mountain, leaving behind enormous exposed rock walls and unusual formations.
The steep, saw-toothed appearance of the exposed mountain face is one reason the mountain became known as Nokogiriyama. Today, these abandoned quarry sites have become important elements of the mountain’s landscape and are also regarded as examples of industrial heritage.
Stone from Mount Nokogiri was used in a variety of construction projects from the end of the Edo period through the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods.
Major uses included facilities associated with the Yokosuka Naval Base, port infrastructure in Yokohama, and fortifications around Tokyo Bay. The stone was also used in places such as Yasukuni Shrine and the campus of Waseda University.
As regulations concerning nature conservation became stricter, commercial quarrying eventually came to an end in 1985. Today, the former quarries, stone-cutting areas, and routes once used to transport stone provide visitors with a glimpse into the mountain’s industrial past.
Mount Nokogiri has also appeared in historical travel records. On September 8, 1862, the British diplomat Ernest Satow traveled toward Yokohama aboard the steamship Lansfield. In his writings, he described seeing the distinctive saw-like shape of Mount Nokogiri from the waters of Edo Bay, now known as Tokyo Bay.
His account provides an interesting glimpse of how the mountain’s unusual silhouette could already be recognized by travelers approaching the Boso Peninsula from the sea during the final years of the Edo period.
Mount Nokogiri has attracted artists and writers for centuries. Around 1852, the famous ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Hiroshige included the mountain in his series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.
The print titled “Mount Nokogiri in Awa” depicts Mount Nokogiri in the foreground, with Mount Fuji visible beyond the Uraga Channel. At the time, Awa was the name of the historical province covering part of present-day southern Chiba Prefecture.
Hiroshige also traveled through the Boso Peninsula and recorded his journey in a travel diary. His depiction demonstrates the mountain’s importance not only as a natural landmark but also as a subject of Japanese landscape art.
Many literary figures have visited the mountain and left poems, inscriptions, and other records. Within the grounds of Nihon-ji, visitors can find monuments commemorating haiku poets such as Kobayashi Issa and Hasegawa Bako.
The celebrated modern Japanese novelist Natsume Soseki also visited Nihon-ji and described his experience in his work Mokuzuroku. His friend and fellow literary figure Masaoka Shiki later visited Mount Nokogiri by a different route and wrote about the journey in Kakuremino.
These literary connections add another dimension to the mountain, showing how its scenery and historic temple grounds have inspired visitors beyond the world of tourism.
Much of Mount Nokogiri forms the grounds of Nihon-ji Temple, a historic Buddhist temple complex closely associated with the mountain. Exploring the temple grounds allows visitors to combine hiking and sightseeing with an experience of Japanese Buddhist culture.
An admission fee is required to enter the temple grounds. The fee contributes to the maintenance and management of cultural properties, environmental improvements, and restoration work within the extensive temple grounds.
One of the major highlights is the Nihon-ji Daibutsu, or Great Buddha of Nihon-ji. This monumental Buddhist image is carved into the mountain and forms one of the most impressive sights within the temple grounds.
The combination of the enormous stone image and the surrounding cliffs and forest creates a distinctive landscape that differs from the more familiar freestanding Buddha statues found elsewhere in Japan.
Hyaku-shaku Kannon is another remarkable monument carved directly into the rock face. The name refers to its enormous scale, with the figure reaching approximately 30 meters in height.
The image is located within the former quarry landscape, surrounded by towering stone walls. Its placement demonstrates how the natural and industrial history of Mount Nokogiri became closely connected with Buddhist art.
The mountain is also famous for its collection of more than 1,500 stone Buddhist statues, traditionally known as the 1,500 Arhats. These statues are distributed throughout the temple grounds and along the mountain’s rocky landscape.
Many of the figures have individual facial expressions and distinctive forms. Discovering these statues while walking along the mountain paths is one of the unique experiences offered by Mount Nokogiri.
Mount Nokogiri can be explored as both a sightseeing destination and a hiking area. Visitors can reach the upper part of the mountain using the Mount Nokogiri Ropeway or by road via the Nokogiri Mountain Driveway.
For visitors who prefer to hike, one well-known route begins at Hama-Kanaya Station on the JR Uchibo Line. The trail can lead through the summit area, Hyaku-shaku Kannon, Jigoku Nozoki, the Great Buddha of Nihon-ji, and Nihon-ji Temple before descending toward Hota Station.
The route combines natural scenery, dramatic cliffs, historic quarry remains, and Buddhist monuments, making it more than a conventional mountain hike.
The area around Mount Nokogiri has attracted interest from researchers studying geology, plants, and wildlife. Its combination of unusual geological formations, coastal influences, forests, and human-made quarry landscapes has led to the mountain being described as a kind of natural open-air museum.
Visitors can therefore enjoy the mountain from several perspectives: as a scenic viewpoint, a hiking destination, a geological site, an industrial heritage site, and a cultural landscape.
Where Mount Nokogiri descends toward Tokyo Bay near National Route 127 is an area known as Myogane Cape. The coastline provides another scenic destination in the vicinity of the mountain.
The area is suitable for enjoying coastal scenery, exploring the shore, and watching the sunset. Combining Mount Nokogiri with the nearby coastline allows travelers to experience both the mountain and sea landscapes of southern Chiba.
The nearest railway stations are Hama-Kanaya Station and Hota Station on the JR Uchibo Line. Hama-Kanaya is particularly convenient for visitors planning to use the ropeway or begin a hiking route.
The Mount Nokogiri Ropeway provides access to the upper mountain area and is a convenient option for visitors who want to enjoy the scenery without completing a full mountain hike.
Mount Nokogiri can be reached by car via National Route 127. Drivers can also use the Futtsu-Kanaya or Kyonan-Hota interchanges on the Futtsu-Tateyama Expressway, depending on their direction of travel.
Visitors traveling from the Tokyo Bay area can also consider the Tokyo Bay Ferry from Kanaya Port. This provides an enjoyable way to approach southern Chiba by sea and can be combined with a visit to Mount Nokogiri.
Mount Nokogiri is much more than a viewpoint. Its dramatic cliffs tell the story of centuries of stone quarrying, while Nihon-ji’s Buddhist monuments reveal the mountain’s long cultural history.
Visitors can stand at the thrilling Jigoku Nozoki, admire panoramic views over Tokyo Bay, explore abandoned quarry walls, encounter hundreds of stone statues, and discover monuments connected with Japanese art and literature.
Its convenient access from Tokyo and the wider Kanto region also makes Mount Nokogiri an appealing destination for travelers looking for a combination of scenery, hiking, Japanese history, Buddhist culture, and industrial heritage.
For international visitors exploring Chiba beyond the major attractions of the Tokyo area, Mount Nokogiri offers an opportunity to experience a striking landscape where mountains, sea, religion, art, and human history have come together over many centuries.
8:00-17:00
Adults 700 yen
Child 400 yen (4-12 years old)
20 min. walk from East Japan Railway Uchibo Line Hoda Station