(薬師岳) Mt. Yakushi Hike

Still on the fence which mountain to do this with, as it is SO far from Tokyo it doesn't feel like it's worth it doing by itself. 

Budget: JPY15,533 (~USD148)

• JPY8,533 – Roundtrip bus, Tokyo to Toyama Station allocated using Willer Bus Pass
• JPY7.000 - Roundtrip bus, Toyama Station to Oritate (JPY3,500 one way)

Hike Date / Difficulty (Elevation: 2,926m / 9,600ft)

• Target: 2022
• Difficulty: 4 out of 5.
• Route below is around 20kilometers, with an elevation change of ▲1,865m/ ▽1,865m (backtrail)
• Map Link 

When to Go
Buses only run from mid July to mid October, so check the schedule. 

Special Notes

• Trailhead. Just one.
• Oritate (折立). Access from Tokyo below. Access from Toyama Station here. 
• Train/bus, Tokyo Station to Toyama Station. See this blog post for bus pass. 
• Train, Toyama Station (富山駅) to Arimineguchi (有峰口駅)*. JPY1,040, one hour, one way.  
• Bus, Arimineguchi (有峰口駅) to Oritate (折立)*.  JPY2,500, 55 minutes, one way.As for reference, buses only run from July 17 til October 11 for 2020. 
• There is generally a bus that goes straight from Toyama Station to Oritate, but it was not in operation for 2020. It normally is JPY3,500, 2 hours one way. Below is an old flyer, but I would assume that future time tables would be similar. 

• Mountain huts.
• Paid. 太郎平小屋. In between the summit and the trailhead. Reservations online. 
• Paid. 薬師岳山荘. About an hour from the summit. Reservations at 090-8263-2523.
• Free: None. There technically is an emergency shelter, but it really is not. I doubt a full grown human can fully lie down there. 
• Camping: One at the trailhead (Oritate) and another three hours from the summit. 

Itinerary
Friday

• 10:10pm. Bus from Tokyo Station Kajibashi Parking lot to Toyama Station (JPY8,000 ish if you don’t have the Willer Bus Pass)

Saturday

• 06:05am. Arrival at Toyama Station
• 06:30am. Toyama Station to Oritate.
• 08:30am.  ETA: Oritate. Start hike. 

Sunday

• Figure out if will extend the hike or will just return.