The Lift Up to Komuroyama Ridge Walk 『MISORA』
A sightseeing chairlift that takes you up Mt. Komuro in Ito, Shizuoka, in about five minutes. The boarding station doubles as a souvenir shop, and that's where you buy tickets. There are no seatbelts, but you ride close to the ground, so it's less scary than it sounds. Notes on parking and riding rules from a parent's point of view.
Information
- Area
- Ito, Shizuoka
- Address
- 1428 Kawana Komuroyama, Ito, Shizuoka
- Phone
- 0557-45-1444
- Hours
- Lift 9:30–16:00
- Closed
- Open daily (lift suspended in bad weather)
- Budget
- Round-trip lift: ¥1,000 junior high and up / ¥100 elementary school
- Official site
- https://www.tokaibus.jp/business/lift.html
At the top of Mt. Komuro (Komuroyama) in Ito, 321 meters above sea level, there’s a viewing area called Komuroyama Ridge Walk “MISORA.” I rode the chairlift up to it. I’ll cover the café at the summit in a separate article, so this one is only about getting onto the lift and the ride itself.
First, parking. There’s a lot right next to the lift station, and honestly it’s the easiest option. But it doesn’t hold many cars, so depending on the time of day you’ll probably end up waiting for a space. The lot further down on the Komuroyama Park side is bigger and easier to park in, but you’ll have to walk a bit to reach the lift. With small kids, I’d aim for the upper lot and, if it’s full, just head over to the park side without fussing — that mindset makes it a lot less stressful.
The lift entrance is also a shop, lined with Izu specialties and souvenirs. Lift tickets are sold at this counter too, so everyone has to pass through it. Even if you plan to browse properly on the way back, kids tend to stop in their tracks on the way in, so be ready for that.
According to the sign at the entrance, a round trip costs ¥1,000 for junior high students and up, and ¥100 for elementary school kids. I was a little surprised by how cheap the kids’ fare is. The lift runs from 9:30 to 16:00.
The boarding point is just past the building. You can’t ride with a backpack on your back — staff ask you to hold it on your lap or put it on the seat.
The lift has no seatbelt or safety bar. At first I thought, “Is this okay?” But once I was on, the grassy slope was just below my feet, low enough that even if you fell off you’d probably just land on your feet. There’s almost none of that floating-in-midair feeling you get on a ski lift, so I think even people who don’t like heights won’t find it very scary. It takes about five minutes to reach the top, and you’re there before you’ve finished taking in the green slope.
As for kids, elementary schoolers and up can ride on their own. Preschoolers are recommended to sit on an adult’s lap. Since there’s no belt, your arm becomes the seatbelt, so keep one hand free and ready.
When you step off the lift, a building appears that looks as if it’s been sunk into the grassy slope. This is the summit’s “Café・321,” and its rooftop doubles as an observation deck. It was cloudy that day, so we couldn’t see very far, but the feeling of the view suddenly opening up was still great. More on the inside of the café on another page.