NEWS: "Hobonichi Station AKAGI" is now underway! Climbing Mount Akagi will be even more fun. [Alpha Open Information]

Friday, November 21, 2025

written by yans

table of contents

Akagisan Cable Car Station is reopening as a new station!
Let's enter the station and...!?
Delicious food made with plenty of local ingredients.
The merchandise corner is well stocked with goods, including original Hohono Station items.
In conclusion.

Akagisan Cable Car Station is reopening as a new station!

So, here it is, a sudden news update from Outdoor Gearzine! This is a little experiment by the Gearzine editorial team to pick out and deliver information related to the outdoors that we're interested in. The place we chose for our first installment is Akagi in Gunma. Hobonichi, led by Shigesato Itoi, is planning to try something new on top of Mount Akagi, and we thought it would be intriguing, so we went to a preview.

We have arrived at the site. This is Torii Pass, and directly behind it is...

The place we visited this time was almost at Akagi Station.

The site was originally a cable car station for the Akagi Cable Railway, and after it was closed, an observation restaurant was opened. However, from November 1, 2025, it will be reborn as a new station, and will be ready to depart (though the fact that the station is actually departing is a bit of a joke).

I have visited this former observation restaurant in the past.

Let's enter the station and...!?

As I entered through the entrance and turned to the right, I was surprised to see that, as someone who had visited before, there was almost no trace of it other than the skeleton, and it had become a very stylish space; it was like a different world, in a good way.

This is just to the left of the entrance. It's stylish, but it also has a nostalgic feel to it, which is what gives it its style.

While I was thinking this, I lined up at the reception desk and to my surprise, Shigesato Itoi himself was there to greet me!

He was very friendly and easy to talk to, but the interview was scheduled minute by minute and the timing didn't work out for me to get into the details, so I wasn't able to ask him about it this time. Maybe next time! Personally, I'm from the generation that grew up on the legendary TV show Gimme a Break, so this was a very emotional experience for me.

Shoes are strictly prohibited in this relaxing space, and the view from here can only be described as spectacular.

Looking back, the excitement was so great that a considerable number of people, including those involved in the event, had come. Shortly after the opening, the floor was nearly filled to capacity with people.

There are seats available everywhere, so you can relax anywhere.

There is also an observation terrace where you can go outside and look down.

You can either admire the distant view through the glass or you can enjoy the view from the window.

Hobonichi has also prepared a map of things to do in the surrounding area of Mount Akagi.

I wonder what the view would have been like if the railway was still in operation inside the old store.

Delicious food made with plenty of local ingredients.

They plan to stock a variety of delicious dishes made with local ingredients that will make you think, "I want to eat that for lunch." A selection of carefully selected items will be available for tasting, with explanations provided by the staff.

The November 2025 menu had two types of pork soup, and among them, this "Akagi no Uma Pork Soup" is Italian! What is Italian about it?

It's a tomato-based pork soup, but it's finished with olive oil! It's a unique flavor, yet it still tastes like pork soup and is surprisingly delicious. Apparently, it was created in collaboration with Yamaguchi, a Japanese restaurant in Roppongi, Tokyo, and is a dish that follows the November theme of pork and cabbage. It's absolutely delicious.

Of course, there are sweet ones too.

Akagi soft serve ice cream is made with milk from Brown Swiss cows raised on a ranch at the southern foot of Mount Akagi! It's rich and delicious.

In the past, the old store also served soft serve ice cream.

In addition to the above, there will be a wide variety of other items waiting for you, including Kesennuma Anchor Coffee, hamburger steak sets, salted rice balls, rough grated salad, muffins, affogato, and more, which are apparently closely associated with Hobonichi.

The merchandise corner is well stocked with goods, including original Hohono Station items.

This is the merchandise corner located at the back right of the entrance.

I really like the acrylic stand shaped like a station sign that was at the cash register.

There is also a souvenir that is unique to Akagi.

Only available here! A selection of popular items from the Hobonichi Online Store, including original ticket-themed goods.

If you're a fan of Itoi's work, there are some items that will make you smile.

In addition, the lineup also includes products from Yozora, an outdoor brand launched by Hobonichi!

Putting aside the question of whether there will actually be customers willing to purchase expensive items in a place like this, I thought it would be interesting to try something like this, since it's rare to have the opportunity to see the actual products.

In conclusion.

There's something like this at the cash register.

After the preview, the first 1,101 people to arrive at the alpha open general admission event at 1:30 PM on November 1st were given a special "Hobonoe Station AKAGI" ticket, which they could snap and use themselves! It was cool! We also had special stamps available for all visitors.

What did you think of Hotaru Station AKAGI? The store, modeled after an old European train station, blends in well with the surroundings of Mount Akagi, retaining the atmosphere of a train station and making it an appealing place for all visitors to enjoy. Whether you come straight there by car or walk in from the bottom, we look forward to welcoming you as a hot station that you can stop by on your way or at the end of your hike.

Finally, the grand opening is actually scheduled for April 2026, and is currently in the pre-open alpha stage, where they will operate on a trial basis to finalize their plans to offer more fun things to do before officially opening! However, please rest assured that they are open for business, and for more information please refer to their official SNS. And so, a new spot was born on Mount Akagi.

Almost Station AKAGI

・Official website : https://www.1101.com/hobonoeki_akagi/

・Official Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/hobonoeki_akagi/

・Torii Pass, Mount Akagi, Fujimi-cho, Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture

Alpha opening period: November 1, 2025 to March 2026 (planned) Grand opening: April 2026 (planned)

・Testing hours: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM / Lunch time: 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM / Last orders: 1:30 PM

・Temporary closing days: Tuesdays and Wednesdays

・℡027-287-8444

・Notes: Opening days and times may change depending on weather and other circumstances. Please check social media for the latest information before visiting.

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Yans

A person who has grown into a gear lover and finally ended up writing on Gear Gin. He has been a tough gear enthusiast and loves modifying and making his own gear, and also loves outdoor events. We would like to place emphasis on brand exploration and shop reviews.

Personal blog here

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