Makuiwa is one of the few climbing areas within reach of Tokyo. Day trips are possible and it usually takes about 1.5 hours from Shinjuku station to Odawara and then Yugawara. Take the Romance car for a bit of luxury, sit back and enjoy the ride. The crag is a Winter climbing area that catches the sun so avoid it in summer and most weekend it gets crowded. Besides that the rock is andesite (安山岩, anzangan) which is basically a type of molten lava. It is generally smooth with some edges, but also forms distinct fissures and buttresses so Maku-iwa is definitely for crack climbing enthusiasts but there are also many smooth faces for the slab fanatics. You will find something for everyone. The crag has a little bit of information that will get you started and below are a few PDF files with routes and topos but all in Japanese:
A nice little alcove just on the left side of Shomenheki (one of the main areas) with a good selection of cracks just a little to the right of the Spiderman Arete (12a) with its own little belay platform.
No.3 Route （No.3ルート, 5.10a） One of the easier cracks around here with great gear placements and good rest postion. Great warm-up and good for getting to know the rock. Take a full rack.
Sho-hangu Migi Oukaku （小ハング右凹角, Mini-overhang right dihedral, 5.10a) Nice roof crossing with small protection to easy crack climbing above. Take a small rack with mostly smaller sizes.
Sho-hangu Hidari Oukaku (小ハング左凹角, 5.10c) Tough face climbing to crux roof crossing into major flaring crack above. Can be climbed using face holds on the right. Tough for the grade with a single ringbolt to protect the start.
Baby Pinnacle 5.9 jam crack up short pinnacle - this is the best short warmup here but its all natural so bring Camelot #1,2,3 to protect the clean jam crack.
The next area is main area at Shomenheki o little further to the right
Amon Bridal (あもんブライダル, 5.10b) Soaring long arete at least 30meters. Fully bolted with a high arete cruck. Amazing and fully bolted.
Kazue-chan to Toshio-chan (かずえちゃん・としおちゃん, 5.10d) technical slab climbing with intricate hidden holds. Finding them is often the crux and somewhat reachy. Fully Bolted.
Itsuka (いつか, Someday, 5.10c) the tricky face just to the right of the arete called SpiderKid 5.12a/b instead of going straight up on good holds, which ends up in a dead-end, start traversing towards the arete about midway.
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