Mount Takao

Located west of Tokyo and on the eastern edge of the Kanto Mountains, Mt. Takao is one of the spiritual mountains in the Tama region. It is 599 meters above sea level and is designated as the Meiji Forest Takao Quasi-National Park. In autumn, the mountains are full of maple leaves, and it is only an hour's drive from the city center. Tourists flock to climb the mountain. It is called "the mountain with the largest number of climbers in the world". You can walk the whole way, or you can take a CableCar or Lift to the mountainside, and then hike the mountain, which are all good choices. Mid-November is the best time to enjoy the autumn leaves in Mt. Takao. It will be very crowded at that time. Even if you want to go in other months, you should avoid weekends and holidays. It takes about 3 hours to hike up and down the mountain. You can also choose to take a cable car or a crane from the foot of the mountain to the mountainside, and then hike to the top. Take a cable car to enjoy the scenery and the mountaineering cable car is also known as a small train. The green trees along the slope track are very seductive, and in autumn, you can see the dazzling red maples. You can wear the train conductor's hat to take pictures at the place where you ride the cable car. The popular Japanese group Arashi also took a group photo here. The crane is a seat suspended on a cable. It is more exciting to ride. It is not equipped with a seat belt, but there is a protective net below. Remember to hold the handrail and be careful of falling objects. The distance between the cable car and the crane is similar, but the crane is more exciting. Various hiking routes The hiking routes of Mt. Takao have very complete marking points, and each route has different characteristics and fun. Route 1 (Omotesando コース) is a popular route from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain, and it intersects with the drop-off points of cable cars and cranes. There is an observatory after getting off the bus, and the view of the Tokyo city is very good. When the weather is fine, you can see Mount Fuji, and at night, there are gorgeous night views with twinkling lights. Going forward, you will see the No. 2 Ring Road (Xiatai ループコース), and you can see a variety of plants and wild monkeys when you turn around. Continue to walk up the mountain and reach the Jingxin Gate. There is a huge cedar tree next to it, and there is a statue of "lucky octopus". It is said that touching an octopus will bring good luck. Afterwards, you will see a fork in the road. The left side is called "Men's Slope", which is a steeper staircase, and the right side is called "Nu's Slope", which is a slower road. Both roads lead to the Medicine King's Court halfway up the mountain. The Yakohin was built by Emperor Shomu and has been visited by countless people for more than 1,200 years. In front of the main hall, there is a statue of Tengu, the symbol of Mt. Takao. It is said that it is used to enshrine the real people who have undergone hard training on the mountain and have acquired magic and spiritual power. This kind of long-nosed stone statue can also be seen in many places in the mountains, which is very interesting. You may wish to wash your hands and pray for blessings in Yaowangyuan, and ask for a signature. Then take the No. 1 road, about 1 km to reach the top of the mountain. There is a visitor center and a No. 5 ring road on the top of the mountain. It is very beautiful to walk and enjoy the scenery of the mountains. From the top of Mt. Takao, there is a hiking trail of Mt. Takao and Mt. Jinma (Mt. Takao and Mt. Jinma コース), passing through Mt. Shiro, Mt. Jingxin, Mt. Dosho and Mt. Jinma. It takes about 5.5 hours to walk there. It is not suitable for ordinary tourists. Recommended to try. If you want to experience a different Takao mountain scenery, you can try No. 3 and No. 4 roads, but the starting point is not at the foot of the mountain, but near the Jingxin Gate, please pay attention to the signs. Route 3 (かつら林コース) mainly has temperate and subtropical forest landscapes along the road. There is a suspension bridge on the way of No. 4 road (hanging bridge コース), and sometimes animals in the forest can be seen. Road 6 (びわ杝コース) is a route that starts from the foot of the mountain and does not pass through Yaowangyuan. On the way, you can see the Biwa Waterfall, but it is not easy to walk. You can go up the mountain from here, and then take the 1, 3, and 4 roads to go down the mountain. In addition, there is an Inari Mountain hiking trail (Inari Mountain コース), which is more unpopular and difficult. You can bring your own food and water when visiting Mt. Takao. There are also places selling food on the way, mainly near the drop-off points of cable cars and cranes. Tengu-yaki is a famous snack here, so you might as well try it. In addition, the Takahashi family soba restaurant at the foot of the mountain is also a very popular restaurant.