Let’s Go To Mt. Takao!

To be honest, I’m not a big fan of hiking in the mountains. As opposed to me, my wife has been wanting to do it for many years. Finally, I agreed with her. I ended up going to Mt. Takao, 高尾山 (Takao-san). It’s really been a while since I last went hiking, maybe 20 years ago? I don’t remember. Actually, I have to admit that I enjoyed it a lot, so I’m going to share how to enjoy Takao-san. Let’s get started!

Where is Mt. Takao?

I’ve been living in Tokyo for almost ten years. I heard the name of Mt. Takao, but I’ve never been there. As I said, hiking mountains is not my cup of my tea. Even if I love to go skiing, it’s difficult to find anything interesting for hiking. When it comes to travel, my wife calls the shots, and she convinced me to go Mt. Takao this time. She said, “It is easy to access and not that hard. It’s suitable for beginners.” Well, we’ll see how things go, I thought. 

Mt. Takao is located in west of Tokyo. The height is 599m, and it is surrounded by a lot of nature. The access is pretty easy; it takes around less than an hour by express train to get to Takaosanguchi Station from Shinjuku Station. And then it takes around an hour by walk when you choose the easiest route. You don’t have to wear any special equipment or gear for trekking or hiking; whenever you want to go, you can go there. That’s the beauty part of it. Of course, if you want to try a more advanced level, there is be a suitable one, don’t worry about it. Today, l’m going to share the beginners’ route.

1. 11:00AM. Get the discount ticket

Before you leave Shinjuku station, make sure to buy discount tickets. They are available for buying at ticketing machines in Keio Line.  

For details please refer to below link.

https://www.keio.co.jp/global/tickets/discount/#section4

Mt. Takao discount ticket includes a round ticket from Shinjuku to Takaosanguchi and a round ticket for cable cars or lifts. There are multiple tickets, so you shouldn’t leave them behind. Generally speaking, there are many crowds at Takaosan because of the convenience, so it’s always a hassle to buy tickets. It’s a very smart way to prepare in advance. 

I bet you will be thanked by your partner.

1. 12:00 Arrives at Takaosanguchi Station 

Before hiking, we’re looking for a soba restaurant. Since “tororo soba” is a famous Takaosan speciality, you must go there. There are a lot of soba restaurants and you often have to wait, but today we were lucky! We got in without waiting much. 

飯島屋
https://g.co/kgs/6PHfRN8

2. 1:00 PM Arrives at the Gate of Cable Car

After eating tororo soba, it’s time to go to Takaosan. I arrived at the gate of the cable car at 1:00 PM. You might think we’re a bit late for hiking. Today, I’m going to share the first and one of the easiest routes. While riding the cable car, if you get a chance to secure position in front of the car, although you have to stand, you could get a great view of the  amazing scenery. Well, we’re arriving at Takaosan Station. 

This time we’re taking route 4. It has a suspension bridge. Hearing it, I’m really nervous because I’m scared of heights. However, it’s not too much of a concern to me: the bridge isn’t that high, and it’s stable. I’d rather enjoy it. 

3. 2:00PM  Arrives at the summit of Mt. Takao

We finally get the summit! You might say it’s not hiking, it’s an hour’s walk. I admit that, but I’m a beginner, so it’s enough for me. There are many people who wait to take a photo at the pillar of the summit. The visitor center offers interesting and intriguing displays to learn about the nature of the mountain. You can eat tororo soba here. After walking around the summit, we’re going to the next thing.

4. 2:46PM Visiting Yakuou-in Izunagongen-do

After visiting a fine building, we’re getting a bit hungry. Want to grab some snacks?

It’s getting dark! Let’s go back to the station. 

We’re going to ride the lift on the round trip. There are a lot of people waiting for the lift! The staff says that it takes 30 minutes at least. Oh dear! This is because it’s the peak time to leave for everyone around 4:00 PM. We get 整理券 (seiriken), which means the ticket to ride next. So, even if you have a ticket for the lift or the cable car, you have to take the 整理券, and wait until the staff call you. In winter, it gets cold some time after 4:00 PM. So stay warm. I heard the staff call our number. Let’s go!

https://www.instagram.com/takao_mountain_house?igsh=MWhieHhqNXV5Z2JvMw==

How was that? I have to admit that it was only a short walk, but I’ve come to love hiking. What’s more, today’s Saturday, I still have one day day off. For beginners, Takaosan is the best destination because it’s  easy to access. As I said, if you want to try a more advanced level, they offer other routes. There are a variety of plants and animals throughout the year. So you can enjoy it there every time. Thank you for taking time to read my article to the end. See you in my next article.