October 14th
Introducing Mt. Takao in Hachioji City, Tokyo. The nearest station is Takaosanguchi Station on the Keio Line. Today was Saturday, the weather was nice and there were a lot of people.
The coin locker was near the entrance to the bathhouse shop around the bend to the right as soon as you exit the station ticket gate. In addition to this, it was also on the left after exiting the ticket gate.
Pass through the Takao Sanguchi Storehouse, which is lined with shops. There are souvenir shops and stylish shops, so it’s fun to walk around.
The cable car station and lift station were visible on the left.
You can get to the foot of Mt. Takao (about 500m altitude) by cable car and lift.
The cable car has arrived. This time, instead of taking the cable car, we hike on foot.
The climb will proceed along Route 1, the most popular route. The slope was quite steep, but the path was paved and easy to walk.
It came up quite a bit. Is the altitude around 500m? I saw the Joshinmon gate. From here, you enter the sacred site of Yakuo-in Temple. There is a branch leading to No. 3 on the left of the door and No. 4 on the right. Continue straight along Route 1 .
In front of Joshinmon Gate is the red climbing trail. On the way, there was a branch of Otoko Saka (male slope) and Onna Saka (female slope). Go to Otoko Saka, where there are stairs.
If you just follow the path to the shrine…
We arrived at the mountain gate of Yakuo-in Temple. I feel like I am increasingly surrounded by spiritual energy.
When you pass through Nio Gate…
We arrived at Takaosan Main Hall.
We arrived at the summit of Mt. Takao in about 15 minutes from the Mt. Takao Main Hall. The summit was quite crowded with people taking commemorative photos, eating boxed lunches, and elementary and junior high school students having picnics.
From the top of the mountain, I could see Mt. Fuji in front of me. The tall mountain on the left is Mt. Omuroyama.
Bring down the mountain. The route home takes you through Route 4. A little ways down from the top of the mountain there was a branch to Route 4.
Get off the mountain road. It is a quiet hiking trail with few people.
On the way, we arrived at the famous suspension bridge on Route 4. My feet were stable and I didn’t feel any fear.
We had a good view of Tokyo town along the way. Although it is difficult to see in the photo as it is faint in the distance, Shinjuku’s skyscrapers were also visible.
We introduced the climbing route of Mt. Takao. It was a very fulfilling day with easy access from the station, and I was able to experience mountain climbing, sightseeing, and visiting a shrine. It’s close to the city center, so please come and visit us. Depending on the climbing route, I think it’s safe to have equipment such as mountain climbing shoes, trekking shoes, and winter clothing.
