高尾山－Mt. Takao－boast of the most numbers of mountain climbers in the world
Mt. Takao is located in Hachioji City west of Tokyo, and it takes about one hour from Sinjyuku Station by the JR Chuo line or the Keio line. It is very close to Tokyo urban area, but there is abundant nature in this mountain area. You can see many large trees, flowering plants, wild birds, and even Japanese monkeys and flying squirrels if you are lucky enough.
Mt. Takao is 599 meters high, and it takes about 2 or 4 hours from Keio Takaosanguchi Station of the Keio line or Takao Station of JR Chuo line. There are several routes to the mountain hill. If you walk the well paved mountain path, you see many people climbing the mountain including small children, the elderly, and non-Japanese. Probably you can feel refreshing air in every season, and walking around here may be said forest therapy. Of course there are full fledged mountain routes for authentic climbers. And sightseers can use a ropeway or a cablecar to carry them up to near the top.
And Mt. Takao is said one of holy mountains for Japanese mountain asceticism called Syugendo. A legend says Takao Yakuoin Temple was built in 744 by Gyoki, a famous Buddhist monk. The building seems a typical mixture of Buddhism and Shinto. This temple has about 20 small Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Among them Tengu-sya Shrine is dedicated to Tengu, which is a Japanese monster or a mountain spirit portrayed as winged and having a long nose. It is seemed Tengu is regarded as the deity of this mountain.
This day was shinny and pleasant day of the late February, and we can usually see the buildings of Tokyo, the Kanto Plane, western high mountains called the Southern Japan Alps, and even Mt. Fuji. Unfortunately a haze was lying over the landscape from the hill this day, so we could only see them vaguely. Spring will come soon!!
a small shrine for safety of people's climbing at the entrance of the climbing route
Takao Yakuoin Temple
a statue of Tengu－a Japanese monster or a mountain spirit portrayed as winged and having a long nose with a big fatsia fan
Fuji Sengen Shrine－dedicated to Mt. Fuji, built in the 16th century and rebuilt in 1926
western side of view from the hill - Can you see Mt. Fuji?
eastern side of view from hill - You can see a part of Tokyo vaguely
