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The cherished Mount Takao "Takaosan", located about an hour by train from Tokyo, has been known by locals as a quick escape from the concrete jungle.
Mount Takao is a mountain in the city of Hachioji, a natural recreation area on the western edge of the Tokyo Metropolitan. Its easy accessibility and Hiking Trails plus the picturesque views of the surrounding mountains including Fujisan, has made Takaosan one the most popular destination in Greater Tokyo Area. |
Hachioji Seen From Mount Takao
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Standing 599 meters tall, Takaosan has been considered as a sacred mountain for over a thousand years. Nowadays, it’s both a religious destination and a popular hiking spot with more than 2.5 million annual visitors.
While Takaosan makes a beautiful day-trip year round, the best time to visit is during autumn when changing leaves paint the trails in the crisp yellows, oranges and reds. Takaosan can get very crowded on weekends, especially during the seasons of koyo (autumn foliage) and Hanami (flower viewing). |
Mount Takao
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Mt. Takao features several hiking trails. Most of the trails are paved and easy to walk even in sneakers.
The unfortunate, overdressed women trying to climb in high-heels are a common sight as well. The trails are well prepared and well sign posted, including signs of the flora and fauna which add the education to the physical activity along the way. |
Mount Takao - Trail 1
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Trail 1 is the main route, a straight shot up to the peak that takes you past the mountain's main attractions: An Observation Deck doubling as a Beer Garden during the summer months, an active Buddhist Temple Complex and a Monkey Park.
The entire path is paved, although there are steep stairs in places. The truly dedicated usually tackle Trail 6 or the Inariyama Course, a beautiful forest hike that follows, and at some points enters a creek snaking down the side of the mountain. Other lesser traveled routes are also available that may take longer but are more scenic. Mount Takao is an excellent place for wild landscapes with a wide variety of plants "1,600 species" and insects "6,000 species". |
Mount Takao - Trail 6
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For those who prefer a little assist or are in a hurry, a chair lift and Cable Car are available to take visitors up to the halfway to avoid the steepest part of the trail. This is a good option if you are bringing along small children or the elderly.
The system nominally has four stations; two each for the chair lift and the cable car. However, the distance between the pairs of stations is only a few dozen meters at the base of the mountain, and approximately 150 meters at the top of the services. Trail 1 leads past the top stations on the way to the summit. Right above the cable car station is the Beer Mount, a restaurant/beer garden with a spacious outdoor seating area. The food is buffet-style, with a selection of Japanese, Chinese, and Western cuisine. During the summer months, the beer garden stays open until 9 p.m. |
Mount Takao Lift
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Near the cable car station, there are also several shops selling food and souvenirs. There are a total of three observation decks scattered along Trail 1. A monkey park is located on Trail 1, just past the first observation deck.
On Trail 1, hundred-year-old cedars line the path, including Takosugi, the famous octopus cedar, with a height of 37 meters and a circumference of about 19 feet. This enormous tree is estimated to be around 500 years old. A Buddhist temple, Takaosan Yakuoin Yukiji, is located near mountain summit, and attracts many visitors who pray to the guardians of the mountain "Tengu" for good fortune. In addition to Yakuoin, many other shrines and statues are scattered throughout the mountain. |
Mount Takao - Yakuo-in Temple
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At the top of the mountain there is a visitor center, a restaurant, vending machines providing a range of beverages, and viewing platform where Mount Fuji is visible on a clear day.
You can go back down the way you came, or choose another trails. At the base of the mountain, one can enjoy a soak in the Keio Takaosan Onsen Gakurakuyu, or visit the 599 Museum, which focuses on the ecology surrounding Mount Takao. The Tokai Nature Trail is a long distance walkway that traverses 11 prefectures and covers 1,697 kilometers. One end of the Tokai Nature Trail is at Mount Takao, at the Takaosan-guchi Station, and the other end is at Minoo, near Osaka. |
Views Of Mt. Fuji From Mt. Takao
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Takaosan AccessTake the Keio Line Express Train from Shinjuku Station to Takaosan-guchi Station "takes about 50 minutes".
Takaosan-guchi Station, the train's terminal station, is located at the foot of the mountain. From station, it’s only about a 5 minutes walk to the cable car, the chair lift and the trail heads. |
Takaosan-guchi Station
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Takaosan Muslim Friendly AccommodationSo far there is no Muslim friendly hotel in Hachioji. The Hotellook search engine here can help you for random hotel reservation in Hachioji area. It compares prices from 70 hotel booking services. It show you the lowest prices available at the time. Fill out the details and press search. You will be redirected to an online website where you can make your reservation. You can also search with the Hotel Map below which shows hotel prices and location on the map.
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There are Vacation Rentals in Hachioji area which suit travelers who prefer to rent a living space, especially for larger groups, families or those who seek a more local, everyday life experience.
If you would like to rent a car use the search engine here and book a car in advance. Fill out the details; pickup and drop-off places, date and time, and press search. You will be redirected to Rental Cars website where a list of available cars will be shown to you to choose from. |
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Mt. Takao "Takaosan" – Takao-machi, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo
