Mount Takao [高尾山]
Takaosan-Fudoin at the foot of Mountain
Station of Cable car
Mount Takao is a mountain 599 meters high and is located about 10 km west-southwest of Hachioji city and about 42 km west of Shinjuku.
It has been designated Meiji-no-Mori Takao Quasi-National Park.
And the mountain has been the land of Takaosan-Yakuouin temple.
Therefore, rich and natural forests in this mountain have been protected for a long time.
Because visitors can come here from central Tokyo in about an hours, more than 2.5 million visitors a year climb this mountain.
The express trains of Keio Railway leads to the east foot of the mountain from Shinjuku directly.
Takaosan-guchi station is the starting point of the hiking.
The altitude around the foot is about 200 meters, so we climb the route of the difference of about 400 meters in level.
Between here and the top, six trails (Trail 1-6) and Inariyama Trail are set up.
Cable car of Mount Takao
Lift to the mountainside
We can shortcut with a cable car or a lift.
Additionally a trail from the top to Mount Jinba located about 8 km northwest also is set up.
Trail 1
Trail 6
On the top, there is an observatory and a visitor center.
This mountain is located at the edge of Kanto Plain, so we can see the towns in Tokyo and Yokohama city in the distance.
We can see the center of Tokyo
We can see Mt.Fuji
If it is fine, we can see Mount Fuji to the southwest.
Main temple of Takaosan Yakuouin
Gongendo temple in Takaosan Yakuouin
On the mountainside, there is Takaosan Yakuouin temple (高尾山薬王院).
It is a Buddhist temple of Shingon sect, and it is said that the temple was founded in 744.
Many temple buildings are dotted in the mountain.
Takaosan-Fudoin near Takaosan-guchi station is also one of Takaosan Yakuouin.
Biwa Waterfall
Octopus cedar
In the mountain, there are some popular spots of nature.
Biwa Waterfall is a waterfall at the mountainside of Mount Takao.
It is used as a place that mountain priest practices asceticism.
Octopus cedar is a huge cedar tree about 37 meters high.
It is about 450 years old, and the bending thick roots look like an octopus.
How to get here
By express of Keio Railway to Takaosan-guchi, about 1 hour from Shinjuku.
