Mount Takao
Mount Takao or Takaosan is a beautiful mountain hike with a view of Mount Fuji and it’s an easy day trip from Tokyo!
Mount Takao is West of Tokyo and is a mountain that offers not only hiking and amazing views but lots of places to explore including a Monkey Park, temple and Onsen. It’s popular in April for Cherry blossoms and for viewing the Autumn colours in Autumn.
There are 6 different routes up and down Mount Takao. The main path, which is wider and paved, is trail 1. There is also a cable car and chair lift that will take you up part of trail 1, however, you will still need to walk the last part to get to the summit.
We walked up on Trail 6 which was absolutely beautiful, it was a narrow trail which means it was less popular, although we still passed a number of walkers who always greeted us with “Konnichiwa” and the kids quickly picked this up and enjoyed saying “Konnichiwa” to everyone that we met.
There is something about the comradery of walking the lesser known trails that makes everyone say ‘Hi’ to each other.
Trail 6 has a variety of scenery and is lots of fun, part of the trail is stepping stones along a stream! However, it is the most difficult route and not one for young kids or strollers (take Trail 1), particularly the last part of this walk which is incredibly steep. I was amazed at the number of elderly Japanese people that we passed who always gave us a smile and greeting. It was inspiring to see them on this steep and difficult trail, they waved us on, as they continued at their own pace.
When we reached the top, the view was spectacular, we had a arrived on a crisp winter day, the air was clear and the view over the surrounding countryside was spectacular! Fujisan was hiding amongst a few clouds but still looked magnificent.
We went on a weekend so there were a number of people up the top, and a school group. Groups of people sat all around the mountain top on mats with little cook stoves, cooking up their lunch. While groups of older Japanese men and women sat at picnic tables drinking Sake and Beer!
There are some vending machines on the top of the mountain (I know! They are everywhere in Japan!) and a couple of small food stalls, most people bring their own food.
We found a spot to sit for a rest at the top. My amazing brother, who lives in Tokyo, whipped out of his backpack a cook stove to make hot chocolate! Legend! Can’t believe he carried that up the mountain! Teamed up with our Mount Takao biscuits we bought at the bottom of the mountain (and Pokemon doughnuts I had saved from dinner at the Pokemon cafe the night before) we had the best morning tea in the glittering sunshine on top of Mount Takao.
After a rest and obligatory photo at the top, we started the much easier journey down. We chose to descend via Route 4 to see the suspension bridge and then joined the main trail to take the chair lifts to the bottom.
After all that walking we were ready for a very late lunch! There are a number of food stalls and restaurants at the base of the mountain. We went to Momijiya-Honten for soba noodles with local mountain vegetables. Absolutely hit the spot, a brilliant way to finish our Mount Takao adventure!
Who would enjoy this…
The fantastic thing about this hike is that there are multiple ways up and down the mountain, so if you would like a good walk and great adventure or if you would prefer an easier walk and perhaps a chair lift – you’ve got it!
Be aware that because Mount Takao is so accessible from Tokyo it can get busy on weekends, so for less crowds go on a weekday.
Tickets
Not needed! Walking Mount Takao is free!
Cable car: 490yen one way, open 8am to 5:45pm, sometimes open later on weekends
Chairlift: 490yen one way, open 9am to 4/4:30 depending on season
Monkey Park: Located on trail 1. 430yen for entry., Open 9:30/10 – 4/4:30 depending on the season.
Takaosan Onsen: 1000 -1200yen, open from 8am to 11pm (last entry 10pm)
Takao 599 Museum (because the summit is 599m high): entry is free.
How to get here
Train to Mount Takao leaves from Shinjuku station, Tokyo. Take the Keio line from Keio Shinjuku station to Takaosanguchi Station at the bottom of Mount Takao.
If you want to use your JR pass then take the JR Chuo line from Shinjuku station to Takao station then transfer to the Keio line for one stop to Takaosanguchi Station.
Either trip will take about 40-50 minutes.
Need more info?
Tokyo Cheepo – these guys have info about each of the trails.
Japan Magazine – this has fantastic information about getting to and around Mount Takao and a cool infographic to help orientate yourself.
Japan Guide
