#30 Quick half-day hike in Tokyo

What you can make the most of your weekend and relax.

Autumn leaves are moving from high to lower places now. The temptation may have started to grow inside you that you want to retreat from the busy streets in Tokyo. It is too early to give up the idea of retreat. If you are aware of the geography of Kanto Plain, lots of restrictions such as distance of traveling, congestion on the highways, and departure time, may bother your mind, and you may end up staying home in Tokyo.

But don't worry, there is a solution for it, and you will be able to make a productive day by changing small things. In this newsletter, I will write about how to make your weekend productive and satisfying even though you are busy in Tokyo.

A clear view of Mt Fuji from Mt Takao.

When you are on holiday and staying in central Tokyo, you must have given up the idea of visiting the mountains and lakes other than major tourist attractions. You don't need a car, don't have to travel a long distance, and don’t have to spare a whole day of your weekend. Recently there are lots of cases in that I don’t want to commit a full day on my weekend. Washing, cleaning, and general shopping, I can’t use all my time for hiking or something else.

On such an occasion, please remember Mt Takao. Three weeks ago, I wrote about Mt Takao focusing on the resumption of the human flow. But there were new findings that the situation changes depending on the condition, and it is going to be a really good field if you got a knack.

Timing of the visit

Mt Takao is located approximately 45km west of central Tokyo and the entry point is Takao-sanguchi station by Keio Line. It all depends on where you stay, but it has fairly good access by JR East or Keio. In principle, you have to start early if you would like to avoid congestion. Visitors here focus on the view of Mt Fuji and lunch on the top. So you must start very early before the space at the top start accumulating the number of people.

The first cable car departs from the Kiyotaki Station at 08:00 and the lift starts at 09:00. This transportation is the main means to bring all the people up to the top of the mountain and this is how all the accumulation starts. So you will be fairly secure to enjoy the decent atmosphere of the mountain if you start moving before these crowds reach. And you can’t forget that there are several trails to go up to the top of Mt Takao. You should expect some people are already there even before the cable car and the lift

Kiyotaki Station where cable cars depart. There were a queue even before 08:00.

The average course time from Takao-sanguchi to the top is 1 and half hours so you’ll be on the top of Mt Takao by 08:00 if you leave the station at 06:30. 06:30 would be the earliest time if you are coming from central Tokyo. For those who are fit, you can do it in one hour to the top and it is going to be your bonus to enjoy there longer. Bring your breakfast and you can enjoy it with calmness. If your arrival collides with lunchtime it is going to be a nightmare. You can hardly find the space to sit down and whenever you take pictures, you will struggle to omit people in the flame.

More importantly, you will always have a better chance of beautiful clear Mt Fuji from the top of Mt Takao. There is a good viewpoint on the west of Mt Takao, and you will see beautiful snow-capped Mt Fuji at this time of the year. As time goes by the visibility of Mt Fuji gets worse because of humidity and clouds.

Overlooking Mt Fuji from Shiroyama.

Provided enjoying breakfast for one hour, you will be ready to descend the mountain by 09:00. It will take a little bit more than one hour down to the station. The biggest headache will be giving your way to climbing people. When you descend it will collide with the increasing number of people heading to the top of Mt Takao.

Some maple trees were at their best for autumn leaves.

If you get on the train around 10:30, you should be back in central Tokyo by midday for sure. Then the full afternoon is secured for you, and you can use it on whatever you want. It is so productive and relaxing, you don’t have to worry about the congestion at the top of Mt Takao nor the congestion of the train back to central Tokyo.

Route to the summit

As you can see from the map, Mt Takao offers several routes to the top of the mountain. It all depends on what you are looking for, but for those who would like to hike and enjoy the view from the top, Trail 6 or Inariyama Trail will be the best choices. Trail 6 goes along a beautiful stream, including a section of walking water stream a little bit. Inariyama Trail offers a genuine hiking environment through the ridge and the trail is wider. I always take Inariyama Trail for descending. Both routes have staircases, but the staircase of Inariyama Trail is much longer and it is going to be a pain.

Access reference to Mt Takao

For reference I will list the outbound timetable information to reach Takao-sanguchi station at 06:30. This is as of 6th of November.

Tokyo (04:39) ---Chuo Line---Takao (05:47/06:07) ---Keio Line---Takao-sanguchi (06:10) 1,070 Yen

Shinjuku (05:29) ---Keio Line---Kitano (06:07/06:07) ---Keio Line---Takao-sanguchi (06:20) 390 Yen

Generally speaking, compared to JR, fares are significantly cheaper on major private railways in the Kanto region. If you are starting your day in Shinjuku, make sure that you use Keio Line.

Overlooking Benten Bridge on the way to Sagamiko Station.

Alternative route

Last Thursday I climbed Mt Takao and extended the route to Shiroyama (670m) and ended at Sagamiko station. This course covered 12 Km and the accumulated elevation is both 1,100m ascend and descend. After Mt Takao, I had to descend the steep staircase and ascend gradually. There were lots of staircases which were quite annoying. It took me one hour to Shiroyama and took another hour all the way down to the Sayamako station. So all and all it took three hours and a half and I was at home by 13:00. I didn’t stop a long time on the way, but if you make an early start, your hiking will be over around noon. The trail was fairly quiet after Mt Takao and it was really nice to walk through the dead leaves.

Summary

Lastly, I will summarize the points for a productive half-day hike.

• Make a very early start.

• Target to reach the top of Mt Takao before 08:00.

• Forget about the lunch on the top, but focus on the breakfast.

• There are various options from the top of Mt Takao.

• From Shiroyama down to Sagamiko Station, visa Benten bridge is another option

I hope that a half-day quick retreat will give you a bit of a tip for your productive weekend and you will be able to enjoy the bonus meal in the afternoon. If you have any questions please leave a message.

One Stop

Ichikatsu:　1-3-4, Yokozuna, Sumida-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5625-4615

Tonkatsu(Japanese pork cutlet) restaurant nest to Ryogoku station. Ryogoku is a very famous place and Kokugikan next to the station is a venue for Sumo. Even if it is crowded, it is unlikely to wait for a long time. The loin cutlet for 750 yen is thick, tender and juicy, and of very high quality for a tonkatsu under 1,000 yen.

Japanese port cutlet of Ichikatsu, good value for the money.