Mount Takao 高尾山
A mere 370 yen train ride from Shinjuku lands you at the bottom of Mt. Takao. There are lots of ways to get up the mountain. We took the Inariyama Trail as our guidebook says it is the least crowded and includes nice views of Mt. Fuji. Neither was true on this day.
Our best views of Mt. Fuji were from the train on the way there and from the train on the way back. While we were hiking and when we ate lunch on the top of Mt. Takao, Mt. Fuji was mostly obscured by clouds. If you want a picture of Mt. Fuji and can see Mt. Fuji from the train (after Kitano Station) you may want to hop off at the Keio-Katakura Station (京王片倉駅) as there is a good view from the station platform (near the rear of the train). You can then get on the next train and your train fare won’t be any different, assuming you don’t exit the station.
I was amazed at the crowds. I figured few would be climbing Mount Takao in winter, on the last Wednesday of January no less. Not so. The trail was swarming with people and hundreds of people were on top of the mountain. I can’t imagine how crazy crowded it must be on a weekend or holiday during spring, summer, or fall.
Takaosan Yakuoin Yukiji Temple (高尾山薬王院有喜寺) was one of the nicer temples I’ve experienced. Don’t miss it if you are hiking Mt. Takao. We almost did.
The colorful flag/banner/hanging seemed to be on all of the Buddhist temples during January. They are gone now that February has arrived.
Related posts:
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February 5th, 2010 at 5:25 am
You are absolutely right about the crowds during other times. We went to Mount Takao to watch the fall color last year (or maybe 2 years ago), and it was incredibly crowded, people were everywhere.