Momijiya (もみじや) on Mt. Takao
Momijiya shop on Mt. Takao
One thing about Japan that is very different from anywhere else in the world I’ve hiked is that you frequently don’t have to be very careful with your provisioning. That said, the Japanese themselves usually go way overboard on their own provisioning while hiking. It isn’t uncommon to see someone out for a day hike of a few hours with enough in their backpack to last them for a week.
For instance, if you were to climb Mt. Takao (高尾山), Mt. Mitake, or even Mt. Fuji (all fairly close to Tokyo) you will find shops along the hiking route (and at the top!) selling various food stuffs, water, souvenirs, etc. On your way down a different route it’s the same thing. I guess that isn’t too surprising given how convenient everything is in Japan’s cities. You can’t walk more than about 50 steps in most of Tokyo without passing at least one convenience store.
Today’s photo is of one such shop I encountered on my way down Mt. Takao. Momiji means Japanese Maple so I’m guessing this place looks great right about now and for the past couple weeks with the fall foliage. This photo was taken in January though. January is a great time to hike up Mt. Takao as the crowds aren’t so bad and the odds of a great view of Mt. Fuji from the top are much better in winter.
Some items I can see in this picture that you could possible consume are oden, dango, and nikuman. Maybe you aren’t hungry, but you want something to drink? Well, there are at least three vending machines in the far left of this image loaded with Pocari Sweat (ポカリスエット) along with other beverages. How many mountains in the USA (or anywhere else in the world outside of Japan) do you know of that have vending machines on or near the top?