Great Weekend Destinations from Tokyo

Sacred Getaway: Mount Takao

Note: This review appeared in the December 2004 issue of InTouch, the monthly magazine of the Tokyo American Club. It was written by Christine Miki, author of Tokyo Stories, a humorous novel on expatriate life in Japan.

If you're staying in Tokyo over the New Year's holidays and looking for something different to do, I suggest a day trip to Mount Takao, in the hills of Hachioji in western Tokyo. There are few more invigorating ways to start 2005 than to put on a pair of hiking boots and bundle up in thick sweaters for a trek up this densely wooded mountain towards the ancient Yakuoin Temple. The trek along the snowy paths in the crisp air is almost guaranteed to clear the mind and shock the system out of that holiday hangover. It’s also an excellent way to lose some of those additional seasonal pounds.

You'll have plenty of company as well. Takao-san is a sacred mountain for Buddhist ascetics who believe in subjecting themselves to harsh conditions—including firewalking and waterfall bathing in the winter—as a way to enlightenment. The Yakuoin Temple itself, which was founded in 744 by the Shomu Emperor (who also built the famous Todaiji Temple in Nara), is a historical destination. Many Japanese in search of mental and spiritual purity now consider it de rigueur to walk the entire 3.8-kilometer trail up the mountain every year and perform their New Year ablutions on top.

As a college student in Tokyo many years ago, I was dutifully taken each January by my well-intentioned homestay mother, who perhaps, felt that this gaijin gakusei could do with more zen and less late-night partying. I don't think her efforts had any effect at that time. This year, however, my husband and I revisited my old 599-meter haunt and we felt a wonderful peace that is ordinarily so difficult to find amidst the frenetic pace of life in central Tokyo.

For many visitors, the 90-minute climb to the top is part of the fun. There are a number of hiking trails to choose from, ranging in length and difficulty. The popular Trail No. 1, for example, is actually paved. But those who are not so keen on the two-legged approach can opt to take a five-minute cable car up the steepest part of the mountain and then later enjoy a pleasant walk back down. On the mountaintop, you will find the temple itself colorfully decked out in full festival glory for the New Year, with large bottles and vats of sake from local companies lining its perimeter.

Back at the start, at the foot of Mount Takao, there are two small museums, which may be interesting as side trips: the Takao Natural Science Museum and the Trick Art Museum (which are closed for New Year's holidays, by the way). Outside the official entrance to the hiking courses, rows of quaint wooden shops selling handmade soba noodles with mountain vegetables, traditional sweets and kitschy souvenirs await. It's probably the atmosphere doing its magic because everything here somehow tastes delicious.

For a special treat, however, I recommend lunch at nearby Ukai Toriyama, a traditional robatayaki restaurant that serves grilled chicken and beef courses in a picture-perfect setting of lovely thatched-roof tatami mat tea houses, Japanese gardens and carp-filled streams. While Buddhist purists would probably wince at the idea of a mouth-watering meal in a gorgeous restaurant after a New Year's visit to holy Mount Takao, but it’s the perfect remedy for those chilled, aching leg muscles.

Mount Takao is a 50-minute ride on the Keio Line (to Takaosanguchi Station) and a 52-minute ride on the JR Chuo Line (to Takao Station) from Shinjuku Station.

Ukai Toriyama is accessible via taxi or regular shuttle bus from the Keio Takaosanguchi Station. Tel. (0422) 661-0739

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