The One about Mount Takao in Hachioji Part 1 - Arriving at Takaosanguchi Station

In Central California, for those who want to go hiking, there is always Yosemite or even Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks.

In Tokyo, for those who want to stay in Tokyo but get away from the concrete jungle, an hour away, there is Meiji no Mori Takao Quasi-National Park (Meiji no Moria Takao Kokutei Koen), located around Mount Takao in Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan.

Mount Takao is rated a “three-star mountain” according to France’s Michelin guide. Around 1,965 feet above sea level (599 meters), the mountain is part of a massif of low mountains formed during the Mesozoic era.

And in this area are dense forests of Momi Fir, Japanese red pine and Japanese beech, as well as home for 1,600 types of plants, 100 species of wild birds and 29 types of animals. And it also has a monkey attraction as well! So, it’s no doubt a popular hiking spot with eight hiking courses which brings in 2.5 million visitors annually.

I’ve been wanting to visit Hachioji and hike Mount Takao, but I pushed it off until deciding to just go out and do it. It was on my bucket list and I had to follow through with it. So, no more delaying.

I took the train from Shinjuku Station via Keio Line to Takaosanguchi Station, which is a 50 minute train ride.

As I was leaving areas with big buildings and going towards an agricultural area with big mountains with colorful trees. I was wondering which one was Mount Takao and also Mount Jinba (which is taller at 2,811 feet).

But I was curious to see the overall landscape of Takaomachi.

Before arriving to Takaosanguchi Station, there are three shrines nearby. The largest was Takaosanfumoto Hikawa Shrine.

When you arrive at Takaosanguchi Station, you can’t help but be impressed by the overall architecture of the station. Once you leave the station, you see the Takao Trick Art Museum to your left. But as much as I wanted to check it out, I wasn’t sure how long the hike would take me, especially if you stop to check out the many shrines within the area on the hike up.

So, I went right as to get to Mt. Takao, you’ll want to take the road (an 8 minute walk) that takes you to Kiyotaki Station.

But before getting on that road for the walk, you’ll be greeted with a sign showing the various hiking routes that lead up to Mt. Takao. And next to the sign is information on the nearby shrines close to Takaosanguchi Station.

This is important to look at because the area offers so much for visitors, you’ll need to plan your time right of when you expect to arrive. May it be the hike up and to see the various shrines, the Takao Trick Museum or the Takao 599 Museum, various shops and restaurants and so much more!

The reason why you’ll need to plan your itinerary is that if you are only planning to stay for several hours and head back to Tokyo, the final train out of Takaosanguchi Station is at 4:31 p.m. As much as I wanted to check out the museums and all nearby shrines near the station, I arrived around before noon and realized, I only have several hours. I figured the hike up would take some time, so it was all about the hike and exploring as much as I could going up and back down, but knowing I needed to get back to Takaosanguchi Station in time. Otherwise, I’m stuck and would need to get a hotel.

So, to play it safe, whatever you plan to do around the Mt. Takao area, if you are planning to go back to Tokyo that same day, try to be back by 4:00 p.m., just in case. If you are planning to hike to the top of Mt. Takao, give yourself a three hour maximum, which includes sightseeing (this includes getting lunch, visiting a lot of the shrines and the walk back from Kiyotaki Station to Takaosanguchi Station).

You may be wondering, why can’t I take the train to Kiyotaki Station, since you’re going to go there anyway? The reason is that Kiyotaki Station is not exactly a train station per se. It’s more of station that has a cable car and the other a lift that takes you halfway up to Mt. Takao for the hike.

On Part 2, I’ll discuss on what to see on the walk to Kiyotaki Station and what to expect once you get to Kiyotaki Station.