Mitakesan (御岳山) is a 929 meters tall mountain and is considered as the most popular sightseeing spot in the Okutama region, the western most part of Tokyo, Japan.
Musashi-Mitake Shrine located on the mountain’s summit which is believed to have been serving as a center of mountain worship for almost 2000 years.
It is a part of the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park which covers Tokyo, Yamanashi, Saitama, and Nagano prefectures. It offers various walking and hiking paths for both new and pro hikers and it is one of the most favored hiking spot for people looking for a short break from the busy city and a day trip to commune with nature.
Unspoiled Nature
The area around Mt. Mitake covers more than 483 square miles of forested mountains, hills, valleys, and some rural towns. It is a national treasury where visitors can see various kinds of birds, plants, and even wild animals. Visitors can also view camellias and Japanese roses through the cable car during spring.
Beautiful hydrangeas growing along the trail of Mt. Mitake.
The Musashi-Mitake Shrine is the peak of the mountain and possesses many Japanese styled inns and souvenir shops.
Souvenir shops surrounding the shrine.
From the shrine, the options to extend the adventure seems limitless as there are various hiking options to the neighboring peaks and valleys.
Rock Rock Garden
One of the most popular and beautiful destination is the “rock garden” which is a narrow, forested valley with stream and lots of moss covered stones.
Ayahiro Fall
The Ayahiro Fall which is located near the rock garden is also breathtaking. Mt. Otake peak which is 1,267m tall is just 40-60 minutes walk from the rock garden where hikers will be passing through rocks and steep slopes.
An extensive hiking map of the region is available for free at the Mitake Visitor Center, located halfway between the upper cable car station and the shrine.
Accessibility
Mt. Mitake can be reached in less than 2 hours from central Tokyo. There are direct JR Chuo train service to Ome Station which takes approximately 75 minutes from Shinjuku Station. If the direct train service to Ome station is not available at the time of travel, a transfer of train is required at Tachikawa. At Ome Station, change to JR Ome Line which is usually located at the opposite platform, to Mitake Station and this takes another 20 minutes. The entire train ride costs ¥920.00.
A Keio shuttle bus located 50 meters to the left of the train station travels to Takimoto village every half hour between 7:30 – 18:00. The bus ride costs ¥270 for one way fare and takes about 10 minutes.
Mt. Mt. Mitake cable car
The Mitake-Tozan Railway cable car operates from the foot of the mountain to the upper cable car station which is close to the summit. This costs ¥545 for a one-way trip and operates about 3 departures per hour. A quick walk up the stairs will lead you to the shrine, which is also the summit of Mt. Mitake.
For visitors who opt to hike all the way up can continue following the road from the cable car station. The hike will take around an hour to the top cable car station.
Useful Info:
Mitake Visitor Center
Address: 38-5 Mitake, Ome-shi, Tokyo 〒 198-0175
Website Site: ocn.ne.jp/mitake
Inquiries: 0428-78-9363
Hours: 9:00 – 16:30
* The visitor center is closed on Mondays (in the case of holiday however the next day) and New Year holidays.
References:
Japan Guide: www.japan-guide.com
Japan National Tourism Organization: www.jnto.go.jp
Mt. Mitake Tourist website: www.mitakesan.com (Japanese only)
Wikipedia: wikipedia.org