Takao-San
I always see signs for this 高尾山 (Takao-san) on the Keio line and always mean to go to it. It's supposed to be a sacred mountain really close to Tokyo. Mount Takao is at the very edge of the Tokyo metropolis so it's a while to go on the Keio line, but really worth it. From the city to Takao is a world of difference, it's crazy. It's really quiet and you almost feel like you are in the country side. There are mountains all around and little huts. Crazy to think that I was only one hour from Shinjuku, centre of the universe.
The monument stone stating the entrance to the trail. Which by the way is not for the light of heart. The brochure thing said that it would be easy for kids. I don't know what kind of super human kids the Japanese have, but I was about to die halway up. Luckily the second half of the trail is a lot easier than the first half. I probably should have gone and bought a ticket for the cable car that runs you halfway up the mountain. But I got my excercise for the next month.
A sign telling you not to feed or stare at the monkeys, unfortunately I never saw any.
View to the south from the visitors centre about halfway up.
The Chuo expressway, a highway that runs through the middle of Japan.
This is all of Tokyo as viewed from the west. Right in the middle is Shinjuku and to the right is Yokohama.
Mount Takao is sacred because of the Tengu legend I think. Tengu are these warrior demons with the long noses as depicted in the statues.
There is the sign saying that this is the peak of Mount Takao at 599.3 metres.
If you faced the other side of the mountain you could see Mount Fuji perfectlely. It was one of those picturesque views you can only get while on top of a mountain in Japan. I took this picture in the place where you could best see Mount Fuji, and the other people there would take pictures and then pray.
Takao was a nice retreat from city life. It was so strange not to hear anything but birds. No constant traffice and actual greenery (techinally not green since it's dead, but still better than concrete).
The monument stone stating the entrance to the trail. Which by the way is not for the light of heart. The brochure thing said that it would be easy for kids. I don't know what kind of super human kids the Japanese have, but I was about to die halway up. Luckily the second half of the trail is a lot easier than the first half. I probably should have gone and bought a ticket for the cable car that runs you halfway up the mountain. But I got my excercise for the next month.
A sign telling you not to feed or stare at the monkeys, unfortunately I never saw any.
View to the south from the visitors centre about halfway up.
The Chuo expressway, a highway that runs through the middle of Japan.
This is all of Tokyo as viewed from the west. Right in the middle is Shinjuku and to the right is Yokohama.
Mount Takao is sacred because of the Tengu legend I think. Tengu are these warrior demons with the long noses as depicted in the statues.
There is the sign saying that this is the peak of Mount Takao at 599.3 metres.
If you faced the other side of the mountain you could see Mount Fuji perfectlely. It was one of those picturesque views you can only get while on top of a mountain in Japan. I took this picture in the place where you could best see Mount Fuji, and the other people there would take pictures and then pray.
Takao was a nice retreat from city life. It was so strange not to hear anything but birds. No constant traffice and actual greenery (techinally not green since it's dead, but still better than concrete).
posted by Scot @ 22:37
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