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[OT] Hiking day trip from Tokyo?

japanviking

Speeding Up
Jul 13, 2010
279
6
Hi,

Slightly off topic but still ok I hope.
I would like to go hiking somewhere nice but still close to Tokyo.
Somewhere that I can take the train and spend a nice day hiking around and then be home again in the evening.

All suggestions are welcome :)

/Andreas
 
My favourites:

1) Mt Daibosatsurei
The furthest of my favourites, but has some great views of Fuji. Take Chuo Mainline to Enzan, then a bus up route 411 towards Enzankamigahara (塩山上萩原).

Pictures in autumn / in winter

2) Mount Mitake (御岳山) in Okutama
Take Ome line to either Hatanosu station or Kori station. On top of the mountain is Musashi-Mitake Shrine (武蔵御嶽神社 Musashi Mitake Jinja), an ancient pilgrimage destination.

Pictures

3) Mt Oyama in the Tanzawa mountains
Another one with shrines/temples and a pilgrimage route. Not far from Yabitsu. Take Odakyu to Isehara, then a bus (I have always taken the car when hiking there).

Pictures
 
Finally went out to Daibosatsurei yesterday for a day of hiking. Really enjoyed the area and the views. Leaves were gone at the higher altitudes and Fuji was barely visible with all the clouds.
Took the steep rocky path up and walked along the ridge. Made a nice cup of coffee at the end of the ridge before taking the easier trail down.
Thanks for the advice Joe, will be back there soon again when the weather is more clear.

BTW, what's up with all the cowbells people wear? I can understand the reason for trail runners to wear the smaller kind of bells. But why would anyone want to listen to a loud cowbell all day?
 
cowbells > bear bells

School kids outside of town here have them on their packs.
 
I'm going to contact the Guinness book of records on your behalf jv. I think you could be in for some kind of procrastination award!
 
From how things are going here on the forum lately it seems like you are up for a completely different type of award :rolleyes:

Most frequently ignored member award? ;)
 
But ironically, not by you Weenster. You just can't get enough of me it seems. Always following me around reporting my posts, positively delightful!

Most frequently ignored member award? ;)
 
Thanks for the advice Joe, will be back there soon again when the weather is more clear.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. The weather hasn't been too good recently.

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A few days ago I headed up Mt Takao for an afternoon hike with my wife and my nephew who is visiting from Germany at moment (I also took him out for a 45 km Tamagawa ride). Takao is a nice one for a half-day hike (morning or afternoon) or for repeats if you seek more of a challenge.

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While it's not difficult, if you avoid the cable car it's not trivial either and the various routes available make it interesting. Route #6 up is a nice nature trail while #1 is a pilgrimage route.
 
I did the Takao hike back in September, Took the rougher trail up and the easy one down. It doesn't give you the full enjoyment of being out in nature in the way that the Daibosatsurei did though. Too many vending machines for that :)
I might try and find some snow shoes to hike during the winter months here.
 
I saw a guy in snowshoes on Daibostsurei during the January hike that I posted pictures of. They were definitely needed for longer hikes on the ridge line then. We walked in almost knee deep snow, which wasn't easy. On the way up it was only doable because we walked in other people's footsteps or following in tyre tracks along the road. We also wore crampons, which helped on the steeper sections.
 
I did the Takao hike back in September, Took the rougher trail up and the easy one down.

Right ho, confession time. One day, I took the really easy way both up and down: the chairlift. Of course I walked up (and by one of the rougher routes, too), and down. But as soon as I reached the bottom (or before), I found myself gazing enviously at the people up on their chairs. And so I took the lift up, and down, just for the pleasure of being on it. I suppose it was a bit expensive (these things are), but I didn't resent the payment -- I enjoyed the experience.
 
The way up was a mix of these:

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The second half of the way down on the main route gets pretty steep, descending 250 m over 1.5 km.

I'll be happy to use the chairlift some time after I turn 75 ;)
 
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