With so many interesting places to go all over Japan, particularly Tokyo, it is just right to provide a specific focus on what to do when you want to spend a weekend there. Tokyo is the only city in the world where urban high life and nature are merged together without one dominating over the other. Thus, nature tripping is one indulgence you cannot find in other metropolitan and cosmopolitan cities around the globe.
What to See in Takaosan
Start your nature tripping in Tokyo at Mount Takao where you will find an old temple, a hiking and biking trail, a cable car (if you want to cut your trip short by several minutes from the foot of the mountain to the top), and a grand vista of Tokyo. The mountain has long been recognized as a sacred mountain for more than 1000 years. A grand temple where visitors can pray to Shinto – Buddhist tengu (gods) asking for good fortune.
One must see feature of Takaosan is the monkey park which is a glass enclosed park which houses more than 40 Japanese macaques that hold shows at several time intervals during the day. There is also a garden with 500 varieties of wild flowers which you can view using the same admission ticket in the monkey park.
You can appreciate nature to the fullest when you walk through the network of hiking trails. Trail number 1 is the most popular as it is the widest trail, a majority of which are paved. Here, you can see all major attractions in the mountain when you hike through this trail leading up to the top of the mountains. Once you reach the top, you will find an observation deck with a view of Tokyo and Mt. Fuji during days when the weather is clear. There is also a popular trail that connects to Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park.
How to Reach Mountain Takao
To reach the place, use the Keio Railways to get there which is the fastest and the cheapest ride to Takaosan (Mt. Takao).
