Nov.29. 2025.Private tour

 The weather was good and our hiking guide for the college students of Tokyo Metropolitan University started at Takaosanguchi station by the explanation of our hiking coordinator Shiro-san. For some reasons, 21 members were separated into three groups, A(cable car group), B and C(both for hiking groups).

Our guiding group members were bellow:

🔴Guide group A : Shiro-san(Overall coordinator), Shin-san(Leader), Yoko-san

🟢Guide group B : Comson-san(Leader), Yuko-san, potential guide

🔵Guide group C : Masa(Leader and writing this blog), Rico-san, Satomi-san

 

Our guests were bellow:

🔴Guest group A : 11 people(Poland, Australia, China, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Brazil, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom)

🟢Guest group B : 7 people(South Korea, the United States, Canada, Sweden), teacher, staff

🔵Guest group C : 7 people(UK, Germany)

 So, let’s start our tour!!

After finishing brief self introductions, each of the team started to walk.

 🔵Guest group C : One of the students was being surprised at the real size of the Japanese giant flying squirrel.

In front of the statues of Japanese giant flying squirrels

🟢Guide group B : The teacher and the students were walking along Route 6 next to the cable car. After that, they proceeded to the way where there was a hospital. The teacher apparently wondered why there was a hospital in the middle of the mountain.

Trail 6

🟢Guide group B : There was apparently a man who was undergoing waterfall training and everybody was very interested in him!

Students climbing up the steps next to the Biwa waterfall

🔵Guide group C : A little bit later than group B, group C reached a small shrine, called “Iwaya Daishi” and listened to the story of the history.

On the bridge to Iwaya daishi shrine

🟢Guide group B : They were climbing up the most steepest trail in this mountain. It seems to be harsh!

Midway between Biwa Fall and Route 1

 🔵Guide group C : We were also following the path that the group B members were going through. Even though it was very easy going for the younger generation, they were very kind enough to wait for us, elderly people. Thank you very much!

The point where we will soon reach Route 1

🔴Guide group A : Unlike the group B and C, they took a cable car and came here and they must have enjoyed the beautiful scenery from the observation deck.

From the Kasumi-dai observation deck

From the Kasumi-dai observation deck

In front of Takosugi(octopus cider tree)

In front of Takosugi(octopus cider tree)

🟢Guide group B : Instead of our guide, the teacher explained the Joshinmon-gate(The gate of purified heart). She is really knowledgeable!

In front of Joshinmon gate

🔵Guide group C : We also reached to the gate of getting out of sufferings.

In front of Kunuke-mon(The gate of getting out of sufferings)

 

🔴🟢🔵Guide group A, B and C : Finally, all groups have gathered at Yuki-en.

At Yukien

Shiro-san and Shin-san, explaining enthusiastically at Yuki-en

Students who listen attentively at Yuki-en

Very cute smiles of the ladies

Photographed with the stupa in the background

In front of the gate of Shitenno-mon(The gate of four heavenly kings)

In front of Komainu(Korean dogs) with Momiji

In front of the statues of tengu

In front of Eight Dragon King’s Hall

🔵Guide group C : We finally reached to the top of Mt.Takao! Even though we could not see Mt.Fuji, I think it would be a memorable day! 

 

At the top of Mt.Takao

 

🔴Guide group A : Maybe because of the elaborating explanation by the guide, group A members were late a little bit.

In front of Izuna Gongen-do Hall

 🔴Guide group A : Group A also arrived about 30 minutes late. Thank you for your hard work. Please enjoy your lunch time!

🔴🟢🔵Guide group A, B and C : After having a lunch, we took some pictures as good memories. After that, we descended the mountain.

In front of the pillar of the top of Mt.Takao

 

🔴🟢🔵Guide group A, B and C : After that, due to factors like the severe crowding, some students took the lift down while others walked down Route 1, but in the end, everyone made it down safely.

Thank you for listening to our guide today. It was a pleasure to spend time with students like you. Thank you to the teacher, supporter, and guides for your hard work. Please come back to Mt.Takao again!

 

Written by Masa

Nov.16th.2025 Monthly tour

 

We met with a family of three, including a two-year-old baby, at Takao-san-guchi station at 9:30. Tengu members are Shin-san, Moe-san, potential tengu guide and Masa. There were a lot of beautiful momiji trees with red, yellow and orange! Amazing! At first Moe-san started her guide about the tips of this hiking for the first time in her life in front of Osoji-Kozo, literally the statue of a cleaning Buddhist training monk.

In front of Kiyotaki station

 

After taking a cable car, we caught our eyes on a real monkey with a trainer in front of a monkey park. Many people and our guests were interested in the real monkey who was jumping and circling as a performance.

In front of Monkey park

 

Our guests seemed to be enjoying the forest scenery of trail 1 that separates the species of trees into two groups. I hope our young guest was also enjoying the atmosphere.

 Shin-san, our most expert guide, explained about the history and so on of three important items to see at Yuki-en, maybe one of the highlights of our guide, while our guests were really eager to understand it.

 

At Yuki-en

In front of the statues of tengu at Yakuo-in temple, we focused on the different roles of the two tengu between junior and senior tengu. Our potential guide also gave us enough knowledge about various things, such as trees, plants and temples in Mt. Takao.

 Actually, our guest used a stroller, so it might be very tough to climb up a lot of stairs around Yakuo-in temple, but the husband was really tough to do it and other visitors were surprised at him.

                                             

On top of the Mt.Takao

After having lunch, we went to Momiji-dai, which is another viewing spot during the autumn season in which different colors of beautiful trees were blooming. The baby was running around the area very happily. So, he didn’t seem to leave the place immediately!  We were grasped by vivid red momiji trees. I want to come here again.

 

At Momiji-dai

 

After returning to the top of Mt. Takao, we chose Fuji-michi, as an escape route for the stroller, but it even made the husband exhausted. So, we were very sorry!

 It was a congested day, so we had to wait for about 30 minutes for a cable car. However, thanks to the chatting during that waiting time, we understood that even our guests are learning Japanese, so we were encouraged by them as a foreign language learner.

We finally returned to the starting point of Kiyotaki station where we took several photos for our good memories. We were really lucky to meet you today. Thank you very much for choosing our tour for today.

In front of Kiyotaki station

 

Written by Masa

 

Nov.3.2025. private tour

It was cloudy at first when we met at 9:30 at Takaosanguchi  station. But from nearly noon there it started occasionally a bit sprinkling just as the weather forecast predicted.They seemed to be used to hiking and had prepared rain gear in case rain . They already knew fusion religion “Shugendo”.

We started tour from front of the statue of  boy monk trainee in sweeping.
It means we are asking tourists to bring back your own garbage your home with you.
Our guests from Hawaii they are familiar with Japanese custom.On the left lady shows 2 fingers which Japanese Victory sign we Japanese often do like this when we take a photo.

We got on beautiful yellow color cable car which is the steepest cable car in Japan.
We expect red Japanese maple leaves but still now it is not turned to be red enough.
If we could stand in front you can see our cable car going up straight steep slope to the top.

                                                                                            

 

This is early spring season.

 A lady is especially interested in Japanese monkey, so we dropped in monkey park . Seeing the monkey’s society makes us learn our human’s society.  We saw monkey’s acrobatic performance.

They rubed the statue of god octopus wishing many people gather to them by their attractiveness and bring success and happiness .

At the Joushinmon  sacred gate separates secular world from purified world.

Going through the gate ,there is Jinpendou. It enshrines founder of shugendo. People pray for their healthy legs and back.
She had knee surgery , so she needs to pray for the benefits.

At Yuukien and Yakuouin Temple precinct. Both there are many statues of Tengu they asked me Why?

 

 

We feel safe because they survey even in the night and protect this mountain from everywhere.
Nobody can do bad behavior.

 

At the peak of mt.Takao.  Very crowded because it is holiday. Regrettably even though  from the peak  we could see clear mountains but Mt.Fuji was behind clouds.

On the way back we dropped in Bentenkutsu where enshrined female god of art and fortune .

We found citrus Yuzu and bee’s nest. One of ladies saiid her father grow Yuzu in his garden.So she likes Yuzu very much and often yuzu for cooking. I recommended her that yuzu is also good use for bath time , enjoy its scent of Yuzu.                                              

 

They were impressed that many dogs were riding the cable car.

This season Japanese Banksy’s Origami art is 七五三. The number 753 means children’s festival wishing children’s growing up healthy and cerebrating at their each age.  
In the morning we couldn’t see the direction Tokyo and Yokohama clearly from observation deck  but on the way back It was very clear.

 

For returnning we chose the lift.       The lady who had knees surgery could climb and descend mt.Takao easily.

We surely belive it is Jinpendo’s divine effects gave her the benefits and she achieved it. We enjoyed the hiking very much.

Written by Rie