Report on TENGU Tour held on 15 March 2026

 

Our guest was a Master’s student from Vietnam majoring in biology at Tokyo Metropolitan University.

TENGU guides included Satomi, Yamada and Shiro as tour leader. Two observers who are prospective future TENGU members also joined the tour.

Obviously, there were a little too many guides from the perspective of our guest.

In fact, we originally planned a guiding training without any guests as we had received no application for the tour in time for the application deadline.

Having said that, I do believe that our guest was not upset to see too many guides partly because we didn’t charge any fees and expenses to him.

The weather was reasonably good during the tour.

So, we were able to see high-rise buildings in Shinjuku and Tokyo Skytree from Sumika-mae Observation Deck while we were not able to see Mt. Fuji from the peak of Mt. Takao.

On the way, we took a cable car leaving Kiyotaki Station around 10:00 am.

Soon after we got off the cable car, we followed Trail 1, the front approach to Yakuo-in Temple, effectively a monastery of mountain priests who practice Shugendo, the fusion of Buddhism and Shinto.

At Kasumidai Observation Deck

We showed our guest various landmarks such as Monkey Park, some 500-year-old Octopus Cedar Tree, Joshin-mon tori-i gate symbolizing the fusion of Shinto and Shingon sect of Buddhism, a photogenic Thai style white stupa in Yuki-en (Joyful Garden), etc

In front of Thai style white stupa

 

Needless to say, we showed our guest a wooden plate mentioning TENGU as a donor to Yakuo-in Temple to demonstrate our loyalty to Mt. Takao. 

In front of a wooden plate mentioning TENGU as a donor to Yakuo-in Temple

 

When we went into the grounds of Yakuo-in Temple going through Shitenno-mon (the Gate of Four Heavenly Kings), it was around 11:30 am.

In front of Shitenno-mon (the Gate of Four Heavenly Kings)

 

After purifying ourselves at the purification basin, we took a group photo in front of a pair of Tengu statues.

In front of a pair of Tengu statues

 

In the grounds of Yakuo-in Temple, our guest drew an omikuji (fortune slip).

Generally, Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines tend to minimize the share of great misfortune and bad fortune by reducing them down to 5% or less to be more friendly to visitors.

Having said that, unfortunately, his fortune said “bad fortune“.

We cheered him up by saying that in a sense his fortune is within the top 5%? of all the fortunes and/or his fortune would surely become better in the future and otherwise.

Further, we suggested, irrespective of 'Don't leave any garbage behind campaign' in Mt. Takao, that he should leave it behind by tying his fortune slip to a designed wire in the grounds of Yakuo-in Temple to keep his bad fortune away.

We got to the peak of the mountain around 12:30 pm.

 As more or less expected, due to the bad fortune of our guest or otherwise, our guest and we were not able to see a graceful figure of Mt. Fuji from the peak of the mountain.

Having said that, our fortune turned out better when we tried to find a lunch table. 

In fact, a group of school students kindly let us use one of the tables they had already occupied.

At the lunch table

 

We had a good time over lunch and happened to find that our guest is studying insects, especially, bees.

At the peak of the mountain

 

After taking another group photo at the peak of the mountain, we left there around 1:30 pm via Trail 4 going through a suspension bridge.

 

Coming down Trail 4

Crossing Miyama-bashi bridge

 

After coming back to the mountain base taking a chairlift, we took the final group photo in front of to cable car Kiyotaki Station around 2:30 pm, which was the end of the tour.

In front of Kiyotaki Station

 

Written by Shiro

Dated: 21 March 2026

DEC.２９.2025. private tour

 

It was wonderful winter weather, but a bit chilly.  We welcomed a couple from Hawaii as our guest. They were a young, energetic couple.  After discussion we decided to take trail No.1 to way up. Nosan and Rico enjoyed hiking with them.

Under the one of the 36 child guardian deities statue on the Trail No.1

They are watching and protecting us on our journey up the mountain.

They listened attentively what we said. This is the their second visit to Japan since last summer. But first time to Mount Takao.

In front of the Joshinmon Gate. 

This is the first gate to the sacred area.

In front of Octopus Cider Tree

After climing 108 stairs up, we reached the gate of getting out of sufferings.  When we go through this gate, It is said our suffering will be eliminated.

 

In front of the gate of getting out of sufferings

They seemed interested in the tengu geta ema which people write down their wishes or dreams on geta shaped wooden plaques. They bought three or four ones for their family who want to be a good walker.

 

Taking a picture of a group of priests heading to the Goma fire ritual

We saw Mount Fuji from top of Mount Takao and had lunch watching it on Momiji-dai.

Mount Fuji with snow

After lunch we took Trail No.4 heading to the suspention bridge.  Then we went down Biwataki route and Trail No.6

 

On the suspension bridge

6-hour trip has completed at 3:30 pm.

 

At Kiyotaki station

Written by Rico

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