JICA tour on February 1st.

Cold but surprisingly very clear weather welcomed 15 guests from JICA. Their country of origin varies 11 countries (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Columbia, Congo, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar).  

For some reason, arrival of some guests delayed, so while waiting for their arrival, we talked about design of Takaosanguchi station which was designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. Kengo Kuma is the designer of new national stadium renovated for 2020 Tokyo Olympic game. More likely, his name will be popular, and we expect to have many guests as well in this summer.

After successfully meeting with all the guests, we started our tour around 10AM.Firstly, we got on the cable car to go halfway up the mountain, then enjoyed very clear view from Kasumi-dai. It was surprisingly clear view. We could recognize not only for Tokyo sky tree and cluster of buildings of Shinjuku, but also from Yokohama Landmark tower, Yokohama Bay Bridge to Enoshima Island and Pacific Ocean.

From Kasumi-dai, we walked on the Trail No. 1 talking about vegetation, main gates, historical halls and statues along the trail, then arrived at the top of the mountain around noon. Again, it was unusually clear view, all the guests got excited by the beautiful Mt. Fuji covered with snow. 

Near the top of the mountain, we took lunch then enjoyed an attraction prepared by Hide, one of the guides from TEGNU.  The attraction was quiz about Japanized English. All the guests excited with the game, and the winner got awarded 100M yen.

After the lunch break, we started going down the mountain through Trail No.4, then took the chair lift and ended our tour safely around 2:45pm at the foot of the mountain.

Thanks to all the guests from JICA, we hope they will enjoy the rest of their stay in Japan, and safe trip back to their home country.



By Shin

The tour on the 20th January, 2020

The party today is three of us, a young lady guest from Malaysia and us, 2 old guides. You can say Beauty and Beasts.

As she was to come rather far, from Saitama prefecture, we had agreed to start the tour at 10:30 am instead of usual 9:30am.

Though we had been a bit worried about the condition of the mountain because of the snowfall on the previous Saturday, the weather was perfect with blue sky and sunshine and the staff of the information center by Takaosanguchi station told us that there was no problem except that somepart of the mountain trail could be slippery due to the remaining snow.

We took cable car up and walked via Trail No.1 to Yakuoin temple, visiting many points of interest on the way. 

Then we arrived at the summit, where we could see shy Mt. Fuji above the cloud.

Because it was a week day, the summit was not so crowded and we could sit at the table there for lunch, which was a rather rare experience for us guides even on a week day.

Then we took Trail No.4 where there was remaining snow here and there, making it necessary for us to walk carefully. Passing the so called “love-love tree” and crossing the popular suspension bridge, we returned to Trail No.1.

We climbed down by the chair lift, enjoying the fresh breeze and the panoramic view down below.

We arrived back at the foot of the mountain, fully refreshed.

We thank the guest and Mt.Takao for making us old guides feel younger.

Written by Nori.

TENGU Private Tour

Our first guest in 2020 was an English gentleman and the tour was held on 7 January. As it was just after the New Year holiday, there were still decorations for the New Year here and there. We took the trail toward Biw Falls and ascended the steep slope.

The approach to Yakuoin Temple was quiet and there were few people in front of Octopus Cedar Tree.

There was the merry atmosphere of the New Year near Nio-mon and Izuna Gongen-do; our guest seemed to be interested in the various statues like Crow Tengu, Long-nosed Tengu etc.

We took a break for lunch at the uncrowded summit and made a descent through the suspension bridge.

It was cold enough but no rain in spite of the not optimistic weather forecast, so we could have an enjoyable time with our guest. The autumn foliage will welcome you again.



(Nobby)

Tour on Dec.21, 2019

Today’s guests are 11 Indian people (from 3 families), 2 of them are currently living in Japan and the rest in U.S.A. They are close friends each other and those who reside in U.S.A. are visiting those in Japan for holiday.

As they wanted to climb up on foot, rather than taking the cable car, we started the tour via trail no.1, a front approach to Yakuoin Temple.

Though it was a cold cloudy winter day, we felt warm or even hot, walking the steepest part of the trail, with someone taking off his coat or out of breath

After we passed the hardest part of the trail, they regained their strength and, walking leisurely, could enjoy the quiet winter scenery around.

Through the Josinmon Gate, we kept going up to the top of the mountain, visiting Yukien garden, Yakuoin temple etc. on the way.

Do you know there are many spots at Mt.Takao, other than Yakuoin temple, where you can get Devine help? For example, you can get rid of 108 worldly sins and desires that in Buddhism, every human is supposed to have, by going up the particular 108 stone steps.

Also there is a gate, by going through which, you are to be liberated from sufferings.

So come to Mt.Takao and be happy!

When we had lunch near the top, Tim san, one of our guides, proposed to all to sing together a Japanese children’s song (a song describing a child waiting eagerly for a new year), which every Japanese has sung in his/her childhood.

Tim san had prepared the score and the words of the song for the guests and with him as a conductor and a main vocal, we, including all guests sang the song in a big big chorus.

As we sang so merrily, hikers at the neighboring tables joined us and we sang all together even more merrily, that was a high light of the tour. Thank you, Tim san, we all enjoyed.

The climate was rather cold but the tour had been going on in a warm and friendly mood from the start to the end.

We thank you all for making the tour a happy and enjoyable one.

Written by Nori 

TENGU December Regular Tour

Hello! Everyone, I’m Nancy. On our regular tour of this month, I was with Ryo who is one of the experienced guides of our club, and our guest was a guy from Italy. He studies insects at Tokyo Metropolitan University.

Autumn leaves in Mt. Takao were at the end of their peak but the air was so clear that we could enjoy beautiful scenery everywhere.

Our guest is a specialist of cave spiders (Have you heard of that spiders? It’s the first time for me), and he said that he was interested in Japanese culture and history, so we recommended him to walk on the trail No 1 with a Buddhist temple.

Scenery from Kompiradai was so wonderful, being able to look over to far Shinjuku, Tokyo Skytree and so on. In addition to that, what a view of Mt. Fuji from the top! The beauty of a snow-white mountain in a blue sky was breathtaking. Everybody there was wowed by that.

After lunch we walked down on the trail No.4 and the trail Biwataki. It was a rough rocky course but the guest was a really good walker and so was Ryo, I had to walk harder to catch up with them.

On the way of Biwataki, there are two small shrines in the stone caves called Iwayadaishi.  As a cave spiders’ researcher, he would never missed caves. Naturally, he said us “Can I see them?” Unfortunately, he couldn’t find any spiders, so we took him to 599 Museum at the end of the tour. There are no spiders but are beautiful Takao’s plants, animals and insects displayed in crystal glass. He looked at them one by one closely.

I hoped he found it interesting and would come back sometime in a warmer season. Spiders will be more active around that time.



 (Nancy)

TENGU JICA TOUR

It was a severe cold morning with cloudy sky, so our meeting place was unusually not crowded with many people in spite of the late autumn leaves season. We met two young ladies from Myanmar who wore warm clothing to the cold weather. One of our guides explainged them about the famous enka singer so-called Sabu-chan who was a resident of Hachioji (“Eight Princes”) City before riding on the cable car and the history of the city after arrival at the mountain station.

The autumn foliage was nearing the last stage but our guests enjoyed the beautiful color turned yellow, orange and red. They were also very concerned about Japanese culture and tried to experience something: purifying manner before praying, finding a lot of good-luck charm for various purposes etc.

We made ascent visiting interesting places and reached the summit, and we could see snow-covered Mt. Fuji from the observatory contrary to our expectation at the bottom of Mt. Takao. Our guests were certainly so pleased.

We, too, enjoyed the cold weather walking on Mt. Takao with wonderful guests.



(Nobby)

Tour of 6th Dec.2019

Still brilliant maples quite a few and some other trees putting showy colored leaves, walking on a relatively quiet route during this busiest season of the year, an unexpected clear view of Mt. Fuji in a totally gray sky, finding a miraculously vacant table for lunch under an elegantly stretching branch of maple tree!

With these, there would be very few still complaining about having no blue sky.

Of course, today’s guests, two ladies from Malaysia weren’t exceptions.

They could enjoy these divine gifts by taking the following route.

Takaosanguchi sta. – Biwa waterfall – Biwataki Trail – Kasumidai( same level of the upper cable car station) – Trail No.1 – Summit – Trail No.4 – Chairlift station.

 Last of all I should write here is also unexpected one for us.

They were fully prepared for this day. Besides suitable wear and shoes or walking stocks, they also carry scarfs and gloves never needed in their warm home country.

                                                                  (By Sumo)