Report on Tengu tour held on 3 May 2025

 It was the perfect day for a mountain hike. The weather was nice and Mt Takao was covered with beautiful fresh green leaves.

At this tour we had seven guests from all over the world , such as the Philippines, Tunisian, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Morocco, Nigeria. They are masters enrolled in various universities of Japan.

We met our guests in front of the Takao-sanguchi station a little after 9 o’clock.
The day was just in the middle of the “Golden Week”. There were already a large number of climbers there.
After greeting each other, Nori as today’s tour leader gave them some information and we got started the tour. We believe that early start makes the tour successful when congestion is expected. 

Get off the cable car

 Fortunately we were able to get on the cable car without waiting time. Very lucky!

Then we took the trail No. 1 and headed to the summit. On the way we guided several points as usual.

                                    

      

 At the Octopus Cider

 

At the Jo-shin Gate

 

On the steps of the Men’s Slope

 

In front of the Wooden Planks of the Donors ’ Names

 

In the precinct of Yakuo-in Temple

Around noon, we reached the top of the mountain as planned. There were full of people on the summit.  Though Mt Fuji appeared only its upper half, guests enjoyed its view.

Luckily again, we were able to get 2 tables for lunch in our favorite place.

During the lunch, we enjoyed chatting. It is always enjoyable to talk with foreign guests.

 

lunch time

After lunch, we took a group photo on the summit. 

On our return, we chose Trail No.4 which is a mountain way on the northern side. It has a suspension bridge, Miyama bridge, that is very popular among visitors.

On the Miyama bridge 

When we reached the chairlift station, a lot of people were waiting for their turn.

Though we had to wait for about 20 minutes, it wasn’t so bad.

Riding on the chairlifts sometimes gives us a little bit scary feeling. But we enjoyed this thrilling experience and seeing the great view from the chairlift. 

At the Kiyotaki station, we took another group photo and the tour was over.

It was about 2:30pm as scheduled.

 

In front of the cable car station

Hope every guests had a good time and happy memories of Mt Takao tour. 

It was a great pleasure for us to share the time with you.

Come back again anytime and bring your friends or family next time!

We are looking forward to seeing you again!

Written by Sally

6 May 2025 

Report on TENGU Tour held on 20 April 2025

 

Our guests were a quartet from Philippines (i.e., one (1) lady and three (3) gentlemen) who appear to be co-workers at the office of a Japanese company in Manila.

In front of Takaosanguchi Station

TENGU guides included Rie and Shiro (myself) as tour leader. On the way, we took a chairlift around 10 am and then followed Trail 1 which is the front approach to Yakuo-in Temple, the main religious structure located halfway up the mountain.

 

At Chairlift Sanjo Station

 

Although the weather was reasonably good, we were not able to have a clear view of either high-rise buildings in Shinjuku, Tokyo Skytree, etc. from Sumika-mae Observation Deck, the Pacific Ocean from Kasumidai Observation Deck or the graceful figure of Mt. Fuji from the peak of Mt. Takao.

 

At Chairlift Sanjo Station

 Having said that, otherwise, our guests were very lucky in that 20 April 2025 is the 3^rd Sunday of April which falls on the Spring Festival of Yakuo-in Temple.

Accordingly, it was a very eventful day at Mt. Takao.

Luckily, on the way, we had opportunities to take photos with some of the mountain priests and one of the lion dancers.  In fact, the lion dancer was one of our guide fellows of TENGU.

With some of the mountain priests in front of 11-chome Tea House

At Kasumidai Observation Deck with one of the lion dancers who are just ready to perform

 

We guided our guests stopping at usual landmarks including Tako Sugi (Octopus Cedar Tree), Joshin-mon tri-i gate (Gate of Purified Heart) moving on to Otoko-zaka (Slope for Men).

Touching the statue of Lucky Octopus for diving blessings

In front of Joshin-mon tri-i gate

Just after choosing the more challenging Otoko-zaka

 

Although we are aware that at Yuki-en (Joyful Garden), where there is a photogenic white Thai style stupa, the outdoor Goma Fire Ritual was scheduled for the afternoon, our time schedule did not allow us to stay there until the ritual performance unfortunately.

 

At Yuki-en (Joyful Garden) with the Thai-style white stupa as the background

 

Outdoor Goma Fire Ritual held from 1 pm at Yuki-en which we failed to see

 

Just after leaving Yuki-en, we saw the procession of mountain priests, well-dressed children, supporters of Yakuo-in Temple, some of the local Boy Scout members, a trio of lion dancers one of who was one of our guide fellows, which was very much impressive.

A procession of mountain priests

 

Taiko drumming, which is an essential element of Japanese festivals, played in the open space close to Shitenno-mon (the Gate of Four Heavenly Kings) was also great and really impressive.

 

Taiko Drumming performance 

In front of Shitenno-mon (Gate of Four (4) Heavenly Kings)

Guests trying to multiply their coins by washing them in the divine water with the help of Eight Dragon Kings

In front of Nio-mon Gate (Gate of Two (2) Heavenly Kings)

 

In front of the main hall of Yakuo-in Temple one of our guests asked me an interesting question looking at the Head Priest escorted by a pair of well-dressed children in the procession.

 He was very curious about the identity of those children.

When I responded to him that they would probably be children of some of the ordinary citizens or supporters of Yakuo-in Temple who applied for the participation in the procession.

 It turned out that he suspected that some of the monks of Yakuo-in Temple might be their father(s). Could anyone give us the truth?

Head Priest of Yakuo-in Temple escorted by a pair of well-dressed children

With the lion dancer who just finished his job

 At Izuna Gongen-do Hall

 

After we spent some time in the grounds of Yakuo-in Temple, we got to the peak of the mountain where we had lunch much later than usual at 1 pm.

 Although the peak of Mt. Takao was still very much crowded, partly thanks to a little late lunch time we managed to find one (1) lunch table enough for six (6) people, which was good.

 After having lunch, we took group photos at the peak of Mt. Takao and left there around 2 pm. 

 

At the peak of Mt. Takao

 

On the way back, we followed a different route going through the suspension bridge on Trail 4.

At the suspension bridge

 

Although we originally planned to take a cable car on the way back for a change, we found that our guests wanted to take a more exciting chairlift again.

 Taking a chairlift again

We came back to the foot of the mountain around 3 pm and then took the group photos involving our other guide fellows in front of the cable car Kiyotaki Station, which was the end of the tour.

In front of Kiyotaki Station

 

Dated:  21 April 2025

Written by Shiro

 

Private tour on April 11th, 2025

 Our guests for the day were a group of three women from Singapore and one gentleman working in Tokyo originally from Shanghai, China.

The TENGU guides included myself (Masa) and Shiro-san as tour leader.

The weather was slightly cloudy throughout the day.

On the way, we explained to our guests that Mt. Takao is blessed with the rich biodiversity represented by some 1,600 kinds of flowering plants partly because it’s located around the border between the two different forest zones (i.e., the warm-temperate forest zone and the cool-temperate zone). Our guests showed great curiosity and asked many thoughtful questions during the tour.

After getting off the lift

Unfortunately, the visibility was limited due to haze, we were not be able to see the skyscrapers of Shinjuku and Tokyo Skytree clearly from the observation deck in front of Mt. Takao Sumika, a popular stop for shopping, dining, etc.

At the Sumika observation deck

One of the highlights of the tour was our visit to Yuki-en, where guests learned about the Japanese earthquake-resistant technology in relation to a five-storied pagoda (i.e., a Japanese version of stupa)  and the site’s deep Asian and international connections, particularly through the history of the Stupa.

At Yuki-en 

After passing through the Shitenno-mon Gate, we arrived at Yakuo-in Temple, a place that beautifully embodies the fusion of Buddhism and Shinto — the indigenous religion of Japan. The temple showcases the depth and uniqueness of Japanese religious culture.

In front of Shitenno-mon Gate

Looks like our guests were attracted by the contrast between the vibrant red tori-i gate and the pale pink cherry blossoms. We hope our guests have enjoyed this beautiful and memorable season.

At the tori-i gate in front of Izuna Gongendo Hall

Thankfully, there were still several cherry trees in bloom near the summit. Guests enthusiastically took photos with their smartphones, capturing moments.

At the summit of Mt. Takao

Along trail No. 4, near the popular suspension bridge, the guests showed interest in spotting signs of local wildlife, adding another layer of excitement to the hike.

After descending the mountain, we wrapped up our tour with a late lunch of soba noodles at Takahashiya, one of the most popular local soba noodle restaurants. While enjoying their tempura soba, the guests commented that Japanese condiments, such as chili peppers, were milder compared to those from their home countries.

The tour ended at 4:00 p.m. Fortunately, the weather was OK throughout the day. We hope our guests continue to enjoy the rest of their stay in Japan.

Dated: 11 April 2025

Written by Masa