2015年12月22日火曜日

With Japanese guests

On December 20th, Sunday, we hold guided tour with three Japanese guests, using English mainly, but Japanese language on complicated matters.
                             
At lunch time, one of our member did picture-story show which was based on the 109th tale of Tsurezure-gusa written by Kenko-Yoshida around 700 years ago. It says "Failure might happen when you feel at ease." Accordingly we are very careful not to stumble, strike our foot something like rock on going down.
(Comson)

Red & Yellow leaves of Late Autumn

As you know Japan has four distinct seasons as Winter Spring Summer and Autumn.
On December 5th, we were able to enjoy red and yellow leaves of Mt. Takao.
                     
On hiking tour of this day, we guided 8 foreign guests in the remaining of Autumn tree leaves.
                  
In the balmy Autumn weather, a shy Mt. Fuji was also seen from the summit of Mt. Takao.
We are lucky!
                    
(Comson)

2015年11月20日金曜日

Work together with TV station

Last night’s rain had stopped and it was a little cloudy, today.
I headed for Mt. Takao with a nervous feeling.
TENGU got to work together with some TV station to make a drama for English education for students, and today was a shooting day.







My role was an English guide who introduced Mt. Takao to an American student and his friends. The shooting was done at an open space in front of Kiyotaki station and a place with benches on the Trail no-1. Casts, other than me, were all professionals and native speakers. However they were practicing their lines over and over again before the shooting. Seeing them made me more nervous. There were a camera for shooting, a big microphone and a reflecting plate. They were just the same as what I saw on TV!



Only remembering my lines and speaking them correctly was enough for me. On top of that, I had to follow a lot of directions such as “stop here” “look at trees” or “pronounce this English in this way”  Doing those things at the same time was truly hard. But everything was so interesting and exciting.




After the shooting we were treated to lunch at a soba noodle restaurant.  It was a kind of the event of my life and I thank TENGU for bringing me such an opportunity. I hope more people get to know our activity through this event.

By Nancy Nov.19

2015年11月10日火曜日

Momiji Festival has started! Mt. Takao Tour for JICA on November 7th, 2015


It was a little too early for Momijigari (Maple Viewing) but we were able to observe some autumn leaves during our tour and there was no doubt that it was a perfect autumn day for our tour.
Staffs of Momiji Matsuri

There were 7 guests from JICA (3 from Egypt, 2 from Iran, 1 from Vietnam, and 1 from China) and 11 TENGU members joining the tour.

November is the month of "Momiji Matsuri" (Maple Festival) .  Every weekend of November, you can enjoy various live performances such as "Taisho Koto" (Japanese harp) and Japanese traditional drums at the stage by Kiyotaki Station.   In addition to it, there are two booths set up near Takaosan Station.  One booth is for "Tokyo Kokeshi" (Japanese traditional wooden dolls) that you can observe amazing skills of Kokeshi master and the other is for  "Sake Brewer" that you can buy a cup of Japanese Sake brewed in Hachioji area.

While waiting for the cable car at Kiyotaki Station, staffs of Momiji Festival handed out a bag that have giant flying squirrel illustrations printed along with a soda candy manufactured by Sakumaseika Co., Ltd.  One of the staffs told us that Sakumaseika has a candy factory in Hachiouji City.   Sakumaseika is famous for a canned candies called "Sakumashiki Drops" (Sakuma style candies) which has been loved by Japanese people since its release in 1913.




As expected, there were many people visiting Mt. Takao to enjoy its rich nature and a long queue for a chair lift and cable car.  Overall our our tour progressed slower than usual due to the crowd.  However, we were able to guide some points that our guests enjoyed and go down the mountain without any serious incidents.

Our regular November tour will be held on November 15, 2015.  If you are interested in joining us, please e-mail us with your name, number of persons joining the tour, e-mail address and cell phone number.

If you would like to join our tour for other date, please e-mail us with the date you would like to visit Mt. Takao along with the information above.  We will check our members' availability and get back to you.





Momiji Festival Information 

Momiji Festival schedule for performances and booths. (Japanese only)
(By Cat)

2015年10月27日火曜日

Our monthly tour will be held on Sunday, November 15, 2016.

Our monthly tour will be held on Sunday, November 15, 2016.

The tour start at 9:30 am.  In this tour, we will descend via Inariyama trail instead of a chair  lift.  It will be a little bit challenging but it will be fun to watch the autumn leaves in Mt. Takao.

Check our flyers for further information and make your reservation via entry form or an e-mail (tengu.guide at gmail.com) us with your name, number of persons joining the tour, and your contact information (eg your e-mail address and cell phone number).

We are looking forward to seeing you!

(by Cat)

2015年10月21日水曜日

Tengu Tour on Oct18th

On Sunday October 18th, our club’s monthly meeting.

It’s a beautiful day that day but unfortunately, we got no reservation of foreign tourists, so we had practice for guiding and studied about Mt.Takao. We practiced guiding phrases of several points with a little shy because there were many tourists there.


However, they were very valuable experiences for me. What is more, we exchanged new knowledge each other, such as flowers, trees, legend, history, literature, and international situation.


In addition, the place where we had lunch was a little-known spot and not crowded.
Miya, today’s leader performed picture-story after lunch as usual.

                                                                                   (by kimie)

2015年10月14日水曜日

E-mail from a family, Texas USA



We had a wonderful hike with TENGU! The friendly group of volunteers made sure we had a great experience on Takao san, from start to finish. We were lucky enough to be in Tokyo during the monthly guided hike, which was a good break from the hustle and bustle of busy Tokyo. 
















At the beginning of the hike, we were treated to historical facts and explanations of our surroundings. Hiking under a cascade of delicate green maple leaves was like a dream come true.  We played a game of scavenger hunt BINGO, which was a fun way to learn about some of the flora, fauna and sculptural features of Takao san. When we made it to the peak, we enjoyed our lunch in a shady spot, had story time and sang a song honoring Usagi(hare) in the autumn moon. 







We chose route #6 on the way down, which followed a stream. Our family's hiking experience varies from expert to novice, but we were all able to make it down safely. And now, we have incomparable happy memories of Takao san; thanks to TENGU! Thank you so much for guiding us. We would not have had as much fun without you. You are the best!
To all our Takao san hiking friends "Konnichiwa". 




Regards, 
Margaret C. & family
Texas, USA

2015年10月13日火曜日

Visitors from California U.S.A

 On Oct. 7th we held Mt. Takao tour inviting three Americans and five Japanese. Through the tour we communicated using English mainly, then Japanese language occasionally. All of them were first time to come to Mt. Takao and first time to visit Japan for three Americans. They came from Livemore city of California located near SanFrancisco.



 One of our member's had been in SanFrancisco before, so the conversations became animated.
The weather is fine, not so hot nor cold, suitable for hiking though Mt. Fuji was not seen from the summit because of cloudy sky.



 After tour we visited 599Museum which is located at the foot of mountain, one of Americans did not come back from the rest-room.
 I was wondering something serious might happen to him. At last he came appeared and said. "I struggled desperately which button to push or pull which crank to flush water. Though Japanese high-Tech toilets were amazing."



High-Tech Japanese toilets are awesome.
(By Comson)

2015年10月9日金曜日

Highlights for the Tour of Oct 3rd: The Trumpet shell

  Our group started the tour with Shirley's sweeping boy story.  A statue of apprentice priest is a symbol of Mt. Takao's important rule, "No littering".





    The highlights of our tour was the procession of priests.  We were blessed to have an opportunity to observe the recession of priests from the main hall after the Goma rituals of 11:00 AM.  It is a solemn procession with the sounds of a trumpet shells played by priests.  At the end of procession, one of our guests asked priests to take a picture with him.  Priests willingly complied with his request and surprisingly they even offered him to hold the trumpet shell.




   The trumpet shell is the one of 12 important tools for Shugendo that is widely practiced by Japanese priests and people including priests of Yakuoin Temple at Mt. Takao.  The sounds of the trumpet shell is often called as "獅子吼"(Shishiku) which means a lion's roar.  As a lion is the king of all beasts and its roar has a control over other livings, it is often compared to Buddha's preaching.  Many people know that priests and people practice Shugendo use a trumpet shell to communicate with others during their disciplining at the mountain as you can hear its sounds from distance.  In addition, to play a trumpet shell means a prayer as it is believed to have a power to call gods and protect from the evils.  




   The priest gave us a blessing by playing a trumpet shell.  Our guests and TENGU's members enjoyed its sounds very much. It was a heartwarming moment for all of us.  We really appreciate priests at Yakuoin Temple for their kind hospitality and taking their time. 

Thank you for our leader Sumo san for scheduling that allowed us to observe the procession.

  Goma rituals at Yakuoin Temple is performed 5 times a day, 9:30, 11:00, 12:30, 2:00 and 3:30.  


(By Cat)
  

2015年10月4日日曜日

Activity Report of Oct. 3 Tour

 Weather: quite fine day in the nice Autumn season.
 Participants .the visitors in total 9 persons from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Vietnam. (Tengu-Members 12 persons)
 Divided to two groups: A-4 persons from Indonesia, B-5 persons from others

A group left for up at 10:00 and B group at 10:07 by the cable car. The view from the observation deck was fairly good with a little cloudy sky near the sea coast .The trail No.1 was crowded with many hiking visitors today also.


 


The visitor from Pakistan mentioned in front of the Monkey Park that there are many kinds of animals in their country , not only the monkeys but tigers, other animals and lots of snakes The elephants are only in the zoo !
All of us walked up through 108 steps and went up to the new gate to the Stupa. Buddha’s whole life from the birth after the death was explained in front of the wall relief together with Izuna Deity Statue. But they were sad during the explanation of the Stone Monument of the East Japan Tsunami disaster, asking the toys on the monument belonging to the victims.
They were interested in the hexagonal stone wheel(Ishiguruma) and rotated it saying” Zange!, Zange!” (confession).
During the walk in the Temple and Shrine, the well prepared and polite explanations were surely impressed much to the visitors.
We reached to the top of the mountain at 12:05 and made a lot of photos for the memory there including the view of Mt. Fuji, partly appeared the shape over the cloud sky.



 


 Lunch: 12:30-13:30 . 4 tables near the top as before. After the lunch the picture paper show was presented as usual and also impressed them.
 Return: walked down through the trail No.4 (through the suspension bridge) until the Chair Lift Station..Not so crowded at the Chair Lift area.
 Arrival at the Station at 14:30. No accident at all. Photos of all together.

 


by Miguel