2019年12月26日木曜日

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 

2019年12月17日火曜日

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)

2019年12月9日月曜日

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)

2019年12月6日金曜日

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)

2019年12月2日月曜日

2019.11.29 TENGU private tour


It was the coldest morning in this season, but it meant the nicest weather for enjoying autumn leaves in Mt.Takao. 
We had three couples of guests from Singapore and Malaysia.  
We met at Takaosanguchi station at 9:30 and introduced each other and started the tour. 
Arriving at Takao-san cable car station, we enjoyed great view of Tokyo from Beer mount observatory.  Skyscrapers in Shinjuku and Tokyo Skytree were seen clearly.
In the Monkey house, beautiful autumn leaves of maple trees welcomed our guests.

Then we looked around many colored tree leaves at several spots.
At the main hall of Yakuo-in, our guests worshiped and made wishes sincerely.
Then we went up to the top of the mountain, and had lunch. Also Mt.Fuji showed us it’s white and lovely shape.
 




We took Fuji trail to return, which was easier to walk. 
The tour went through in the friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
Finally we came back to Takaosanguchi station and ended the tour around 4 pm. 
Guided by Nosan, Ryo and written by Tack

2019年12月1日日曜日

TENGU Private Tour


Having friendly well-matched couple from Vancouver Canada our tour was held on Friday 29  November. Under the blue and bright sky with chill we expected an enjoyable day, and we took the trail toward Biwa Falls according to the request of our guests who were trekking enthusiasts.

After arrival at the view point our guests could recognize Shinjuku skyscrapers. They were concerned about Octopus (“Tako” in Japanese) Cedar Tree and told us that keeping good shape of natural forest was very important but difficult thing for us. It was quite impressive.


We visited Relics stupa in the midst of autumn foliage, and autumn colored maple leaves near Four Devas Gate were so beautiful too.
   

We reached at the summit and found an open space under the sunshine for our lunch.

Although the autumn foliage was at its best there were not so many visitors around the signpost. By cold weather, we could see Mt. Fuji thickly snowed the night before.


My good company and I enjoyed throughly with such a nice couple, and hoped that they would taste “Tako”-yaki originated in Osaka of Kansai Region where was their last destination in Japan.

(Nobby)


2019.11.25 TENGU private tour


Though it rained the previous day around Mt.Takao, it was unbelievably nice weather this day. We welcomed one young lady from Singapore. 

We met at Takaosanguchi station at 9:10 and introduced each other. Then we talked about the sweeper boy and flying squirrel at the foot of mountain and took the cable car to the middle.  

We guided through the trail #1 to Yakuo-in temple, talking about Octopus cedar tree, rich nature of mountain, 108 human desperation in Buddhism, Izuna-Daigonngen. 

At the main hall of Yakuo-in, we talked about Buddhism and Shintoism in Japan.

Then we went up to the top of the mountain, took a photo together and had lunch.
Mt.Fuji was seen with some cloud on the top. 
We took trail #4 and walked through the quiet forest. We chose chair lift to return. 
At the lift station we enjoyed gorgeous autumn leaves like the photo above.
Finally we visited 599 museum and watched a projection mapping.
The tour went through in the friendly and relaxed atmosphere.


Guided by Michi and written by Tack.

2019年11月20日水曜日

TENGU November Regular Tour


Having two guests from Philippine and India our tour was held on 17 November. The area in front of the station was crowded with many arriving travelers as expected: the day satisfied all three conditions like Sunday, good weather and autumn foliage season.
We took the trail No.6 along a mountain stream toward Biwa Falls and then made an ascent of Biwataki Falls Road. After a little hardship we could see Tokyo Skytree from the nearby scenic point. There were a lot of visitors who looked like fun on the approach to Yakuoin Temple.

Biwa Falls
Joshinmon Gate
 We visited Relics stupa where leaves started turning red, and we had lunch under a beautiful foliage of maple trees.
At Yukien with guests
Maple tree


In the precinct of the temple our guests showed a great interest in Japanese spiritual enlightenment: span the stone ring, purified their hands and washed small changes etc.
Stone ring
Hand-wash basin
 
Washing money
Since the season of autumn leaves just started visitors to Mt. Takao would be able to enjoy the colorful and beautiful nature from now on.
By good luck, we were successful to have a view of Mt. Fuji, and then made a descent through the trail No.4 and No.1 to reach another view point where we could see the yellow-colored ginkgo tree line of Hachioji City.
Mt. Fuji
Ginkgo tree line
How wonderful day with our guests and observers it was.
(Nobby)