Private tour on May 11th, 2026.

 

Today we were blessed with unbelievably beautiful weather and crystal-clear skies — perfect for a hike on Mount Takao with a wonderful couple visiting from Connecticut, USA.

 They arrived even before our meeting time, and since it was a weekday, the mountain was pleasantly quieter than usual. After picking up lunch and drinks at the Seven-Eleven kiosk near Takaosanguchi Station, we started our adventure right away.

　(at the cable car station)

 

We took the cable car up the mountain and stopped at the Kasumidai Observation Deck, Monkey Park, the famous Octopus Cedar, and Joshinmon Gate before continuing along the Otokozaka.

(peaceful mountain trail)

(at the otokozaka)

 

Since they had already visited the Tokyo Imperial Palace and Meiji Shrine earlier in their trip, they already had some basic knowledge of Shinto. That allowed us to have some enjoyable conversations along the trail about the differences between Shinto and Buddhism. One highlight for them seemed to be the goma fire ritual inside Takao-san Yakuo-in, which they watched with great interest.

(at Four Heavenly King Gate)

(in front of the Gongendo Hall)

 

At the summit, we saw a few groups of elementary school students on school excursions, but overall, the mountain felt surprisingly uncrowded for Takao.

 

(at the summit)

Unfortunately, Mount Fuji remained hidden behind the clouds today, but we still enjoyed lunch at my usual “secret spot.”

(at the secret spot for lunch)

 

For the way down, we took Trail No. 4 and crossed the suspension bridge. Everything worked out perfectly — no waiting time for the chairlift, smooth hiking conditions all day, and we even finished the tour about an hour earlier than planned.

(at the suspension bridge)

(at the cable car station)

 

It was their first trip to Japan, and they told me they’ll be spending about two weeks traveling around the country after Tokyo, visiting places such as Hakone, Kyoto, and Hiroshima. I’m truly grateful they chose Mount Takao as part of their Japan journey.

 Wishing them a wonderful, safe, and memorable adventure for the rest of their time in Japan!

 

By Shin