Report on TENGU tour held on 8 May 2024

 After the Golden Week, we did not see too many visitors to Mt. Takao, which was good for us.

 The weather was OK.  That is, it was mostly cloudy and occasionally sunny.

 So, we were not able to enjoy a clear view of Tokyo including high-rise buildings in Shinjuku, Tokyo Skytree, etc. either from Kasumi-mae Observation Deck on the way or from Kompiradai Observation Deck on the way back.

 Our guests were a trio of students from Singapore who are staying for five (5) days in Tokyo on the way to Seattle, USA where they are scheduled to go through a three-month training program.

 We found that they had planned to spend their 2nd day in Tokyo at Mt. Takao.

In front of Kiyotaki Station

TENGU guides included Nosan-san and myself as a tour leader.  

 We took a cable car leaving Kiyotaki Station around 9:45 and then followed Trail 1 heading for the Yakuo-in Temple.

 

At Takaosan Station

In front of Kasumidai Observation Deck 

 

Guiding on the legendary Octopus Cedar Tree surrounded by a sacred twisted straw rope (Shimenawa)

Touching the statue of Octopus for diving blessings

A display of the artwork by an anonymous local artist to celebrate “Mother’s Day”

 

In front of a Tori-i Gate called “Joshinmon”

Guiding in front of the stone monument declaring “Shooting and fishing are prohibited within the sacred area.”

On the way, we realized the uniqueness of the shoes one of our guests had on which was similar to traditional footwear of Japanese scaffolders and/or gardeners.

 Looks like he was very health-conscious and well-prepared for the hiking at Mt. Takao.

Unique footwear he had on

In front of white stupa at Yuki-en (Joyful Garden)

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

Our guests purifying themselves before praying at the purification basin

Guiding on a pair of Tengu statues

We got to the peak of Mt. Takao around noon where we took a group photo.

At the peak of Mt. Takao

Unfortunately, the female deity of Mt. Fuji was a little too shy yesterday to show her graceful figure in front of us.  

 

Unlucky guys at the peak of Mt. Takao

We had lunch together around the peak of mountain stating around 12:30

At the lunch table around the peak of the mountain

On the way back, we took a different route by following Trail 1 first, switching to Iroha no Mori Trail and then to Trail 4 going through a suspension bridge (Miyamabashi Bridge) and finally back to Trail 1 again.

 

 

On Iroha no Mori Trail

On Suspension Bridge (Miyamabashi Bridge)

Our guests trying “Tengu-yaki”, No. 1 dessert at Mt. Takao 

 On the way back, we walked down via Kompiradai Observation Deck which commands a fine view of Tokyo.

At Kompiradai Observation Deck

We came back to the foot of the mountain around 14:30 and then took a group photo together again in front of the cable car Kiyotaki Station, which was the end of the tour.

 

 In front of Kiyotaki Station

I hope that our guests should have a lot of fun for the rest of their holidays here in Tokyo.  It is understood that they are going to “Odaiba”, an artificial island in Tokyo, today.

Written by Shiro

Dated: 9 May 2024

 

Report on TENGU tour held on 4 May 2024

 

In the middle of Golden Week, there was an enormous crowd at Mt. Takao while it was more or less expected.

 The weather was fantastic while it was a little bit hot and the moisture in the air prevented us from having a clear view of high-rise buildings in Shinjuku, Tokyo Skytree, etc. from Kasumi-mae Observation Deck.

Our guests were a group of nine (9) JICA trainees from various countries, Georgia, Malaysia, Philippines, Rwanda, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vanuatu.

 TENGU team included Nabe-san, Guchi-san, Nao-san, Shin-san, Rie-san and myself as a tour leader with one (1) observer, Omura-san as a potential future member of TENGU. 

At the peak of Mt. Takao

After a kick-off meeting, we started our tour around 10:45 dividing our guests and Tengu members into two (2) groups.

 Group A was led by myself while Group B was led by Nabe-san.  

 It was planned that a different group should take lunch at a different place to mitigate a potential competition for a lunch space around the peak of Mt. Takao.

 Group A took an earlier cable car without spending much time at the foot of the mountain. 

In front of the life-sized statue of Japanese Giant Flying Squirrel

 After we got off the cable car, we just followed the ordinary route of Trail 1 passing by the Monkey Park, the Octopus Cedar Tree, the Joshinmon Gate heading for the Yakuo-in Temple.

In front of Kasumi-mae Observation Deck

 

Touching the statue of Octopus for diving blessings

Guiding in the course of Trail 1

In front of white stupa at Yuki-en (Joyful Garden)

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

Guiding In the grounds of Yakuo-in Temple

Group A got to the peak of Mt. Takao around 13:00.  Fortunately, both Group A and Group B managed to see the graceful figure of Mt. Fuji.

View of Mt. Fuji from the peak of Mt. Takao

Group A had lunch together around the peak of mountain after taking photos of Mt. Fuji.

At the lunch table around the peak of the mountain

Group A and Group B got together again at the peak of Mt. Takao around 14:00. Then, we took a group photo which is shown at the beginning of this blog.

 When descending the mountain, we took a different route by following Trail 1 first, switching to Iroha no Mori Trail and then to Trail 4 going through a suspension bridge (Miyamabashi Bridge) and finally back to Trail 1 again.

 

On Iroha no Mori Trail

At Miyamabashi Bridge

On the way back, we took a chairlift for a change, which is a twelve (12) minute open air journey and should be marginally more exiting for our guests.

 We came back to the foot of the mountain around 15:40 and then took a group photo together again in front of the cable car Kiyotaki Station, which was the end of the tour.

In front of Kiyotaki Station

I believe and hope that our guests fully enjoyed this one day trip to Mt. Takao in the beautiful fresh green leaves.

 Written by Shiro

 Dated: 5 May 2024

Report on TENGU tour held on 26 April 2024

 

The weather was reasonably good and our guest appeared to have fully enjoyed a hiking in the fresh green leaves.

 Our guest was a lady from Singapore and TENGU guides included me and Nosan as a tour leader.

In front of Takaosanguchi Station

She wanted to take a walk on the way and on the way back rather than taking a cable car or a chair lift.

So, I suggested that we might firstly follow Trail 6 switching to Biwataki Falls Trail, where we can see the site for the Shugendo practice of a standing under a waterfall, which was originally done by mountain priests to purify their minds and bodies before their full-scale Shugendo training, and then follow Trail 1 which is the front approach of Yakuo-in Temple. 

 Shugendo refers to the fusion of Buddhism and Shinto, an indigenous religion of Japan based on nature worship.

Biwa-taki Fudo-do located at the southern foot of Mt. Takao

I thought that on that basis our guest should be able to enjoy both the rich nature of Mt. Takao and the unique cultural aspect of Japan going through the precincts of Yakuo-in Temple.

 We started the walking tour around 9:30 am.

Although I thought that my suggestion should be best fitting in with the requirement of our guest while Nosan gave us a warning that Biwataki Falls Trail is one of the steepest routes.

 

Biwataki Falls Trail

His warning turned out to be very true, especially, for me, in the course of following this very steep mountain trail while our guest appeared to have no problem in keeping pace with well-trained Nosan’s steps.

 Consequently, when we reached the merging point of Biwataki Falls Trail and Trail 1, I had been so exhausted while the other two (2) appeared still full of vitality even after overcoming this choke point during the hiking tour.

 I realized that I’m not young any longer and need a daily training as my fellow member of TENGU actually does.  

 Our guest was kind and thoughtful enough to offer her exhausted guide and his fellow a sweet candy.

 After we reached Trail 1, we just followed the ordinary route passing by some of the landmarks at Mt. Takao such as the Monkey Park, the Octopus Cedar Tree, the Joshinmon Gate, etc. heading for the Yakuo-in Temple.

 

                                Touching the statue of Octopus for diving blesssing

                      Artwork by anonymous local artist to celebrate “Children’s Day”

We reached the grounds of Yakuo-in Temple around 11:40 having comfort break.

 Firstly, our guest purified herself by visiting the purification basin and then was guided on a lot of good examples of the fusion of Buddhism and Shinto there.

 

                                          In front of the Main Hall of Yakuo-in Temple

           Taking a picture of Shakunage (Rhododendrons) nearby Izuna Gogendo Hall

Fortunately, we managed to see Mt. Fuji while visibility is a little bit limited.

                                  Mt. Fuji dimly visible from the peak of Mt. Takao

We had lunch together around the peak of mountain after taking photos of the graceful Mt. Fuji.

 

                                 At the lunch table around the peak

On the way back, we took a different route of Trail 4 going through a suspension bridge then back to Trail 1.

                               At the Suspension Bridge (Miyamabashi Bridge)

Via Kompiradai Observation Deck, another place which could command a fine view of Tokyo subject to the weather conditions, we came back to the foot of the mountain around 2:40 p.m. and took a photo together in front of the Kiyotaki Station, which was the end of the tour.

                            In front of the Cable Car Station (Kiyotaki Station)

                                                                                               Written by Shiro

                                                                                       Dated: 27 April 2024

Report on TENGU Tour held on 21 April 2024

 

Irrespective of a more pessimistic weather forecast, eventually, the weather was reasonably OK while the moisture in the air prevented us from enjoying a clear view from the mountain and Mt. Fuji was hiding in the clouds.

 Having said that, otherwise, we were extremely lucky as Sunday, 21 April was the Takao Spring Festival Day in which our guests (and ourselves) were able to enjoy rich nature and a gorgeous festival at the same time.

Our guests were seven (7) Filipino ladies and one (1) Kenyan gentleman both of who have been staying in Japan for a while, three (3) months (Filipino ladies) and 8 years (a Kenyan gentleman), respectively.

TENGU team included Nabe-san, Nosan-san, Rie-san and myself as a tour leader.  

 In addition, two (2) observers joined the tour as potential future TENGU members which made our tour members four-teen (14) people in total.

We took a cable car leaving Kiyotaki Station at 10:00 am after we introduced to each other, then followed Trail 1 via Yuki-en (Joyful Garden) where a photogenic Thai style white stupa is located to the peak of the mountain going through the grounds of Yakuo-in Temple.

 It was an eventful day at Mt. Takao and our guests (and ourselves) witnessed a lot of special events including a procession of children dressed in colorful costume led by a group of mountain priests and a bras band from the cable car Takaosan Station to Yakuo-in Temple, Japanese drum performance, a lion dance (a dance with a lion’s mask), etc.

If we could have more time, we should have been able to watch a mysterious Goma Fire Ritual held in the open air at Yuki-en just twice a year.

Consequently, we spent much longer time than usual before we had lunch together at the peak of the mountain, which was originally scheduled around noon.

 At the lunch table, some of the Filipino ladies asked us about their fortune telling papers some of which say “great fortune”, “good fortune” and others of which say “bad fortune”, etc.  Some were glad and others worried.  

We took a group photo both at the lunch table and the peak of the mountain.

 On the way back, we took a little different route via Iroha no Mori Trail and then Trail 4 which was recently renovated being equipped with more new stair-like wooden steps.  

Looks like our guests enjoyed the suspension bridge on that route taking more photos. 

 

Actually, on the way back, a group of Filipino ladies showed us their singing and dancing performance in front of the holy Joshin-mon tori-i gate.  

 

I’m sure that their future (and similarly the future of Kenyan gentleman who kindly offered some contribution to TENG at the very end of the tour which I declined to accept with thanks) should be greatly blessed by Izuna Daigongen, the religious ruler of Mt. Takao.   

Then, for a change, we took a chair lift from the Sanjo Station to the Sanroku Station, which appeared to be more exciting to our guests.

 We came back to the foot of the mountain around 3:15 p.m. and took a group photo again in front of the Kiyotaki Station, which was the end of the tour.

 

Written by Shiro

Dated: 22 April 2024