To the west of Tokyo there is the Mount Takao park, the sacred mountain of the Japanese: to go up you take a very special train
In Tokyo, not far from the busy centre, with its skyscrapers and thousands of neon lights, there is a corner of paradise.
It is Takao Meiji-no-mori Regional Park, better known as Mount takao, west of Tokyo, on the eastern edge of the Kanto mountain range. For the Japanese it is a sacred mountain.
On its top stands the Yakouin Temple, a pilgrimage destination for 1200 years. It was built by Emperor Shomu in the year 744.
Mount Takaosan is also a place where Tokyoites love to go for walks: there are seven different thematic routes that you can follow. He gives the best of himself autunno, when the colors of the foliage (in Japanese, 'koyo') transform it into a painter's canvas. But many Japanese and many tourists also go there in spring when the cherry trees bloom and the park becomes a pink spot visible from the city.
An enchanting place, where you walk along perfectly beaten or asphalted paths, in the midst of nature, occasionally encountering some friendly monkeys and Tengu statues, another symbol of Mount Takao. The Tengu is a mythical figure with an oblong nose, the deified image of a man who learned rigorous ascetic discipline in the mountains and who acquired magical and spiritual power. Where silence reigns: a lung in the city where you can fill up on fresh air and where you can meditate.
But a visit to Mount Takao is also worth the trip for the rack railway that you can take to climb to the top of its 600 meters (many prefer to go up on foot) and which is incredible.
It is the Steepest cogwheel railway in Japan: the maximum slope is 31,18°. The train departs slowly, with its large windows on all four sides offering an incredible panoramic view of the mountain, passing through woods and tunnels. In just 6 minutes you reach the top of the mountain. But to reach it at a certain point the climb becomes very steep. The 135 passengers that the train with just two carriages can accommodate are asked to hold on well so as not to slip from the wooden bench.
The monorail only splits in one point, to allow the train arriving in the opposite direction to pass. The journey is short but it is breathtaking. How breathtaking is the view you can enjoy from the top of Mount Takao once you arrive. You have an overview of Tokyo from above, of Yokohama and the Mount Fuji, especially on clear days.
During the day there are many visitors on the mountain, but in the evening only a few remain to watch over the mountain Monks who live near the temple. During the day it is possible to have lunch in their accommodation and visit their home. This too is an experience within an experience.
Mount Takao can be reached by train with the Keio Line, getting off at the Takaosanguchi stop. It is less than an hour from central Tokyo.
