Mt Takao

 You will think all we do on the weekend is hike - and actually that is somewhat true! Both Kimball and I enjoy the great outdoors and walking/hiking, but also we are not allowed (military base COVID-19 orders) to go into the big cities (Tokyo, Yokohama, Kawasaki, etc...) 

This weekend we decided to try a hike up Mt Takao. It's not too far from Tokyo and has its own train station at the trailhead. Normally it would be much more crowded, but right now the crowds are low, which is nice for us. Our military orders prohibit lots of things (eating inside restaurants, staying in hotels, riding the trains and buses, going to certain "Red Zones" - see cities listed above) but they encourage us to participate in outdoor activities and physical fitness. So, hiking it is!


There are about 8 different trails you can take to the top of Mt Takao. (or if you prefer you can ride a chair lift or take a cable car - lots of options!) 

The main trail #1 is paved all the way up. That is the one we chose to being with.  Along the trail you can visit several shrines and see Japanese Macaque monkeys.



Monkey food!






This is a warning sign about wild monkeys that live in the woods. I wish we would have seen some of them.



At the top there are some beautiful views of Tokyo and of Mt Fuji! Also a noodle shop - seems like there is noodle shop at the top of every mountain in Japan.! But we were glad for it - the hot soup was delicious and since we had to eat outside, it helped to warm us up. (Sunny day but temps barely above freezing)





For the trip down we decided to try a few of the other trails. They were not paved and a little harder to hike on, but on the upside they were very peaceful and quiet.





At the very end we came upon this shrine with tiny crocheted red hats and bibs on all the figures. They looked newly dressed. When I got home I did a little research and found that is done as a sign of respect for children who have died before their parents. The bibs and hats are to protect them in the next world. But these don't look like children's figures so I'm not sure exactly why they are dressed with hats and bibs. It might be related to the recent New Year's celebrations.



Comments

  1. sojayJanuary 15, 2021 at 12:25 PM

    I’m so jealous! Haha, I’m going to write that everyone you post, I think!

    ReplyDelete
  2. mariaJanuary 18, 2021 at 1:25 PM

    The wild monkey sign!! 😂😂😂. Hot noodle soup sounds delicious!

    ReplyDelete

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