Mount Mitake (Mitakesan) is one of the many highlights of the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, which covers more than 1250 square kilometers of forested mountains, hills, gorges and some rural towns in the prefectures of Yamanashi, Saitama, Nagano and Tokyo.
Besides a popular shrine, Mount Mitake offers various walking and hiking opportunities in virtually unspoiled nature. Located in the Okutama region, the westernmost part of Tokyo, the mountain can be reached in less than two hours from central Tokyo, and is accordingly popular among people looking for a break from the city.
Musashi Mitake Shrine
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Rock Garden
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From the upper station of the Mitake Cablecar it is a 20-30 minute walk to the Musashi-Mitake Shrine on the mountain's summit (929 meters). On your way, you will pass a small village with many Japanese style inns and souvenir shops, which have been catering to visitors and pilgrims to Mount Mitake for centuries. It is believed that Musashi-Mitake Shrine has been serving as a center of mountain worship for almost 2000 years.
From the shrine, you have various hiking options to neighboring peaks and valleys. Among the most beautiful destinations is the so called "Rock Garden", which, in fact, is a narrow, forested valley with a picturesque stream, lots of moss covered stones and two nearby waterfalls. It takes less than an hour to reach the valley from the shrine.
Along the hiking trails
If you want to walk some more, it is another 40-60 minutes from the Rock Garden to the peak of Mount Otake (1267 meters), from where you can enjoy nice views of the surrounding, forest covered mountains on clear days. Some passages are quite steep, but do not require any advanced mountaineering tools. Sturdy shoes, however, are recommended.
An excellent hiking map, which shows the extensive network of hiking trails in the Okutama region, is available for free at the Mitake Visitor Center (closed on Mondays), halfway between the upper cablecar station and the shrine.
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