Where to stay in Mitakesan?

Can anyone recommend a nice place to stay in Mitakesan?
We will be staying for one night before heading off to Kyoto.
Any advice on Ryokans in the village would be fantastic!!! Thanks!!!

Mitakesan is a pilgrims' destination. So, don't expect too much.

Here is one pilgrim lodging with an English website:
http://www.hkr.ne.jp/~komadori/komadori.html

And here is a Japanese list of lodgings n Mitakesan:
http://www.omekanko.gr.jp/cgi-bin/tour_category/searchmember.php?area=...

Thank-you.

I'm guessing by your reply that maybe you are not too keen that we visit Mitakesan. When you say don't expect too much, what exactly do you mean? We are only staying 1 night.
I heard it is lovely to go on a little hike there? Do you mean that only Pilgrims visit?
We were planning on visiting Hakone, staying in a ryokan. I have found it extremely difficult to book a room anywhere there that doesn't cost the earth plus many places are fully boked on the day we want to go. : (
Its the only 1 night we have spare so if you have other ideas on places to visit and stay over night instead that would be fantastic? : )

I have done hiking and stayed at one of the lodgings in Mitakesan, and it was a simple family-run lodging, nothing fancy, but good food, good atmosphere. I guess that's what Uji-san means - that it is not a fancy ryokan that you might expect in other places like Hakone.

No, it's not "only pilgrims" place at all; we went there once and it was a quite popular destination for hikers as it seemed. The river trail was wonderful, though the stairs/trail were steep at times.

I'm guessing by your reply that maybe you are not too keen that we visit Mitakesan.

No, I am afraid I did not express myself clearly. As AK explained, what I meant was: don't expect too much comfort and service. I was concerned since you used the word "ryokan".

Thank-you both for your helpful advice.
We just want to spend a day or so outside of the city, you know breath in some nice clean air. : )

I also hear that Oze National park has some great scenary and hiking. Would it be worth visiting there for 1 night? Also we will be there end of October. Is this a good time to visit?


Sorry Uji-san for any confusion, i appreciate your help. : )

Enjoy your day. Stacey.

Stacey,

For an easy getaway, Mitakesan is very nice. You can take local/rapid trains from central Tokyo, and reach the area quite easily.

Oze is beeeeeeeeeaaaaauuuuutiful, but requires some good planning to get there (please check out the page on Oze in the Travel section), requires a seriously early start in the morning from Tokyo. I am not sure, but by late October it might start snowing and the mountain huts there start to close, as it seems (until next spring). The temperature difference between Tokyo and Oze is quite big.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7440.html

I have been to both places - for Mitakesan, all we (Tokyo residents) did was book one of the lodgings, printed out a hiking map from the internet, didn't have to get up particularly early in the morning, just bought some bottled water, got there easily and enjoyed the hike and the stay.
We have been to Oze twice but took organized bus tours from Tokyo on both occasions. Yet we were careful to get some sturdy shoes, hiking gear/larger backpack, rain gear, full mountaineering guidebook/maps just in case, some food just in case, etc. and this was in July.

Another thread on Oze with comments by Uji:

http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+67824

Hi AK.


Both sound great like great places to visit.
We are more swayed towards Mitakesan if it is easier all round to get there. As we are only staying overnight its probably best we go there instead of Oze.
We are travelling to Kyoto the following day. Is it a easy place to get to from Mitakesan or do we need to go back to Tokyo to find a connecting train? Can't seem to find the correct info with regards to trains to other areas.I'm sooooo excited about our trip!!! he he!!

Thanks!!

If you are not doing a two-day hike, but are traveling on to Kyoto the next day, then Mitakesan would be easier. In late October you might need quite serious cold climate gear for Oze anyway.

I believe you need to get back to central Tokyo once; to travel to Kyoto (by Shinkansen I assume) you need to get to Tokyo or to Shinagawa.