Hiking Tokyo’s Takao

In my recent travels through Asia I’ve evaluated new cities on whether or not I’d want to live there. One important criteria in this assessment is access to nature, ideally hiking, something that Saigon utterly lacks.

Taipei and Hong Kong came through in spades in this department, and Tokyo scored some points here as well, despite the fact that it’s the biggest city in the world and is home to an endless sea of buildings.

Ride the metro about an hour west and you’ll reach Mount Takao, the nearest peak to Tokyo within Meiji no Mori Takao Quasi-National Park. Given its proximity to Tokyo it comes as no surprise that Takao is one of the most-hiked mountains in the world.

Fortunately it’s not too busy on weekdays, especially if you avoid the cable car. I was worried at the sight of hundreds of schoolchildren near the trailhead, but most took the cable car. As a result the peak was rather crowded, but the trails were fine.

The hike itself is easy, as Takao isn’t even 2,000 feet tall, but the trails continue to three other peaks. I only hiked on to the second one as I didn’t have all day, but you could spend quite a bit of time out there. Granted, this isn’t untouched wilderness — electrical pylons are visible in almost every view — but the simple fact that you can easily get out in the woods and enjoy some piece and quiet is great.

I’m not totally sure I’d want to live in Tokyo given the high cost of living, but Takao and its surroundings certainly add some marks in the ‘pro’ column.