{"id":619,"date":"2024-11-11T13:44:37","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T05:44:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php\/2025\/03\/07\/self-reflection-not-selfies-why-tokyos-mt-takao-trek-is-a-perfect-complement-to-mt-fuji\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T09:56:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T01:56:03","slug":"self-reflection-not-selfies-why-tokyos-mt-takao-trek-is-a-perfect-complement-to-mt-fuji","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/?p=619","title":{"rendered":"Self-reflection not selfies: why Tokyo\u2019s Mt Takao trek is a perfect complement to Mt Fuji"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A beautiful, unassuming peak where hikers use sticks for walking rather than selfies, Mt Takao could well be the perfect complement to the popular Mt Fuji hike and one of Tokyo\u2019s best day trips. Kyle Gillis explains why.<\/p>\n

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Shinto-Buddhist roots run deep on Mt Takao, but it\u2019s the cedar roots that trip me up as I hike toward the summit on a crisp winter morning.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m climbing the 599m peak not for the high, but for the lows it offers. A swift 50-minute train ride from Japan’s capital Tokyo, Mt Takao is free to climb and, though popular with locals, remains overlooked by tourists drawn to Mt Fuji\u2019s celebrity; meaning low crowds and low costs. Blessed with tranquil trails, lush forests and Shinto temples, Takao makes an easy and memorable addition to any Tokyo itinerary without hiking your budget.<\/p>\n

The spirit of Takao<\/h2>\n

Upon arrival, the first thing that stands out about Takao is how it doesn\u2019t stand out. Takao rests shyly on the Kanto Mountain foothills near a small village of soba restaurants and sweet bun stalls.<\/p>\n

Takao\u2019s appearance may not be as dramatic as Fuji, one of the world\u2019s great \u2018selfie summits\u2019, but what it lacks in drama it makes up for in spirit, quite literally. Statues at Takao\u2019s base honour Jiz\u014d \u2013 the Buddhist god who protects the spirits of deceased children \u2013 and remind me of the mountain\u2019s ethos: self-reflection over selfies.<\/p>\n

Ten trails weave up Takao and I start up Trail 1, the most commonly-hiked trail lined with kanji-inscribed stones, lantern boxes and native cryptomeria trees. The trails vary in grade and difficulty, so everyone from casual hikers to rugged alpinists should find a route to their liking.<\/p>\n

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You might also like: How the Oku-Matsushima Trail in Japan made me fall in love with hiking<\/p>\n

Trail 1 leads to Yaku\u014d-in, an impressive Shinto temple dating back to the 7th century with red arches and numerous prayer shrines set amidst towering oaks and cedars.<\/p>\n

Early-morning temple visitors pray to Tengu, a mountain god with a rambunctious history. Some Buddhist stories depict Tengu as a heretical priest who possesses people; other stories call him the \u2018Slayer of Vanity\u2019. Not wanting to be possessed or appear vain, I decide it\u2019s safest to show Tengu my respects, so I dip my hand in the temizuya (font) of prayer water and bow to his weathered statue.<\/p>\n

I switch onto Trail 4, also known as the Suspension Bridge Trail, and it\u2019s noticeably more challenging than Trail 1. I cross the Miyama Bridge, a 35m-long suspension bridge spanning a tree-filled gorge, and stumble up a steep grade of bulging root structures and rain-slicked rocks. Trail 4 should be renamed the Tengu Trail, because any vanity lingering within me is well and truly slain.<\/p>\n

You might also like: These 7 Japanese national parks showcase Nippon’s stunning natural beauty<\/p>\n

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The view of Mt Fuji from Mt Takao. Daniel Raps \/ Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A serene summit<\/h2>\n

One of my favourite aspects of climbing Takao in the morning is that, in a metropolitan area of 14 million people, you have a wonderful natural environment almost to yourself.<\/p>\n

The few hikers I encounter are older locals who use sticks for walking rather than taking selfies, and utter prayers instead of snapping panoramas. Afternoon crowds of school children and local hiking groups will eventually stomp out our serenity, but for now the mountain is the most serene place in the region.<\/p>\n

Takao\u2019s summit is humble and peaceful, just the way the mountain gods intended. The peak is not marked with a Kilimanjaro-esque sign or cutesy directional post showing the distance to New York; only peace and a rising sun.<\/p>\n

The clouds burn out on the horizon and Mt Fuji appears; undoubtedly one of the world\u2019s most beautiful mountains when viewed from a distance, with its white snow cap and grey volcanic girth. Fuji has a parental loom, as if wondering why I would choose to stand on a lesser peak.<\/p>\n

My climb, however, has proven to me that \u2013 relatively speaking \u2013 tiny Takao\u2019s minimalist charm is a worthy complement to Fuji\u2019s bucket-list appeal. I bow once more and take in the sunrise before coming down from my high \u2013 or is that low?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A beautiful, unassuming p<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":622,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tokyo-travel-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=619"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/619\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1090,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/619\/revisions\/1090"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}