Tired of the busy and crowded city life of Tokyo? It is time to have an adventurous escape to Mount Mitake. The mountain stands 929 m above ground of the Chichibu Tama Kai National Park, which covers over more than 1,250 km2 of forested mountains satisfying all your nature needs. From hiking to catching the view of red leaves during autumn Mount Mitake has it all. Mount Mitake has its own specialty from other mountains in Japan, it has a unique mix of rocks and greenery which makes it not boring as it never looks the same at different stages.
Autumn Colors at Mount Mitake
Autumn is the season where you could witness the stunning blaze of fall colors. The best time to view the autumn leaves is during the late-November. At Mount Mitake you will be able encounter the autumn leaves with unspoiled nature.
Mount Mitake Hiking Map
From the cable car station, you could choose to hike all the way up, you could continue follow the road to the top cable car station by foot should only take about one hour. At the top cable car station there is few shops and an area to sit and have some rest. To start your journey towards the summit of Mount Mitake, take the path to the left, known as Main Street. Just before the Main Street there is a map showing you the route to the shrine. Following the path along, you will enter a village, walk along the main path upwards between houses, shops and hotels and you will get the steps leading to Musashi Mitake Shrine within 20 minutes.
Access to Mount Mitake from Tokyo
Less than two hours away from central Tokyo you could reach Mount Mitake. From central Tokyo (Shinjuku Station or Tokyo Station), take the frequently departing JR Chou Line train in orange to Ome Station (75 minutes from Shinjuku). Be sure to check the trains destination because not all trains of the JR Chou Line will go to the Ome Station. Otherwise, you would need a transfer between trains in Tachikawa Station (40 Minutes from Shinkuju Station).
From Ome Station, board the orange train on the JR Ome Line (usually the platform opposite from the arriving train JR Chou Line), then ride to Mitake Station (20 minutes). The whole journey from Shinjuku Station to Mitake Station costs 920-yen one way and if you purchase Japan Rail Pass it is fully covered.
At Mitake Station, take the bus from the bus stop about 70 meters to the left of the train station heading towards Cable Shita, the lower cable car station of the Mitake Cable Car. The bus ride takes about 10 minutes and costs 280 yen, there are 2 buses at every hour. The Mitake cable car is the steepest funicular line in the Kanto area and it only takes merely 6 minutes to get to the summit of Mount Mitake (1110 yen for a roundtrip, about 3 departures in an hour).
Spot information
- Spot name: Mount Mitake
- Address: Mitakesan, Ome-shi, Tokyo 198-0175
- Access: after arriving at Mitake train station, take bus to reach reach Mitake cable car station. You can reach near to the summit of the mountain by this cable car.
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