Mt Takao is great.
Mt Takao can be busy.
Takao is the most accessible mountain in Tokyo. It regularly is given three stars in the Michelin Travel Guide. The stars are primarily for the tourist area, which combines a lot of what is good about Japan: nature, history, culture and kitch. Above the cable car along the ‘hiking’ Route 1 is a paved path lined with small shops, statues, trees, and religious buildings. This route takes you to the top of the mountain, but don’t consider it a hike. The route is in the outdoors and there are trees and it is on the side of a mountain. But it is more like a museum, a tourist attraction. There are other ways to get up to the top and take in the view. Route 6 and the Inariyama trail provide better options for hiking and trailrunning. Below is a guide to the best Mount Takao trailhead options.
If you are looking to get out to Mt Takao, check out our guide: How to Get Out to the Tokyo Mountains
Route 1: Takao’s “Most Popular” Route
Route 1 is considered the most popular route. This might be true, but only when considering the section above the cable car. The start of the route is at the base of the mountain. This section from the start to the upper cable car landing is steep, paved, and uninteresting. The only saving grace would be for those who show up to the mountain in nice clothes. Walking up a paved route, however steep, will be more likely to keep your shoes neat and clean.
After you climb up to (or out of) the cable car, there is a paved route full of attractions. Starting with a beer garden, you pass food stalls, a monkey forrest park, a shrine and a temple.
Conclusion – TAKE IN THE SIGHTS, not for a run or hike
Route 1 is a great option if you want a laid-back, entertaining Japanese adventure. It is also great if you have people in your group who need distractions, whether that be small children or adults, to make it to the top.
If you are looking for a bit more rigorous hike up a natural trail, there are two other alternatives: Route 6 and the Inariyama Trail.
Route 6: Natural, Gradual Single Track
You can find the Route 6 trailhead by walking up the road to the left past the cable car station about 300m. Just as you pass a small parking area on the side of the road and approach a big building on the right, the trail opens with a large monument on the left. The trail is a gradual single track, suitable for trail run very early in the day, but difficult to pass in some sections when crowded. It follows a stream to the top.
About a quarter of the way up the 3.3 km trail there is a small temple complex at a waterfall. The temple supports waterfall asceticism, where adherents chant under the water stream falling on their head. Though you can get close to the waterfall, there are barriers between the trail and the falls, making it difficult to see. Don’t expect to see monks under the waterfall, either. Normally the place is quiet and empty. You can appreciate that those practicing this sort of meditation don’t make a performance out of it.
Tobi Ishi – Jumping Stones?
Further up the trail, the route joins the stream and the hiker is challenged to find dry footing. This short section is called 飛び石 – Tobi Ishi, a name combining the word for ‘jump’ and the word for ‘stone,’ evoking the image of jumping from rock to rock. There are some larger rocks to keep you elevated above the very shallow stream. Soon thereafter, a staircase has been erected to prevent erosion.
Conclusion: great for an early run, or a hike any time
Route 6 is a very nice option for a trailrun, but only if you get the first or second train to Takaosanguchi. Otherwise it will be too difficult to pass without becoming a nuisance to you and the others on the trail. If you are out for a short hike, it is a great trail.
The Inariyama Trail: Best Trailrun Option?
Of the three trails in this post, the Inariyama Trail is the least travelled.
The Iriyama trailhead is immediately across the way from the cable car station, over a small bridge crossing the stream. Once on the other side it turns right and a staircase starts you up the ridge. After a quick s-curve, there is a short landing in front of a tiny shrine. Follow the trail up the left and you continue up the beginning of the Sasa Ridge, a 40km long tendril of Mt Mito, a 1530m mountain further west.
About one kilometer up the steepest part of the trail there is an uncovered rest spot from which there is a view over Tokyo. From there the trail dips and rises up in a more gradual approach to the peak.
With around 500 meters to go, there is a trail junction. A spur to the right connects the Iriyama trail with Route 6 at the beginning of the Tobi Ishi segment. Continuing straight at the junction, you’ll come to the extension of a wooden trail walk. This was built to combat the effects of erosion on the path. Prior to this boardwalk, the trail would often retain water even on relatively dry days making it difficult to cover and perilous for the old and the very young.
Conclusion: Go for a run
In spite of this manufactured ending, the ascent on the Inariyama is the best for a trail run. The trail is wide, even on most of the steep climbs, providing many options for safely passing. Though smooth in parts, it has all the features of a classic Japanese trail – technical roots, plenty of rocks, a bit of mud, dotted with some man-made trail support in the form of stone staircases, wooden stairs, and in this case a stretch of boardwalk.
The Iriyama Trail crosses Route 5 and finishes its ascent with a 200 step staircase to the peak. Route 5 is a utility trail, circling the edge of the summit, joining Routes 1, 3, 4, 6 and Iriyama.
What’s Next
At the top of Mt Takao, you have a nice view of Mt Fuji if the weather is clear.
What you do from there is up to you and your companions.
You can turn around and take one of the above mentioned routes back down to Takaosanguchi Station. There you can grab a meal, visit the Trick Art Museum, or relax in the Keio Takao Hot Spring.
You could also venture further into the mountains. The staircase on the north side of the peak leads to the area called 奥高尾 – Oku Takao, or ‘Inner Takao.’ The trails therein provide the hiker and trailrunner much more space to roam, with far fewer people. In the vicinity around Takao there are a few mountains which offer hot and cold traditional refreshments to weary travelers, as well as plenty of toilets.