Trek to Takao San...

Ages ago when we lived in Tokyo, Mt. Takao (Takao San) was a regular weekend visit. It was a quick hour to to the edges of the Tokyo Countryside, which most people outside Japan forget about. Since Marie' has never been here and we really like the place, we decided a day trip was necessary before the rains visit the region, starting tomorrow.

For the religiously inclined, whether seriously or performatively, like most Japanese, one of the oldest Buddhist Temples in Eastern Japan is near the top of the mountain - Yokuo-in. 

Tengu - the long-nosed, usually red-faced, character seen in lots of Japanese stuff is a major entity in the temple and around the mountain. There are lots of statues of him in various poses - usually trying to scare the kiddies - and in the temple grounds. 

Getting up the mountain is half the "fun," though that joy is highly mitigated when the weather is 80+ F and 90% humidity. Rather than walking the entire 3.8 km up the mountain, we decide to take the little cable car tram to a starting point that covers the first 1 km. We decided that for the most exercise we'd walk back down the entire route (which came close to killing me, at least my hips...). There is a full 5 min video of the tram ride in the Photos album reference at the bottom.

Then there are the stairs! What seemed like millions of them, both up to the temple (which is expected - the Japanese Buddhists like to keep their flock healthy but placing these major temples near the top of the hills and in a lot of nature). They never indication of when they will end. The way down was even more stairs, though they have improved the pathways with new wooden trails which avoid the exposed roots of the trees which, I'm convinced, are there to kill the unwary hiker. There's still a lot of roots on the trails, but not as many as we remember.

Most folks come for the nice, not terribly challenging trails and the spectacular views. From the top of the mountain and higher up in the trails, there are views of the entire Eastern Kanto Plain. 

And lots of trees and mountains on the other side viewing the Chichibu Tama-Kai National Park

Tired, soar, and well steamed, we made our way home to recover. Along the way, I decided to try to go to my favorite Tokatsu place - our route home took us temptingly close to it. Since Marie' and Nobue have no interest in it, I went on my own. I knew they opened at 4 pm (no lunch service, which limits my opportunities) so the timing was perfect. Naturally, nope, they are closed on Tuesdays. I'll try later - hope and strong wishes will prevail...

The full album of today's pictures can be see at https://photos.app.goo.gl/gUY31vvDX2K7rDpHA