Japan is known for its fair share of mythology involving supernatural beasts and deities known as Yokai and while most of these creatures are seen on the pages of books and paintings, a certain mountain exists where a shrine is dedicated to one of these very Yokai – Mount Takao.

Amidst the flurry of red maple leaves in Autumn and pink cherry blossoms in Spring, huge figures of Tengu (crow demons that are messengers of deities) stands at the entrance of the Yakuo-in temple’s gates. These Tengus with their long noses, crow-like beaks, and paper fans expel evil and are believed to reside in the sacred Takao mountain.

And while the stories of these Yokai and their Tengu temple is undoubtedly one of the main attractions of the popular mountain, visitors also go for hiking in the various Mount Takao trails that gives you a chance to explore different sides of the mountain on multiple visits.

This mountain is just an hour or 1.5 hour train ride from Tokyo and we recommend using a pocket wifi so you can always keep yourself up to date on the latest and fastest routes, train operations etc from your place of stay.

To make your day trip to Mt Takao easier and plan your time so you can see everything before the closing time of 4pm, you can download this tour schedule for free to make sure you’re on time.

Mount Takao is a place of mystic and mythology and could easy fit into the setting of a Japanese anime with its fantasy atmosphere. Beautiful sceneries, a prominent folklore and a trail laden with red lanterns, multiple shrines is what your time at this mountain entails.

Maple Leaf and Sakura Viewing

Left image: Maple leaves during autumn in Mount Takao. Right: Autumn foliage as seen from Mount Takao’s car parking. Photo credit: Ameena Navab

Visitors flock to Mount Takao to enjoy its famous viewing festivals during the autumn and cherry blossom seasons, making these events some of its most popular attractions.

During the autumn, Mt Takao turns a beautiful red hue with abundance of maple leaves waving in the wind, making it a well-known location for celebrating and appreciating the emergence of maple leaves in Japan during the November – December months.

To make autumns more special, an event known as The Mount Takao Autumn Leaves festival takes place on this sacred mountain every year at the month of November on one of the weekends.

This festival celebrates the joy of the momiji and the gingko leaves with performances that includes taiko drumming, Japanese yosakoi dancing and orchestral concerts.

Left image: AWO journalist Ameena Navab standing beneath autumn foliage at the base of Mount Takai. Right: Momoji leaves in Mount Takao Photo credit: Ameena Navab

The festival is held at the Kiyotake cable car station at the base of the mountain, making the colorful red and orange season all the more special. If you visit the Takao Mountain during this time, you will also get to taste their various food, drinks and even purchase some souvenirs to take back home.

Similarly, cherry blossom season during March – April paints the sacred mountain in a modest pink flurry. So if you want to get away from the suffocating rush of Sakura viewing in the more popular spots like Shinjuku Gyoen and Meguro River in Tokyo then Mt Takao is the spot.

Yakuo-in Temple

A mystical temple built in 744 by Emperor Shomu and planted on the mountain’s high hills, Yakuoin Temple is a sacred place for the tengu (crow gods in Japanese folklore and mythology). Tengus are said to be long-nosed demon-like beings that are doers of good. They typically dwell on sacred mountains, serving as messengers of deities to protect the righteous and punish the wicked.

Pictures and statues of Tengu often depict them holding an uchiwa (Japanese fan), which they use to sweep away misfortune and bring good fortune. Since tengus dwell on sacred mountains, you can see various statues, big and small, of tengus leading up to the Yakuo-In Temple and it’s shrines.

Left image: One of the Tengu statues at the entrance of the Yakuo-In Temple. Right: A mask of the Tengu protect the main hall of Yakuo-In Temple.
Photo credit: Ameena Navab

The path to Yakuo-In starts when you pass a large Torii gate and hundreds of red standing lanterns. A few smaller shrines, calligraphy boards and gravestones can be found on the way to this tengu temple. Once you enter the gates of the holy place, you’ll be welcome by two large tengu statues standing tall and proud against the backdrop of the red momiji leaves.

The temple complex is wide with another smaller temple on a higher hill. This main temple has a Buddhist hall where, if you’re lucky, you can hear the chants of Buddhist monks while the gentle smoke of burning incense leads up to the hall’s guarded doors.

Mount Takao Hiking Trails

Left image: Lanterns seen on Trail one of the Mount Takao hiking trails. Photo Credit: Ameena Navab Right: Hanging bridge on Trail 4 of the Mount Takao hiking trails. Photo credit: Rob Young

Mt Takao isn’t just a scenic spot. It has multiple hiking trails that gives different views and experience from beginner hikers to more experienced climbers. You can either try to navigate the mountain yourself with one of the various trails listed below, or if you’re pressed for time, but you don’t want to miss any of its must-see spots, then you can book this guide that will take you through the trails.

Trail 1 (3.8km) – this trail is one of the easiest and passes through the first observatory, the octopus cedar tree, monkey part and Yakuo-In temple. This is the trail you want to take if you want to visit the famous shrine along with the red lantern walkway that Mt Takao is known for.

Trail 2 (0.9 km) – Another easy trail, this one also leads to the Monkey Park and Wild Flower path, taking only upto 40 minutes to walk the entire trail one way.

Trail 3 (2.4 km) – Experience the silent forest of Takao and the serene Katsura trees

Trail 4 (1.5 km) – One of the difficult Mount Takao trails, this route will have you pass along the hanging bridge amidst Takao’s wild forest and gives hikers a chance to do some quality bird watching.

Trail 6 (3.3 km) – Walk to Mt Takao’s Biwa Waterfall where you might get the chance to witness religious training even during the midst of winter

Chairlift and Cable Car

This is a major reason as to why visitors and travelers make their way to Mt Takao. The chairlift and cable car is the most fun activity to participate on this mountain.

The Cable Car, at Mt Takao’s Kiyotaki Station, is a fun ride filled with the colors of autumn flashing the entire ride. The car also climbs 271m altitude meaning you get to experience going up the steepest slope in Japan! The ride takes a total of about 6 minutes and takes you to the mid-point of the mountain.

If not the cable car and you want a more private experience where you would feel like walking on air, the chairlift at Sanroku station (which is right next to the Kiyotaki station) will have you passing the trees in an open chair. During fall, you will get to witness the vibrant colors of the red, yellow and orange leaves up close as you glide high above the mountain. The chairlift takes around 12 minutes one way.

You can purchase a round ticket costing around 900 yen that includes access to both chairlift and cable car. So if you want to go up via chairlift and come down via cable car, then this ticket is worth your penny.

Observatory – Views of Mt Fuji

On days when the skies are clear and you could see beyond the horizon, head up to the Mt Takao observatory on top of the mountain and get a glimpse of Tokyo as well as Mt Fuji with its snow-capped peek poking above the clouds.

The observatory is the final stop at Mt Takao and is surrounded by both international and local cafes and restaurants for the famished traveler. You can rest up a bit with gorgeous views surrounding you before making your way back down to the station for the cable car/chair lift or walk your way down to the base.

Getting to Mount Takao

Getting to Mt Takao is easy and hassle free. You can take the Keio Line Takaosanguchi Limited Express for a straight trip to Takaosanguchi station where Mt Takao is located. If you take any other Keio Line or Takao lines then you might need to change stations at Kitano station.

To make catching train lines easier (in case you miss a station or two), you can order a pocket Wi-Fi with unlimited data that you can get at any international airport in Japan. This will help you stay connected to the internet and browse for trains and stations anytime during your stay.

So for an easy trip, hop on the Keio Line Limited Express and get off at Takaosanguchi station (not Takao station) and from there, it’s a quick short walk under the red maple leaves to the base of Mt Takao where you will find the stations for cable cars and chairlifts while tons of stalls that sell traditional Japanese snacks beckons you along the way.

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