covers more than 1250 square kilometers of forested mountains, hills, gorges and some rural towns in the prefectures of Yamanashi, Saitama, Nagano and Tokyo. Besides a popular shrine, Mount Mitake offers various walking and hiking opportunities in virtually unspoiled nature. Located in the Okutama region, the westernmost part of Tokyo, the mountain can be reached in less than two hours from central Tokyo, and is accordingly popular among people looking for a break from the city. From the upper station of the Mitake Cablecar it is a 20-30 minute walk to the Musashi-Mitake Shrine on the mountain’s summit (929 meters). On your way, you will pass a small village with many Japanese style inns and souvenir shops, which have been catering to visitors and pilgrims to Mount Mitake for centuries. It is believed that Musashi-Mitake Shrine has been serving as a center of mountain worship for almost 2000 years. From the shrine, you have various hiking options to neighboring peaks and valleys. Among the most beautiful destinations is the so called “Rock Garden”, which, in fact, is a narrow, forested valley with a picturesque stream, lots of moss covered stones and two nearby waterfalls. It takes less than an hour to reach the valley from the shrine. If you want to walk some more, it is another 40-60 minutes from the Rock Garden to the peak of Mount Otake (1267 meters), from where you can enjoy nice views of the surrounding, forest covered mountains on clear days. Some passages are quite steep, but do not require any advanced mountaineering tools. Sturdy shoes, however, are recommended. Place to Meet at Kiosk of Platform number 7 at JR Shinjuku station. Kiosk is located middle of platform. Look for guy with black and white tartan check cap. Time to Meet 8:30AM Train fare to Mitake(御嶽) on Ome line from Shinjuku is 890 yen. and around 1600 yen for bus and cable car. We will take cable car to go up the mountain, then hike around the mountain 2 to 3 hours. Hope you can make this meetup ! Takeshi
