One day during a short break of rainy season, I had a chance to visit Takao(高尾). After Mt. Takao has been awarded "three-star ***" by the Michelin guide since 2007, it becomes more popular year by year for both Japanese and international tourists.
General tips about Mt. Takao:
The mountain whose height is 599 meters is one of the best place for hiking and for full-day excursion from central Tokyo. The journey time from central Tokyo (Shinjuku station) to Mt. Takao hiking gateway (Takaosanguchi station on Keio line) is only about 1hour by train and it costs less than Yen 1000 for return. From Shinjuku and other stations en route, Keio railway company provides "Round-trip Discount Ticket" combined with cable or lift ride(s) on Mt. Takao.
For more information about Keio Mt. Takao Round-trip discount ticket,
please visit their official site in English.
To climb up Mt. Takao, there are several hiking courses recommended by the region's tourist site. The easiest and the most desirable trail for beginner is No. 1 (1号路) depicted in bright red colour on the hiking map. To make your hiking activity easier, it offers an option to take a ride either on Cable car or Lift to the middle of the route. The course is not too tough to reach on the peak so it is taken even by primary school children as a school field trip. At least it requires an appropriate appearance such as sports shoes, trousers.
For more detail about Mt. Takao hiking, please visit its official site linked from below.
Where and what to eat?:
Anyway for food lovers, before or after the mountain hiking, maybe you need to fill your stomach with tasty food, as usual.
From today, I will post three spots around Mt. Takao for food lovers.
The first one is Takahashiya (高橋屋), a soba noodle restaurant accommodated in a traditional style building. It is located between Takaosanguchi railway station to Cable and Lift stations. It is on the corner before the starting point of No.1 (１号路) hiking course. It must be easy to find among restaurants and souvenir shops lined up on both sides of the main street, because a tall persimmon tree with over 50 years age appears from the roof of the restaurant.
Inside of the cozy casual Japanese restaurant is decorated with wooden folk arts. Let's enjoy looking at them while you wait for your noodle bowl.
In Mt. Takao area, soba (そば, 蕎麦) noodle with tororo (とろろ, Japanese yam) sauce is local speciality. Both ingredients, soba buckwheat and Japanese yam (a kind of potato) are from mountains.
Tororo sauce is served separately in a small bowl with a fresh quail egg.
Mix up well the sauce, egg and also seasonal condiments.
Then pour the sauce into your noodle bowl. Now it is ready!
Side dish ordered, "persimmon leaves" tempura.
This is the first time for me to taste persimmon leaf...
It does not have strong flavour but a bit salty.
Maybe it is good as snack with beer,
if the occasion is after hiking.
Before or after taking a walk on the mountain, please be relaxed with a nice bowl of soba noodle, surrounded by Japanese folk wooden decoration at Takahashiya.
Restaurant name: Takahashiya (高橋屋)
Address: 2209 Takao-Machi, Hachioji-city, Tokyo
大きな地図で見る
Accommodation close by the posted site:
