Autumn is approaching fast and the forecast for Tokyo is that the leaves will start to turn their brilliant gold and crimson as winter blows November into December. 紅葉 (kōyō – autumn colors) is another highlight of seasonal Japan to compete with 桜花見 (sakura hanami – sakura viewing) in the springtime.
Wherever you choose to go at this time, you’re likely to run into a sea of people, all waiting for their turn to take in the autumn colors that paint Tokyo, giving it one last flicker of life as the trees take their rest for the wintertime. Suffice it to say, the colors sweeping Tokyo at this time are worth the trouble of battling through crowds.
At this time, blog sites and tourism organizations will be firing off their tried and tested lists of viewing spots. You’ll get all the usual suspects like Shinjuku Gyōen, Hibiya, and the Imperial Palace – which opens a special section of the grounds for autumn viewing, a rare chance for sure.
But let me to tell you why Mount Takao (高尾山) is where you’ll want to be.
In Japanese lore, mountains are a place of magic and walking through Mount Takao, you’ll find out just how much of the divine really lingers in the air. Supposedly home to the guardian deities called 天狗 (tengu – literally heavenly dog), the mountain is situated in Hachiōji (八王子市) in Tokyo. It’s about a 50 minute ride from Shinjuku station.
Mount Takao has many hiking trails throughout, with many little shops and features dotted here and there. The trip to the viewing deck takes quite a while, even if you ride the cable car half-way up the mountain. The experience is all the better for it though. It gives you all the more time to notice every little thing. For example, at the midpoint between the cable-car station near the top and the viewing deck are food stalls selling traditional Japanese snacks like grilled 団子 (dango – dumplings).
But truly, the greatest appeal of a trip to Mount Takao is the disconnection from the heavy stresses of daily life. A study in 2010 by a team researchers from Chiba and Ibaraki found that spending time in nature and walking among trees is a good way to unwind and refresh yourself. They found that individuals experience lower stress levels, pulse rate, and blood pressure when in a natural, as opposed to an urban, setting. It’s become such a popular form of therapy that there’s even a word for it in Japanese – 森林浴 (shinrinyoku – literally forest bathing).
The year is almost over and you owe it to yourself to renew and re-energize for the coming New Year. So, why not treat yourself to a nice, cool forest bath in the glow of Mount Takao?
Photos by Rai Cedeño.
