The time to enjoy momiji is finally here! Needless to say, you definitely need a place to take Instagram-worthy pictures of the pretty pretty fall leaves. And Her Campus knows just the perfect place! Mt. Mitake. In Japanese we call it “momijikari” (もみじかり) for viewing autumn leaves. This mountain might not be as popular as Mt. Takao, a hot spot for viewing scenery during the fall but it’s definitely more peaceful since there aren’t so many people. I mean do you really want awkward photobombs from strangers when you’re trying to take a selfie with a selfie stick right?
Although it is less popular than Mt. Takao for “momijikari”, Mt Mitake is an untouched land with well paved hiking tracks. I went to Mt. Mitake in the middle of October in an attempt to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and the view? Oh-so-gorgeous! Do note that this is not the Mt. Mitake in Nagano-ken (長野県) that erupted around a while ago, so don’t worry, Mt Mitake is extremely safe!
As you can see, when I went, there weren’t many autumn leaves. Yet, this is quite a view isn’t it? It was such an effective remedy from the noisy, crowded, bustling city of Tokyo, a breathe of fresh air!
The view higher up! Imagine this painted in the color of autumn, it’ll be completely breathtaking.
After snapping pictures from the observation deck, I devoured this exceptionally delicious curry in less than ten minutes. It’s one of the few choices you can get around Takimoto station (滝本駅) before going deep into Mt. Mitake.
What to do on Mt Mitake
Hike and take some stunning pics.
If you’re a fan of hiking, Mt. Mitake is truly a wonderful place to go. It offers an unspoiled nature that you will not experience in the jam packed city of Tokyo. And you can take some awesome photos while doing it as well!
Visit the Musashi Mitake Shrine (武蔵御嶽神社)
As you can see, there are signs directing you to the shrine along the hiking routes.
This shrine is regarded as the patron deity of the Edo/ Tokyo area.
If you’re thinking of going in to pray or take pcitures, do remember to wash your hands (and maybe soul) with this sacred water before you enter!
If you have something to wish for in life, throw a coin (Preferably 5 yen as it shares the same pronunciation as ご縁 – which means affinity in Japanese. You do wanna have affinity with the gods, no?) into the box and say your wishes sincerely.
And of course if you are worried that the gods in the shrine would be confused about what you wished for in English, buy a wooden plaque, write down your wishes, and tie it on the rack.
There are plenty of activities to be done in this nature wonderland, and you can always search for your own adventures. It is not only a mountain with such clean, perfect air that you’ll want to save in a bottle, and trees so huge that you wish you knew how to build a treehouse, it is also a place perfect for “momijikari”. Once again, I have to say Mt. Mitake is definitely rejuvenating!
Access
Take the JR Chuo Line (it’s orange) to Ome station, which is a 75-minute-direct train ride from Shinjuku station. After arriving in Ome station, change to JR Ome Line, and go all the way to Mitake station (御嶽駅/御岳駅). Once arrive in Mitake station, take the bus to Takimoto station (滝本駅 10 minutes). You can walk from Mitake station to Takimoto station (40 minutes), because during autumn you’ll be walking on a bed of autumn leaves. Once you arrive in Takimoto station, take the cable car (¥1110 for round trip) to the summit of Mt. Mitake.
The cable car that took me to the summit of Mt. Mitake. Riding this cable car is like are riding a slow moving roller coaster, but even better, because you definitely won’t get a heart attack and the scenery outside the window is, what’s the word? Gorgeous!.