A group of Tokyo Galaxy Japanese Language School students enjoyed a day hike at Mt. Takao (Takaosan) with their teachers and friends from Keio University on Saturday, October 26th.
It was raining quite heavily in Tokyo on the day before the hike, so we were afraid we might not be able to go out, but fortunately the weather turned out to be very good on Saturday.
The participants gathered at Shinjuku Station early in the morning and took a train for about 45 minutes to Takaosanguchi Station.
We do have lots of greenery in downtown Tokyo, but the fresh air in the mountains was a special treat. We were extremely happy to enjoy the aroma of the forest, which we haven’t felt for a long time.
Moving actively from early in the morning brought a refreshing feeling to us. We really had a fun time climbing the mountain together with friends from different countries and regions.

On the way to the top of Mt. Takao, there is a Buddhist temple called Yakuo-in, which was built more than 1200 years ago. This ancient temple is so impressive; we felt the greatness of this historic site.
This is the “Negai Kanau Wakuguri”; you go through this circle-shaped gate making a wish, and your wish is supposed to come true. So we all scrambled to go through it and took lots of pictures.
In the midst of the deep forest, we found such interesting spots that we can feel the traditional Japanese atmosphere, an unexpected treat from Yakuo-in.
Wow! We finally reached the top of Mt. Takao.
The weather was so good, and we were able to see Mt. Fuji in the distance so clearly. On the opposite side, we could enjoy the view of the heart of Tokyo such as the skyscrapers of Roppongi.
The majority of Tokyo area is flat land and Mt. Takao is not such a huge mountain, but it offers a fabulous view and we had so much fun in this fascinating place!
This hike on a nice autumn day will become an unforgettable memory for all of us; together with our teachers and friends, we encouraged each other on our way to the mountain top, breathing the refreshing air.
We thought we must visit the place again while studying in Tokyo.

You just can’t miss the chance to climb Mt. Takao, especially in the lovely season of autumn!
Students of Tokyo Galaxy Japanese Language School and Keio University spent time together and made good memories. This experience encouraged us to enjoy life in Japan by trying something out of ordinary.