Foolish Talk from Mt. Takao by a Volunteer Tour Guide

In Mt. Takao, you will see a lot of things decorated with a twisted rice straw rope called a Shimenawa which is regarded as one of the symbols of Shinto, the indigenous religion of Japan. The role of a Shimenawa in Shinto is similar to that of a Tori-i gate and Komaimu, a pair of…

Takao Komagino Garden features picturesque Japanese gardens. It takes some 15 – 20 minute walk from the Takaosanguchi Station. I would recommend this place to visit on the way back from Mt. Takao if you have time to spare. Although it has no historical significance, we could say that this place is a showcase for…

Just after passing through Joshin-mon, the first gate to Yakuo-in Temple on Trail 1, you will see a small shrine on your left. This small shrine is called Jinben-do and is dedicated to the legendary mountain priest called En no Gyoja (En no Ozunu) (circa 634 – 701), with his posthumous Buddhist name of Jinben…

It is understood that there was originally no practice of idol worship in Buddhism while people in ancient India worshipped a stupa together with an illustrated biography of Shakyamuni Buddha using just various symbols (not any images), etc. As I mentioned in the post titled Optional Tour to the Musashi Imperial Graveyard on the way…

In the vicinity of my place, at 1833 Nagabusamachi, Hachioji City, Tokyo, there is the Musashi Imperial Graveyard where Mausoleums of the 123rd Emperor Taisho (Taisho Tenno) and the 124th Emperor Showa (Showa Tenno) and their respective consorts are located. Just to make things clear, the word of emperor could be rather misleading as an…

Mt. Takao is the home of 28 kinds of mammal, 137 kinds of bird which accounts for some 25% of all the bird life in Japan, 12 kinds of reptile, 12 kinds of amphibian and some 5,000 kinds of insect.  Mt. Takao is known as one of the three (3) major habitats of insect in…

Mt. Takao is the home of 1,598 kinds of plant which accounts for some 23% of all the plant life in Japan (https://www.takao599museum.jp/treasures/plants/?lang=en).   It is understood that some 60 kinds of new plant species have been discovered in Mt. Takao including Takao Sumire (Mt. Takao viola) that is named after the mountain. In fact, Mt.…

For some reasons, there are two (2) main hall like structures in the precincts of Yakuo-in Temple at Mt. Takao. One is the Izuna Gongen-do Hall having a Shinto shrine like appearance except for the incense burner installed in front of the building which is typical of a Buddhist temple. The construction of this building…

If you plan to visit Mt. Takao for hiking from the center of Tokyo, you might take a train on the Keio Line from the Shinjuku Station for the Takaosanguchi Station. It’s just one hour train ride. Discount tickets will be available including a cable car or a chair lift the details of which can…

I live in the vicinity of Mt. Takao which is located at the west end of Tokyo, Japan.   Mt. Takao is known as most climbed mountain in the world welcoming some 3 million visitors per year. According to one survey, there are annually some 7 million people who enjoy mountain climbing in the world.  So,…