Mount Mitake: Tokyo’s Sacred Mountain Escape
- Published on : 18/05/2026
- by : Joshua
- Youtube
Mount Mitake
@Guillhem Vellut on Wikimedia, CC BY 2.0
Just 90 minutes from central Tokyo, Mount Mitake offers a completely different side of the capital. Deep cedar forests, moss-covered trails, waterfalls, mountain shrines, and traditional pilgrim lodgings make this 929-meter peak one of Tokyo’s most rewarding nature escapes. Located within Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park in western Tokyo, Mount Mitake combines hiking, spirituality, and wellness in a way few destinations near the city can match.
A Sacred Mountain with Ancient History
For more than 2,000 years, Mount Mitake has been a place of mountain worship. At the summit stands the historic Musashi Mitake Shrine, long associated with protection, purification, and nature worship. According to local legend, the shrine’s sacred wolf deity guided the warrior Yamato Takeru through the mountains after he became lost in thick fog. Even today, wolf statues guard the shrine grounds, and the mountain remains especially popular among dog lovers.
The shrine complex is surrounded by towering cedar trees, steep stone stairways, and traditional buildings that preserve the atmosphere of an old pilgrimage route. Many visitors come not only for hiking but also for the mountain’s calm spiritual atmosphere, often described in Japan as a “power spot.”
Mount Mitake
@Guillhem Vellut on Flickr, CC BY 2.0
Hiking Through Forests and Waterfalls
Mount Mitake is one of Tokyo’s most popular hiking destinations, offering trails suitable for both casual walkers and experienced hikers. Many visitors begin their journey by riding the Mitake Cable Car, one of the steepest funicular railways in the Kanto region, before continuing on foot toward Musashi Mitake Shrine and the surrounding mountain paths.
Hiking Through Forests and Waterfalls
Mount Mitake is one of Tokyo’s most popular hiking destinations, offering trails suitable for both casual walkers and experienced hikers. Many visitors begin their journey by riding the Mitake Cable Car, one of the steepest funicular railways in the Kanto region, before continuing on foot toward Musashi Mitake Shrine and the surrounding mountain paths.
From the upper station, peaceful forest trails wind through a small mountain village lined with local restaurants, souvenir shops, and traditional shukubo pilgrim lodgings. Beyond the shrine, the paths lead deeper into the forest toward the scenic Rock Garden area, where moss-covered stones, clear streams, and waterfalls create one of Mount Mitake’s most beautiful natural settings.
Along the way, hikers can explore highlights such as the Rock Garden nature trail, Nanayo Falls, Ayahiro Falls, ancient cedar trees, and connecting routes to nearby peaks like Mount Hinode and Mount Odake.
On clear days, viewpoints near the cable car station also offer sweeping panoramas across the Kanto Plain, including distant views of the Tokyo skyline and even the Tokyo Skytree.
Nanayo Falls, Mount Mitake
@navisan on Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Hike up Mount Mitake with a local guide!
Mount Mitake is a temple-mountain just a train ride from central Tokyo. With a local guide, enjoy a breath of fresh air, nature, and spirituality.
Shinrin-yoku: Forest Bathing on Mount Mitake
Mount Mitake is also one of the best places near Tokyo to experience shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing.” Rather than intense exercise, shinrin-yoku focuses on slowing down and immersing yourself in the atmosphere of the forest through sight, sound, and smell.
The mountain’s misty cedar forests, flowing streams, and quiet walking paths create an ideal environment for relaxation and reflection. Studies in Japan have linked forest bathing with reduced stress, lower blood pressure, and improved mental well-being, and many visitors come to Mitake specifically to disconnect from city life.
Some mountain lodgings even offer traditional wellness experiences such as takigyo, a waterfall purification ritual practiced beneath icy mountain cascades. Rooted in Shinto and Buddhist traditions, the ritual is intended to cleanse both body and mind.
Staying on the Mountain
One of Mount Mitake’s most unique features is its collection of shukubo, traditional pilgrim guesthouses run by local families. Originally built for worshippers visiting the shrine, many now welcome travelers looking for a quieter and more immersive mountain experience.
Staying overnight allows visitors to experience the mountain after the day hikers leave, when mist settles through the forests and the shrine paths become especially peaceful. Many lodgings also serve traditional Japanese meals using local mountain ingredients.
Seasonal Beauty
Mount Mitake’s scenery changes beautifully with the seasons, giving visitors a different experience throughout the year. In spring, the mountain comes alive with fresh greenery and cool, refreshing air, while summer offers shaded forest trails that provide a welcome escape from Tokyo’s heat and humidity.
Autumn is especially popular, as the forests transform into vibrant shades of red, orange, and gold, often accompanied by morning mist that creates a particularly atmospheric landscape. During winter, snow occasionally blankets the shrine grounds and cedar forests, adding a quiet and serene charm to the mountain.
Mitake in Autumn
@Guilhem Vellut on Flickr, CC BY 2.0
Access from Tokyo
Mount Mitake is easily accessible as a day trip from Tokyo:
- Take the JR Chuo Line from Shinjuku or Tokyo Station to Ome
- Transfer to the JR Ome Line to Mitake Station
- Take a local bus to Cable Shita
- Ride the Mitake Cable Car or hike up the mountain
The entire journey usually takes around 90 minutes to two hours, depending on connections.
Despite its easy access, Mount Mitake feels far removed from the city. Whether you come for hiking, spiritual history, forest bathing, or simply fresh mountain air, it remains one of Tokyo’s most rewarding natural escapes.
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Address, timetable & access
Address
Timetable
Depuis Shinjuku, prendre la ligne Ôme (JR) jusqu'à la gare de Mitake. Puis prendre le bus de la compagnie Nishi-Tokyo en direction du funiculaire à la station Takimoto. Emprunter le funiculaire de la station « Takimoto » jusqu’à la station « Mitake-san ».
