Mount Takao Day Hike: Trails, Yakuo-in and Summit Views
How to hike Mount Takao from Shinjuku: which numbered trail to pick, what to see at Yakuo-in and the summit, and when to go for autumn colour and Fuji views.
May 4, 2026·✍️ olablog·⏱ 6 min read
How to hike Mount Takao from Shinjuku: which numbered trail to pick, what to see at Yakuo-in and the summit, and when to go for autumn colour and Fuji views.
Mount Takao (Takaosan) is the mountain Tokyo climbs when it wants a real hill without a real expedition. It tops out at 599 m on the western edge of the city, the train from Shinjuku stops a few minutes' walk from the trailheads, and a set of numbered paths lets you choose between a paved temple approach and a rocky climb beside a stream. It is not wilderness, and on an autumn Sunday it feels more like a festival than a hike, but it is one of the easiest places near Tokyo to see Mount Fuji.
Getting there from central Tokyo
The simplest route is the Keio Line from Shinjuku to Takaosanguchi, the station at the foot of the mountain, about 50 minutes on the faster services. Look for trains bound for Takaosanguchi; on others you may need to change at Kitano. A Suica or PASMO card covers the fare.
With a JR Pass, ride the JR Chuo Line to Takao Station and change to the Keio Line for the single stop to Takaosanguchi, which the pass does not cover.
From Takaosanguchi, a short street of soba shops leads to the cable car and chairlift base, where most of the trails begin.
Choosing your way up
Cable car or chairlift. Both climb to the mid-mountain area and take care of well over half the height gain. The cable car takes about six minutes and is one of the steepest funicular lines in Japan; the open chairlift runs alongside it and takes about twelve. From the top stations it is roughly 40 minutes on foot to the summit.
Trail 1 (Omotesando). The main approach and the one that leads through the temple grounds. Most of it is paved, and from the bottom you should allow about an hour and a half. Expect company: it is the busiest path on the mountain, and the best one for a first visit.
Trail 6. A narrower path that follows a stream through cedar forest, past the small Biwa Waterfall, where mountain ascetics still practise standing under the water. Expect wet rocks, roots and stepping stones. It is the most atmospheric way up and a poor choice in trainers after rain.
Inariyama Trail. A ridge route that starts near the cable car base, climbing through the trees with a few open viewpoints. It sees fewer people than Trail 1 and is drier than Trail 6.
A good pattern for fit walkers is to climb by Trail 6 or the Inariyama ridge and come down Trail 1, so you reach the temple on the way down with the hard part behind you.
What to see on the mountain
Close to the top station of the cable car, a small monkey park and wild plant garden make an easy stop for families. A little further along Trail 1 stands Tako-sugi, the "octopus cedar", an old tree whose exposed roots twist like tentacles. Beyond the temple gate, the path briefly splits into a steep stone staircase and a gentler slope; the staircase has 108 steps, a number tied to the 108 worldly desires in Buddhist teaching.
The heart of the mountain is Yakuo-in, a temple that by its own tradition was founded in the eighth century and remains a centre of Shugendo, the mountain-worship practice that blends Buddhism and older beliefs. Look for the tengu figures around the grounds: long-nosed and crow-beaked mountain spirits who are said to guard Takao.
The summit is a broad, busy clearing with a visitor centre and teahouses. On a clear day Fuji rises to the southwest behind the Tanzawa mountains, and the Kanto plain spreads out to the east towards the towers of central Tokyo. For a few days around the winter solstice the sun sets almost exactly behind Fuji's peak when seen from here, and photographers gather for it.
If you still have legs, keep going. Momijidai, a short walk beyond the summit, has a quieter view of Fuji. Shiroyama, reached by a ridge walk of roughly an hour, has open grassy slopes and teahouses known for huge bowls of summer shaved ice. From the ridge, paths descend to bus stops in the valley, with buses back to Takao Station.
When to go
Autumn is peak season. The maples usually colour in mid to late November, and weekend queues for the cable car can run long. Arrive early or come on a weekday.
Winter brings the clearest air and the most reliable Fuji views. Shaded sections of the unpaved trails can be icy in the mornings.
Spring has scattered cherry blossoms in April and fresh green leaves by May, both pleasant without the autumn crowds.
Summer is hot and humid. Trail 6 and its stream stay cooler, and a beer garden near the top of the cable car turns the mountain into an evening spot. The June rainy season makes the natural trails muddy.
Practical tips
- Trainers are fine on Trail 1. For Trail 6 and the Inariyama ridge, wear shoes with real grip.
- Drinks and snacks are sold along Trail 1 and at the summit, but carry water on the unpaved trails.
- Do not count on finding bins; plan to carry your rubbish back down.
- Try tororo soba, buckwheat noodles topped with grated mountain yam, the local speciality.
- The chairlift stops running earlier in the day than the cable car. Check the last departure before lingering at the summit.
- Next to Takaosanguchi Station, Keio Takaosan Onsen Gokurakuyu is a hot-spring bathhouse that makes a very good end to the day.
Plan your trip
The cable car, Trail 1, the temple and the summit fit comfortably into half a day. Add the ridge walk to Shiroyama and a slow soba lunch, and it becomes a full day that still has you back in Shinjuku by evening. For a trail-by-trail comparison, food stops and the summer beer garden in more detail, see our complete Mount Takao guide, and if you would rather combine Takao with other sights around Tokyo, browse our day tours.
