Musashi‐mitake‐jinja shrine, mysterious area in Tokyo

Musashi‐Mitake‐Jinja Shrine, mysterious area in Tokyo

There is a mysterious area that can be reached in two and a half hours by orange JR Chuo Line（from Tokyo or Shinjuku to Mitake）, bus (from Mitake to Takimoto station), and Mitake Tozan Railway（from Takimoto station to Mitakesan Station）from central Tokyo. It is Musashi‐Mitake‐Jinja Shrine and its surroundings.　

 Musashi‐Mitake‐Jinja Shrine is located on the summit of Mt. Mitake
with an altitude of 929m and is a symbol of mountain worship.

From Ome Station onwards,
the number of trains decreases,
and the time flows slowly.

Early in the morning on weekends, 

passengers head for Mt. Ontake using the train.

Behind the main shrine of Musashi Mitake Shrine,
there are many historic shrines.
It is a good idea to visit each one.

Stroll around Mt. Mitake

After getting off the Mitake Tozan Railway at Mitakesan Station, it takes about 30 minutes to walk to  Musashi‐Mitake‐Jinja Shrine. 

The air is fresh in the early morning forest bathing. It is also good to listen to the chirping of wild birds. 

The dense fog that rolls in from the trees is very mysterious. 

There is a huge zelkova tree on the way.　It is called Mitake no Jindai Keyaki.  According to one theory, the tree is over 1000 years old.

This giant zelkova tree is considered a sacred tree.

There are many temple lodgings in the mountains in this area, so staying overnight is recommended if you want to take your time and explore the area. In addition to the shrine, there are various destinations such as Rock Garden, Ayahiro Waterfall, Nanayo Waterfall, Mitakedaira, etc. 

The vivid green and soft moss is mysterious and beautiful.

Mitake Gorge Trail

Here along Mitake Gorge Trail,
large rocks and precipices combine
with greenery and clear streams,
creating an abundance of nature.

On the way back, it is good to walk instead of using the bus.
After exiting the torii gate at the entrance of the mountain,
there is a promenade along the Mitake Valley.

There is a Mitake Gorge Trail. It takes 3 hours to walk the entire course.  The sidewalk is narrow, so be careful not to fall. 

The sidewalk is narrow, so be careful not to fall.

The valley is also a mecca for rafting (rapid rafting on rubber boats) and canoeing. Thankfully, there are toilets along the way. 

There are several toilets along the trail.
The toilets are well maintained and comfortable.

There are also cafes and restaurants along the valley where you can enjoy the scenery. I especially recommend Sawanoien. There are sake breweries, sake tasting, kaiseki cuisine (a traditional Japanese multi-course meal), cafes, and galleries, etc.

There is an entrance to Sawanoien
from Mitake Gorge Trail near Sawanoi Station.

It's easy and comfortable to buy a meal ticket for
rice balls, oden, udon, soy milk, sake, etc.
from a vending machine,
and eat at a table with a parasol
while enjoying the natural scenery.

At this garden’s café,
you can enjoy soymilk latte and soymilk cheesecake
while overlooking the clear stream.

Summary

The area around Musashi‐Mitake‐Jinja Shrine is a mysterious area that is easily accessible from central Tokyo. When I go there, I feel like the unnatural time that I was used to is returned to nature. Life is not that long, so I want to spend more time enjoying the nature of the earth.