This was a short day-hike we did back in May but hadn’t got round to looking at the pictures. The course traverses three peaks (三山 means ‘three mountains’) in the Okutama range west of Tokyo and there are some nice views (well, from two of them anyway). It’s not a very difficult hike – basically a walk through the woods – but hey it’s not concrete (mostly) and it’s quite pleasant. The official course goes from Ikusabata Station to Mitake Station but we went the other way – rather than start with a long slog up a concrete slope we ended by coming down it. It’s much nicer to plunge straight up the mountain when you are still fresh and can really enjoy it.
This is the start from Mitake Station:
The course then quickly rises and continues through the forest:
Mountains have always been considered sacred places in Japan and you often small shrines dedicated to them:
The view from the second peak (the first one didn’t have much of a view at all):
The third peak:
A well-protected bus-stop on the way down:
There was some kind of F1 race on as well:
Travels on a Small Island 