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A pilgrim village on a mountaintop, a shrine to the wolf god, and a valley of mossy boulders and waterfalls below it, all inside the city limits of Tokyo and an easy train ride from Shinjuku.
Mitake-san feels much further from Tokyo than it is. A cable car lifts you to a village of thatched and timber pilgrim lodges, where people have come to worship for more than a thousand years.
At the top, Musashi-Mitake shrine sits at 929 metres, guarded by Ōguchi-no-Magami, the wolf deity, which is why people bring their dogs to be blessed. From behind the shrine, a trail drops into the Rock Garden, a stream valley of moss-covered boulders under the cedars, between two waterfalls, Nanayo and Ayahiro, the second a place for misogi purification under the falling water.
Fitter walkers can add the rocky climb to Mount Odake, 1,266 metres, with a view towards Fuji. Some pilgrim lodges take overnight guests, with vegetarian shōjin cooking. The Sawanoi sake brewery is two stations down the valley.
A loop from the cable car top station; walk down instead of riding to stretch it out.
A short bus ride from Mitake station to Takimoto, then the steep cable car up to Mitakesan station at about 830 metres.
Walk past the lodges and souvenir shops, past an ancient giant cedar, and up the stone steps to Musashi-Mitake shrine.
From the Nagaobana viewpoint, a steep trail descends to Nanayo falls, then joins the stream at the start of the Rock Garden.
The path follows the stream past moss-covered rocks under the cedars, the most beautiful stretch of the day. Ayahiro falls is at the far end.
Climb back to the village for the cable car down, or carry on to Mount Odake and descend to Okutama.
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JR Chuo line from Shinjuku to Tachikawa or Ome, then the Ome line to Mitake. Allow about 90 minutes; some weekend trains run direct.
The Mitake Tozan Railway runs every 20–30 minutes; buses from Mitake station connect with it.
A night in a shukubō pilgrim lodge lets you catch the morning prayers. Book ahead.
Tokyo practical notes →Wikimedia Commons photographs are used under their licences.
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