Climbing Takao

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One national holiday I done climbed a mountain...

it was some public holiday, I've forgotten which one, and so I went and climbed a mountain with the devestators and some of their work mates.

We arrived rather late and at Ikebukuro (somehow, in this massive station I found the guys extremly easily, just walked down the 1st set of stairs and there they were, not bad for 2nd busiest station in Tokyo), the back to Shinjuku (the busiest in the world/Tokyo) and from there headed out west.

Somehow mid journey organised a rendez-vous with Alex who still didn't 'keitai ga arimasu' yet at The Chof' and we continued on. As it was autumn and a public holiday, half of Tokyo also decided to climb Takau, and the train was crowded.

The mountain though was wonderful, there were lots of rather nice leaves changing colour and most people lined up to catch the cable car upwards while we elected to go on foot. By the long line was a monkey performing, we later saw him taking 5 by his car. Does he ride up front we wondered, or in a kids seat or how???


The walk up was wonderful, just dirt paths and beautiful nature, and not having to worry about snakes a bonus for me. Half way up was a view of Tokyo, pretty cool but it'd be great to have a really clear day. The walk was not too grueling and some oldies out there as well, only problem was the very end there were some steep stairs that grueled slightly, but we had heard rumours of a beer vending machine at the peak, so we pressed on. It did not exist

But there were some small restaurants and we did get that beer, and it was great. We relaxed up top for a while then walked back down, the down walk was quite different and easier (duh) and also much less people so quiter, some beautiful country up that way. A shrine half way down too.

We had beautiful soba at the bottom in a restuarant that made its own, I used the word 'durrie' and confused all.

On the way home, craving a brew Alex, Rob and I tried a bar Alex knew in Chofu, it was cool but very expensive unfortunately. Then it was home, James.



Japanese nature is really quite cool, for all the modernity associated with Japan and definately evident in Tokyo, just a little bit outside is nature and the Japanese definately love their nature. The forest we walked through was great, nice and old. And its great to experience a different ecosystem, but i feel less of an affinity with this one, something about the bush that is very different. But it was great.

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