A visit to Mitakesan, Tokyo

Hello my friends!! It’s been ages since I updated my blog… Well with no more Hikyo episodes left, there’s no helping it I guess…

But today I’m going to share with you a very nice and unique experience I had yesterday… I went to Mitakesan (Mount Mitake), located at the western side of Tokyo.

If you have watched “Tamaki Hiroshi no hikyo furueai kikou” or by any chance read my English reports on this blog, you may remember Tamaki san’s trip to Mitakesan and Okutama. In case you don’t, you can take a quick look at my reports:

Okutama (Part 1)

Okutama (Part 2)

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Going to Mitakesan is really not that difficult even if you are visiting the country for a short time. If you start your trip from Shibuya or Shinjuku in the center of Tokyo, first you have to get to Oume station (by Chuuou Line) and then change to another train heading for Okutama. And you can get off at Mitake station after going for about 15 minutes. At Mitake station, you can either walk to Takimoto station (Cable car), which will take almost 40 minutes of your time, or you can get on a bus and have a 10 minutes ride to the station. Just as an example, I will write down the route from Shinjuku and the costs…

Shinjuku station: Get on the Chuuou line heading for Oume. Almost 1 hour and 5 minutes ride, costing you 800 yen. At Oume station, get on the Oume line heading for Okutama. Get off at Mitake station. It will be about 20 minutes ride, costing you 170 yen. At Mitake station, get out of the train station and go to the bus station nearby (There are signs or you can just follow people since almost everyone is heading to the same place), it will be a 10 minutes ride, costing you 280 yen. Get off at the last station, Takimoto station will be right there if you walk for 2-3 minutes.

As you get off the bus and start walking toward the station, you will notice that you have seen this place before…

hmmm? Yes! Tamaki san started his journey from the very same spot!

After walking a few minutes, the main building of the station and the Ticket selling area will appear in front of your eyes!

It’s very easy to get the ticket even if you are not Japanese or can’t understand any Japanese. There is always someone helping out the travelers buying the tickets.

Tamaki san of course used the same Ticket selling machines to get his own. A two-way ticket will cost you 1110 yen. Yeah it’s expensive!! But it’s worth it.

If you are Japanese or live in Japan, rest aside… Passmo and Suica can be used as well!

After getting your ticket, you will enter the waiting area and if it’s too crowded, make a line to get your tickets checked before getting on the cable car.

There you have time to enjoy standing on the same spot Tamaki san was standing at! ^^

He went there 2 years ago and some signs and boards have changed since his visit.. but it’s the same place of course!

After getting your tickets checked, you can walk into the platform…

Unfortunately, the cars have changed since 2 years have passed…

But it’s the same place with the same railway…

Me and my friend gave up on sitting on the comfortable sits in the car, and went to the very very front space of the train so that we can see the railway…

Well I copied Tamaki san because I Wanted to see the same view he did… now I know it was smart of him to pick the best spot while everyone else is aiming for the seats!! 😀

After going for less than 5 minutes, we reached the Mitakesan station and got off the cable car.

As soon as we got out of the station, I noticed that it’s the very same place I saw in Hikyo…

Of course with a few small changes…

Like these photo shoot spaces…

Remember how they were when Tamaki san visited the place? He even made a joke about them XD

Then of course we went to the same spot where you can have a look at Central Tokyo…

I remember he made a joke here as well 😀 about the actual places of the famous buildings and how surrealistic the information is…. He must be a very fun partner for journeys like this… ^^making you feel relax and laugh once and then!

After that we went to get on the lift… one of the things I was really looking forward to do!

Just like Tamaki san did, we bought two-way tickets and got on…

As small as it may be, somehow the color of the seat I hopped on, was the same blue color he got on 😀 Of course totally by chance because you cannot choose!

But the numbers didn’t match… so stay calm! I wasn’t sitting on the same!!! >_< Zannen

The lift is really fun… it’s actually very close to the surface of the ground… well for a shortie like me there was no problem…

But my friend who is taller than me, said that her feet did actually touch the ground in some areas XD And I cannot stop wondering about Tamaki san’s feet since he is even taller than my friend… But he was happily waving them around in the air with no doubt!! XD

It was fun… but too short >_<

We got off at the same spot he did, and continued our journey…

Coming out… suddenly a beautiful forest way appears in front of you… you can look at the map and decide which way to go… but of course if you want to go the way he did, you should follow the signs guiding you to the “Musashi Mitake Shrine”.

It’s a not very long way in the heart of the mountain with lots of beauties…Exactly where he was walking…

Going for almost 10 minutes (If you stop and take photos it may take longer), you will reach to the place where it leads you to the valley…

Tamaki san took the same way of course…

And I remember he was surprised to see the road ending all of a sudden and let you enter the valley!!

As you walk just for 2-3 minutes, you will find the place where Tamaki san was talking to the old lady and the delivery man!

I even saw the same person doing the delivery again… not here but some other place in the village ^^

Just a few steps from this spot (To the right) was the old building which I was really looking forward to see…

but…

Under construction T_T   When Tamaki san visited the place, it wasn’t like this of course.

Too bad!!! Maybe next time >_<

anyway… keep following the route to the shrine…

The road to the top can actually become a sharp steep in some areas… and it can be slippery if you go after a rainfall with all the leaves on the ground XD So be careful!

As you keep going… you’ll get to another familiar place…

Remember? This is where Tamaki san met that gentleman all by himself walking with his camera! ^^

I didn’t remember the fact that he actually put his hand on those fences XD But I did touch all of them just as I was fooling around while talking to my friend!! hehehe totally by chance of course but seeing this made me happy last night! <- baka!

After walking all the way to the top (It can be tough in some parts but it’s really fun)… We got to this spot…

Remember? Tamaki san paused here and looked at the small shopping district in front of him with a set of sparkling eyes…

Yes this tiny but very cute and warm place…

Selling the local products or serving the travelers with delicious foods and drinks…

And of course you know where our next destination should be!!

YES! Chimotoya (千本屋)… The shop where Tamaki san paused and got attracted by the photo of a bear at the entrance area.

We entered the place and greeted the lady who was the same person who welcomed Tamaki san on the same day… Then we found his photo and his sign on the wall and I asked my friend to sit at the table next to his photo… surprisingly… I noticed another photo which was taken 2 months later!! I think I heard a friend saying something about another photo but I had totally forgotten about it…

As soon as the lady came to our table (I was still looking at the photo without sitting XD) I asked her about the other photo and she smiled and told me that he visited here again 2 months after the day they came here with the shooting team. He had two of his friends with him and of course in his private style outfit ❤️ Sorry I cannot share the photo on my blog!!

Then after I calmed down XD We ordered hot coffee. When Tamaki san visited the shop for Hikyo shooting, the lady told him that they make the coffee with the fresh water they bring from the mountain, then Tamaki san asks her: “So Ice coffee will be tasty as well, right?” and the lady said: “Yes… but you will get to know the real taste if you have it hot…” Tamaki san who hardly ever changes his mind when he decides on something, ordered ice coffee anyway and made every one laugh!

But since I’m not like him XD I ordered hot coffee (Well it was still summer when he first came here in September 2014)… The coffee was super tasty and very refreshing!

We also received some extra snacks and even some Japanese tsukemono which I ate before taking a photo >__< Sorry! BTW, the red ones are dried tomato and I loved them… bought a package as a souvenir for myself! XD

The Chimotoya lady was super nice and talked to us a little bit… then said: “Do you want to see the Bear? I’ll get it out of the box for you!” XD THANK YOU!!

Do you remember the Bear?

Yes! This is the one she was talking about… if you read my report (Part one) you will get the story 😀  She took it out because of us and put it on the same spot where she did for Tamaki san.

The bear looks kinda scary if you look directly into his face… and his claw, and the sharp nails… Tamaki san touched them in Hikyo and said that it must be very painful being attacked by these nails…

So I did the same thing and tried touching them! They are still super sharp! Interesting thing is, the nails of his feet were not that sharp probably because he needs his hand to be his weapon!

While we were drinking our coffee, a customer entered the shop and actually screamed seeing the bear!!! hahahaha everyone laughed out loud. We also got to talk to some visitors taking rest at the same place and amazingly, I found a Japanese lady who had travelled to my country some years ago and talked about it a little bit ^^ Tamaki san always brings me enjoyment, laughter and nice meetings!! Thank you!

After resting enough at Chimotoya, we thanked the lady and told her that we are planning to go to the waterfall where Tamaki san went to get the fresh water for her…

She actually gave us another map and advised us to take the easier way and get there faster since it was getting late.

So we started moving again… heading to the shrine, then taking the way beside the shrine to the “Tengu no iwa”, “the Rock Garden” and our destination, “Ayahiro no taki”.

It was long… but beautiful!

Having in mind that Tamaki san walked this way as well… and not even once, but twice! I got the energy to move forward… walking while enjoying the special bread my friend has made for us… thank you !

This is the place where he took his best shot wth his camera… remember?

Walking and walking… we reached the place where the “Tengu no iwa” is.

Tamaki san actually climbed up the Rock on that day… but it was too slippery so we didn’t have the courage to do the same… and well no time to have a long stop…

So we kept on moving toward the waterfall…

We reached to the spot where Tamaki san met up with the Chimotoya lady who came through a different road riding her bike.

From here on, it gets tough in some areas! It’s all rocks, slippery steps and going up and up with all your might.

But if you are not in a hurry and you have time to spend on your way to the waterfall… it can be super beautiful… as you can see in the photo I took ↑

After going up for probably 20 minutes or something…

The waterfall suddenly appears in front of your eyes and surprises you with its beauty…

With the tori (Gate) right in front of it…

The water is cold and very clean and refreshing!

I’m glad we could visit the place in autumn… well this must be almost the same landscape Tamaki san got to see during his second visit to the place (November 2014)!

The water flow was stronger and more beautiful in September though…

And this is how far we got to go! We couldn’t go to Okutama this time but hopefully some other time in the future, I will try to visit there as well.

Walking and walking in the nature… you really absorb a lot of power and energy… breath the clean air and enjoy the sound of the wind moving the leaves or the branches of the trees…

But I really respect Tamaki san and the Hikyo shooting team, for all the hardship they endured for each episode they provided for us. I still have pain in the back of my legs and feel super tired even though I only went the half way. It must have been tough… sorry for noticing that now XD Too late!!

Thank you everyone for reading this until the end… and a special TAHNK YOU to my dear friend who accompanied me in this journey… and an APOLOGY for making her go all the way to the waterfall XD

AND a GREAT GREAT thank you to Tamaki san for opening my eyes to the hidden beauties of Japan!! My beloved second home! ^^

Hope to see you around very soon!!!

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玉木宏の秘境ふれあい紀行

The broadcast has stopped.

BS Asahi, 2014.10.02～2015.09.24

Every Thursday at 23:00

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