Recently I’ve been trying to get out and get more hiking done in and around Tokyo so each time I get to do something, I’ll try and write up a quick summary for you so if you’re interested, you can have a go at it too.

The route

The route I took was Mitake-san (御岳山) → Ōdake-san (大岳山) → Nokogiri-yama (鋸山) → Okutama (奥多摩).  This region is as far West in the Tokyo prefecture as you can go before leaving Tokyo.

The nature of the trail was described as easy-medium in the Lonely Planet Guide, and for my inexperience and fitness level I found it to be closer to the medium.  Much of the trail was easy walking/hiking without too much challenge, though much of it could be a little steep at times.  There are areas closer to the peak of Ōdake-san, on both sides, that it gets quite rocky feeling more like a climb than a hike… but there’s nothing too dangerous about it though.  Since it was raining the day(s) beforehand, it could be a little risky without the appropriate footwear.

From the top of Ōdake-san you can then follow along the ridge of the mountains towards Nokogiri-yama which is itself a very pleasant hike with beautiful surroundings within the cedar wood forest.  Nokogiri is not as high as Mitake but the trail is as you’d expect it to be: full of uphill and downhill sections but not as much of a rock climbing feel as that for Mitake.  There isn’t much fanfare at the top of Nokogiri and with the surrounding vegetation there isn’t much in the way of a clear view of the valley.

Making your way from Nokogiri to Okutama (station) is mostly a downhill trek, though some areas are quite rocky and demand the use of chains that have been bolted into the rock to help you through the more tricky areas.  Other than these sections, that follow closely after the Nokogiri peak, the trail is quite a pleasant challenge to unseasoned hikers.

The trail ends in Okutama with a shrine and a serious of steps down to the main Okutama valley below.  Once you hit the main road, the main town can be reached by taking a left.

How to get there

It’s easy to get there, especially on the weekend and public holidays.  JR operates a holiday train (ホリデー快速) service that will take you straight from Shinjuku (新宿) as far out as Okutama without the need to change trains.  In JR Shinjuku station this line typically leaves from Platform 7 and will take roughly 90mins to reach Mitake (御岳) station.

If you’re taking this trip without the convenience of the holiday express line, take the following route:

1. 新宿 → 立川 (中央線) / Shinjuku → Tachikawa (Chuō line)
2. 立川 → 青梅 (青梅線) / Tachikawa → Ōme (Ōme line)
3. 青梅 → 御岳 (青梅線) / Ōme → Mitake (Ōme line)

Sometimes the train you take on step 2 runs into 3 depending on the schedule, otherwise you’ll have to change train in Ōme.

Once you arrive at Mitake, you exit the station and take a very short walk down the road to the left and take the bus the bus bound for Takimoto (滝本).  After a short (~10min) ride you’ll arrive at the cable car station.  You have the option to take an hour walk to the upper station, or take the cable car.  Upon arrival at the upper station, follow the path called ‘Main Street’ and walk through the village until you reach the steps leading to the shrine at the top of Mitake-san.  You can visit the shrine at the top and/or take the trail that branches off to the left halfway up to begin the hike proper.

From there, you make your way over Ōdake-san, Nokogiri-yama and then down to Okutama.  Though many signs along the way are bilingual, it’s worth noting the Japanese for them in case you’re stuck.  You may also pick up an English map in the visitors centre in the village.

Facts

Route: Mitake-san (御岳山) → Ōdake-san (大岳山) → Nokogiri-yama (鋸山) → Okutama (奥多摩)

Mitake-san: 929m

Ōdake-san: 1267m

Nokogiri-yama: 1109m

Time for the whole hike: 4~6 hours.

Total distance: ~12km

The 'Daibutsu'

It’s long-since been regarded as a great 1-day trip out of Tokyo.  This is nothing new for anyone who has lived in Tokyo for a while and it’s typically one of the first places ex-pat residents will visit, and a noticeable omission from any guide book.  So why is this the case?  Is it worth heading out?

Kamakura city lies about 50km south of Tokyo in Kanagawa Prefecture (神奈川県).  It is on the coast and surrounded on all sides by mountains.  There’s some important history surrounding Kamakura, including most significantly that it was the political capital of Japan from the 12th century during the Kamakura period.  You can check out much more about the history and more at Wiki.

What is there to see and do?

Temples.  Lots of them.  If you like visiting Buddhist temples or Shinto Shrines you’re going to love Kamakura.  One in particular dates back over 1200 years and there are 23 historic sites proposed for inclusion in Unesco’s World Heritage Sites list.

Of particular noteworthy mention is the iconic ‘Great Buddha’ – an outdoor, bronze statue of Amida Buddha – otherwise known as the ‘Daibutsu’ (大仏).

If hunting down temples/shrines is not your idea of fun, and you enjoy a more active past-times, then there’s also several hiking trails through the surrounding countryside as well as many other places that can be reached by bicycle.  Bicycles can be hired from several places in the area (typically at the train stations).

3 hiking trails you can follow are:

• a trail from Jōchiji Temple (浄智寺) in Kitakamakura (北鎌倉) leads to the Great Buddha over the western hills. 60~90 minutes
• a trail from Kenchōji Temple (建長寺) in Kitakamakura leads to both Kakuonji and Zuisenji over the northern hills. 60~120 minutes (depending on whether you goto Kakuonji or Zuisenji)
• a trail connects Myohonji Temple (妙本寺), Yagumo Shrine, and Harakiri Yagura, over the eastern hills.

Getting there and around

Kamakura is very well connected.  You can take either the JR Yokosuka line (横須賀線) Shinagawa/Tokyo, or the Saikyō line (埼京線) from Ebisu/Osaki.  The journey lasts no longer than 50 minutes and costs about 780 yen at the time of writing.  That’s quite fast and at a great price.

From Kamakura station, there is the very local monorail called the Enoden line (江ノ島電鉄 – Enoshima-Dentetsu) connecting to Fujisawa (藤沢) in the west.  Along the way are several points of interest including the Diabutsu (at Hase station), and also Enoshima island (at Enoshima station).

An alternative to taking JR to Kamakura is to use the Odakyu railway.  This leaves from Shinjuku station in Tokyo and brings you to Fujisawa, allowing you to connect then to the Enoden railway.  An option here is the ‘Enoshima Kamakura Free Pass’ at 1430 yen, that will afford you unlimited use of the Enoden line once you arrive.  Depending on how much you intend to travel around the area by train in a single day, this may or may not save you money.

Further information and recommendations.

To come : )

Recently I have become very conscious about what foods I eat, especially when eating out.  If possible now I aim for the vegetarian option, and where the option exists, I shoot for the organic / macrobiotic catering restaurants.  The whys and wherefors for this can be followed on my personal blog as I explore and write more about this subject, but for the purposes of this article, I’m going to stick to how we can aim for this in Japan.

What is organic food?

For a good primer on what organic food really is, just check out Wiki.  Basically it’s food that has been grown/produced and certified to a very specific set of standards – typicially (though not always) restricting the use of inorganic pesticides, insecticides and herbicides and where animals are concerned, prohibiting the use of growth hormone and antibiotics.

The merits of this can be discussed over and over, but consider the idea that at the turn of the 20th century there was no such thing as ‘organic food’.  Everything we eat, unless we consciously select our foods carefully, is infused with the toxins and waste that comes from the liberal use of these chemicals.  This has significant implications for your health as your body works to metabolize these and it’s worth factoring this into your diet.

Is organic really better for you?  Well while there are no studies that categorically prove this fact, but simple reasoning and intuitive logic tells us that organic foods lacking these toxins are better for us in the long run given that we don’t consume them.

If you haven’t already, it’s worth checking out the podcast and blog, ‘Stuff you should know’ – more specifically, they have a recent production pertaining to organic foods.  It’s a great intro and full of useful facts and information.

Does Japan have organic food standards?

Yes: Japan Agricultural Standard (JAS).

Foods that are labeled with their logo have met the required production standards.  A lot of information can be found here on these.

For your reference, “organic” in the Japanese language is either denoted by 有機 (yuuki) or オーガニック (ōganikku)

Where are all the healthy food options in Japan?

I’ve made it a mission of mine recently to sample and document as many of these as I can, and create a Google map of what I have found.  Through my research I have been provided with a link to a site (currently in Japanese only) that has heaps of places documented that are healthy options – though not all are necessarily organic (see below).

In the last week I have tried 2 places from the site and they were fantastic!  One was organic/macrobiotic, and the other was a vegetarian Indian.  The former was amazingly delicious and well prepared, with a great atmosphere and discounts for 10+ parties.  The latter was a lovely art-filled restaurant with great curries and nan.  Both had great service and friendly staff… but then, it is Japan afterall.  The two I have tried so far are (both have English site links):

• Gaya, Minami-Aoyama branch (我や, 南青山店): http://www.gaya.co.jp
• Nataraj, Ginza branch (銀座店): http://www.nataraj.co.jp/

Restaurants aside, shopping for organic produce in Japan is not the easiest and you generally have to by-pass your local supermarket chains, though not always.  Metropolis ran an article this week about an organic food importer which is worth checking out to get an idea of how far along (behind?) Japan is right now.  But things are changing.  Keep an eye-out as you browse the supermarket for food labeled organic as they are becoming increasingly more common.

Links

The site with all the links to restaurants that fit the organic/vegetarian bill is:

• オーガニック、ベジタリアンレストランガイド (Organic, Vegetarian Guide): http://www.yogainfo.jp/restaurant_guide/

For more information on the organic certifications relating to Japan, you can do a google search for it, or check out some of these links:

• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF)
• NASAA

I hope this helps open up some new ideas for your healthy eating habits!

There are quite a few public holidays in Japan… there are some special days though which are not national public holidays but are typically taken as holidays by the Japanese.  Below is a quick list of the dates for official national holidays. 

• January, 1st: New Year’s Day
• January, the 2nd Monday: Coming of Age Day
• February, 11th: National Foundation Day
• March, 20th or 21st: Spring Equinox Day
• April, 29th: Showa Day
• May, 3rd: Constitution Memorial Day
• May, 4th: Greenery Day
• May, 5th: Children’s Day
• June: no national holiday
• July, 3rd: Ocean Day
• August: no national holiday (see below)
• September, the 3rd Monday: Respect for the Aged Day
• September, 23rd: Autumn Equinox Day
• October, the 2nd Monday: Sports Day
• November, 3rd: Culture Day
• November, 23rd: Labour Thanksgiving Day
• December, 23rd: The Current Emperor’s Birthday

Two noteworthy holidays are Golden Week and Obon. Golden Week is the common term used by the Japanese to refer to the string of holidays at the beginning of May, and usually includes the single day at the end of April depending on when it falls.  It is very common at this time for the Japanese to take vacation as it’s 3 congruent days that they all have off.  This is good and bad… the bad being that traveling in and around this time incurs a premium.  Expect to pay significant more on flights and accommodation during this period.

The other significant period in the Japanese calendar is in mid-late August, 13th ~ 16th and is called the Bon Festival.  There is however no official national public holiday at this time, but it is at this point that many Japanese will take their summer vacation.  It is based on the Buddhist tradition whereby ancestors’ spirits return to their homes to be reunited with their family.  Clearly a very important event in the Japanese family calendar and many will take vacation from work to go home for this.

Any visitor to Japan, or to any other South-East Asian country, will be familiar with the sights of a Buddhist Temple or two, or four, or ten…  Possibly, you’ve gone to a few Temple sites, taken them in and been ready to jump off the next Pagoda that dares to greet you.  There is sometimes too much of a good thing.

That said however, if you’re a visitor to Japan and the thought of visiting more Temples isn’t too traumatic for you, then the next thing left to do is to stay in one.  The place to do this, is Kōya-san.

What is there to do

Kōya-san, as of 1994, is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Sight and is found in Wakayama Prefecture, south of Osaka.  It is a small town nestled within a valley surrounded by 8 mountainous peaks, 800 metres above sea level.  More than 120 temples may be found in the area, many of which offer lodgings for pilgrims and tourists alike.  There are a couple of prime sites to visit within the town, all of which can be accessed with a short walk and alternatively by bicycle and bus.  These include:

• Okunoin [奥の院] – the mausoleum for the founder of Shingon Buddhism, surrounded by Japan’s largest graveyard
• Kongōbu-ji Temple [金剛峰寺] – the headquarters for Shingon; also containing a large rock garden (Banryutei)
• Garan [伽藍] – a temple complex containing various structures, including Konpondaito Pagoda [根本大塔], a 48.5m high Pagoda

Of note, is the Okunoin graveyard.  There is something strangely tranquil about this area through which you can walk.  It has it own unique atmosphere that is enhanced in the dusk and early evening when the lanterns that line the main path are lit.

How to get there

The journey to the town of Kōya-san is part of the whole experience.  It involves a local train that travels upwards through the mountain providing beautiful scenic views for about an hour, followed by a 5 minute, particularly steep, cable car ride.  This is then followed by a 10~15 minute bus journey into town.  The only way into town from this cable car station is by bus since cars and pedestrians are forbidden from traveling along the first section of road.

Taking, for example, a journey from Osaka, this is what you would do:

• From Osaka/Umeda [大阪・梅田] take Midousuji Subway Line [営御堂筋線] to
• Namba [なんば]; change to Nankai Koya-san Express Line [南海高野線急行] to
• Hashimoto [橋本]; cross the platform for Nankai Koya-san Local Line [南海高野線] to
• Gokurakubashi [極楽橋], then take Nankai Koya-san Cable Car [南海高野山ケーブル]
• From the top, you then select your bus, either 1, 2 or 3 to take you into town.

Where to stay

The point is really to stay in one of the temple lodgings in town (Shukubo [宿坊]).  Recently the main temples formed together to fix prices in the town to approximately 10,000-yen per person, per night.  This includes dinner and breakfast and it should be noted that meals are generally vegetarian with no meat or fish.  Acclimatised palettes will probably enjoy this sort of meal, but otherwise you may find it quite challenging.

Also, as part of the experience you may be asked, though it’s not compulsory, to partake in some work in the morning or more likely to be present at the morning ceremoney.  This will involve getting up to the morning bell at around 6am~6:30am and making your way promptly to the designated area.  Breakfast will usually follow.

Please check our Accommodation (on the way) section for more information.

Alternatively, you can stay at Koyasan Youth Hostel.

Points of note

The following are a few salient points to keep in mind:

• You will want to be arriving in Koya-san early in the day and a typical journey from Osaka can take up to 2.5hrs.  To find a timetable that suits you and to lay out the route you will take, please use the English tool Hyperdia and enter the start and destination (‘koyasan’) points.
• The train taken from Namba [なんば] station can either be the standard express train which (at the time of writing) will cost you 1230-yen and take you all the way to the buses at the top, or you may board a Special Express [快速急行] line that doesn’t require you to change platforms at Hashimoto.  You will however have to pay an extra fare for the priviledge.
• When you board any bus, you do so from the back door [入口] and exit the front [出口], paying on the way out.  There’ll be a machine providing a numbered ticket as you board.  Make sure and pick it up so that when the bus arrives at your destination, you and the driver can easily guage the cost of the fare as detailed on the electronic board at the front of the bus beside the bus driver.  Without the ticket, the fare will be the highest (left-most) number on the board.  Note that when boarding at a terminal, for example at Koyasan train station, there will be no tickets issued – you simply pay the fare detailed left-most on the board at the time when you disembark.

More Info / References

• Official Kōya-san website: English / Japanese
• Wikipedia