Whether you’re a first time visitor or a long term resident Tokyo’s rural Oku-tama district should rank high on your itinerary. Blessed with a wealth of natural wonders ranging from lush green forests to picturesque pastoral villages, this mountainous area becomes something of a winter wonderland as the snow covered landscape will leave you wanting to come back for more.
The course
With such an excellent array of hiking courses on offer, the most difficult part about coming here is deciding on which one to do. An excellent option for anyone interested in doing some serious walking should be the Mount Mitake to Mount Hinode hiking course. Starting off at Kori Station and ending at Ikutsubashi Station (four stops along the same line), this five hour hike traverses two of Okutama’s most famous mountains and stops by the famous Mitake Shrine, offering the perfect blend of nature, culture and history.
The Hike
From Kori Station walk down the steep slope and cross over towards the convenience store then follow the road on your left that passes over a large bridge. From here continue on for about 10 minutes until you see a wooden sign for Mount Mitake, (written in both English and Japanese).
For the next few minutes you will enter a small residential area before ascending up a narrow path that enters a forest. Almost immediately you will see a large metal gate which is the trail head! As you close this heavy metal gate and leave civilization behind, the trail in front begins a steep zigzag up along a narrow series of forest paths. Although this is the most strenuous part of the hike, the early morning winter sun provides a great source of inspiration as the bright rays pierce through the dense forest canopy.
Towards Mount Mitake
For the next two hours continue up along this path and follow the numerous signs for Mitake (御岳山), until you reach a white concrete mountain hut. From here take the trail to the right where almost immediately you will see Mount Mitake on your left which is now about 30 minutes away. Just before reaching this peak, the trail will suddenly enter a small village also known as Mitake, containing many small picturesque houses, shops and inns. If you have time, the nearby Mitake Shrine is well worth paying a visit to!
Mount Hinode
Whenever you're ready to resume the hike you can easily reconnect with the trail by returning back to the main shopping street and following the signs for Mount Hinode (日の出山). Several minutes later the path will then form into a Y junction with the route you want located on the right.
For the next 40 minutes the hike will traverse a narrow forested ridgeline providing some much-needed solitude before reaching the impressive but rather crowded summit of Mount Hinode. Standing at 902 meters tall, this peak provides some excellent views where on clear days it is possible to see Tokyo Skytree in the distance.
The final leg
Once you have admired the impressive views, follow the signs for Futamatao Station, (二俣尾駅) via Mount Mimuro (三室山), for the final part of this hike. After about 30 minutes you should reach a cross junction where it is possible to carry straight on towards Futamato Station or cut to the left for Ikusabata Station, (軍畑駅). With both trails taking about 90 minutes to complete I opted for the later and found myself traversing down a barren ridgeline which then entered a partially abandoned mountain road. During this final part of the hike I didn’t see anyone else until reaching Ikusabata Station which is located on the other side of the river.
From the top of Itsubashi’s raised platform, you can gaze down leisurely at the mighty Tama River below whilst admiring the impressive mountains you’ve just hiked when looking up. As the JR Ome Line takes you back to civilization, Okutama's dramatic landscape will gradually fade into the distance but remain engrained in your memory for a long time.
