After completing the Otama Walking Trail, I took the bus to Lake Okutama. My goal was to walk the Ikoi trail to the floating bridge but the path was closed for repair. It had also started to rain very hard on the way there so I cut the visit short.
The Otama Walking Trail is a nice and easy 8km trail in Okutama, in western Tokyo. It follows the valley formed by the Tama River from Kori station to Okutama station. I had already followed the section of the trail in Hatonosu Valley last autumn but I came back for the whole trail in spring. It took me about 3.5 hours to reach Okutama.
Continuing the hike from Hinohara Village to Lake Okutama. After Mount Mito, I stayed in the Tokyo Citizens’ Forest (Tomin-no-Mori) and went down towards Mito Waterfall then continued to Lake Okutama. Check Part 1 for the map.
A few days after my hike to Mount Usuki and Mount Jinba, I went back to Hinohara Village: This time, I took the trail to Mount Sengenrei (浅間嶺). After the summit, I kept walking on the Sengen Ridge (浅間尾根) until I reached Hinohara Tokyo Citizens’ Forest (檜原都民の森; Hinohara Tomin-no-Mori) and Mount Mito (三頭山), which I had already climbed starting from Lake Okutama. After that I went down to the Visitor Center, enjoying the Forest Therapy Road and the sight of the Mito Waterfall (三頭大滝; Mito Otaki). When I set out in the morning, I had planned to stop there but there was still a bit of time before sunset so I decided to keep going all the way to Lake Okutama (奥多摩湖), going up again through Mount Toishi (砥山) and Mount Tsukiyomi (月夜見山) before going down to the lake through the camping grounds of the Mountain Hometown Village (山のふるさと村; Yama-no-Furusato Mura). I then crossed the lake at the Floating Bridge (浮橋; Ukihashi) and waited for the bus on the other side.
A couple of weeks ago, I went to Okutama in western Tokyo on a hike to Mount Otake and Mount Mitake.
At 2,017m, Mount Kumotori (雲取山) is the highest mountain in Tokyo. The peak actually stands at the boundaries of Tokyo, Yamanashi Prefecture and Saitama Prefecture. I went there on a day-hike a few weeks ago. I basically followed the plan outlined here (with map).
A Peace Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa. It is designed to inspire peace and to help unite people of all races and creeds in their search for world peace. Most peace pagodas built since World War II have been built under the guidance of Nichidatsu Fujii, a Buddhist monk from Japan and founder of the Nipponzan-Myohoji Buddhist Order. Fujii was greatly inspired by his meeting with Mahatma Gandhi in 1931 and decided to devote his life to promoting non-violence. In 1947, he began constructing Peace Pagodas as shrines to World peace.
The Tokyo Peace Pagoda was inaugurated in August 1974 at the summit of Mount Odera (大寺山; 960m) near Lake Okutama. Not sure why or when it was abandoned. I had a first glimpse of the pagoda when I went to Mount Gozen a few weeks ago and I had no idea what it was: It seemed like a large structure (actually 45m in height and 55m of diameter) but there was no mention of it on maps or tourism pamphlets. So I went to see for myself after I got down from Mount Mito. The trail starts between Mito Bridge and Miyama Bridge on Lake Okutama. It takes about 50min to the summit. After getting back to Lake Okutama, I crossed the Miyama Bridge and waited for the bus back to Okutama JR station.
A couple of weeks ago, I hiked Mount Mito (三頭山; 1531m). It was my last of the “Three Mountains of Okutama”.
After getting down from Mount Tsukiyomi, I walked the Ikoi trail (奥多摩湖いこいの路). It is a mostly flat path that follows the south bank of Lake Okutama from the Ogouchi Dam to the Yama-no-Furusato Village. The autumn colors were quite nice in the sunset. Very relaxing after the mountains! Although I only did a short section, the whole trail takes about 4 hours.
After the Village, the Ikoi trail gives way to the Lakeside Path (湖畔の小道), which ends at the floating Mugiyama-no-Ukihashi (麦山の浮橋) bridge (aka Drum Bridge). The bridge takes walkers across the lake, next to the Ogouchi Shrine on the north bank. However, it is sometimes removed in case of drought (this blog should have some up-to-date info on closures).
Mount Gozen (御前山; 1407m) and Mount Tsukiyomi (月夜見山; 1147m) are mountains bordering Lake Okutama (奥多摩湖), in Okutama in western Tokyo. With Mount Odake and Mount Mito, Mount Gozen is one of the so-called Three Mountains of Okutama (奥多摩三山).