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Takaosan by the Inariyama Trail | Choosing a Route and Eating Well, Guided by a Hiking Model

2025.03.08

"I'd like to start hiking — what should I climb first?" If someone asks me that, I say Takaosan (599 m) without hesitating. It's about an hour by train from central Tokyo, the trailhead is right outside the station, and a beginner can happily spend a whole day there.

The complication is that once you look it up, Takaosan turns out to have far more trails than you'd expect, and a lot of people get stuck at the very first question: which one do I walk? I was no different — the first time someone brought me here I simply followed the person in front of me, with no idea how many routes even existed.

So this time I climbed by the Inariyama trail, the route where you feel the nature most, and came down via Trail 4 into Trail 1 — my standard day plan. How to choose among Trails 1 to 6 and the Inariyama trail, what the Inariyama trail is actually like, what to carry for a day, and the view and the food at the top. I hope it makes a decent first step for anyone about to make their Takaosan debut.

What kind of mountain is Takaosan? The numbers

Takaosan stands at 599 metres in Hachioji, on the western side of Tokyo. Because it's roughly an hour by train from the centre of the city, around three million people visit each year — it's often described as the most-climbed mountain in the world. It also holds three stars in the Michelin Green Guide, and in recent years it has become extremely popular with visitors from overseas.

The gateway is Takaosanguchi, the last stop on the Keio Line. The station building, warm and full of exposed timber, was designed by the architect Kengo Kuma. Stepping off the platform, you already feel the day has begun.

Even on a weekday the area in front of the station is busy with hikers, which tells you everything about the access and the popularity. Being able to go on a whim is Takaosan's greatest strength.

The route in brief (up the Inariyama trail, down Trail 4 into Trail 1)

• Mountain and elevation: Takaosan, Hachioji, Tokyo / 599 m
• Ascent this time: Inariyama trail (the trailhead is immediately left of Kiyotaki cable car station)
• Descent this time: summit → Trail 4 → Trail 1
• Inariyama trail data: about 3.1 km, roughly 400 m of ascent, around 100 minutes up and 80 minutes down
• Access: a short walk from Takaosanguchi Station on the Keio Line
• Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆ (beginner-friendly, though the Inariyama trail is the most demanding of Takaosan's routes)

Takaosan gives you an unusual amount of freedom in how you climb it. If you'd rather not test your legs, the cable car or the chairlift takes you halfway up in one go; if you want to walk, you walk from the bottom. On this day we set off on foot at 9:20.

The seven routes beginners get stuck on — and why I chose Inariyama

Takaosan has numbered trails from Trail 1 to Trail 6, plus the Inariyama trail I walked here. Seven main options, in other words. Of course you hesitate the first time. Roughly speaking:

• Trail 1: the main pilgrimage path up to Yakuoin temple. Paved almost the whole way and the easiest walking — the standard choice
• Inariyama trail: a genuinely natural trail along the ridge on the southern side. Earth and tree roots underfoot the whole way, and reckoned the hardest route on the mountain
• The rest (Trails 2–6): each with its own character — a suspension bridge, a stream — and worth comparing once you've found your feet

For a first mountain, the paved and easy Trail 1 is the obvious answer. My reason for deliberately taking Inariyama was this: the times I'd been brought here before, I walked without knowing what the options were, and I wanted to go and find out for myself, on a path I hadn't done.

It would be a stretch to call myself a guide, but having actually walked several of the routes, I can now tell someone with confidence which one suits their fitness. If you're reasonably fit and want proper earth underfoot, the Inariyama trail is well worth it.

Walking the Inariyama trail

The Inariyama trailhead is immediately to the left of Kiyotaki cable car station. The sign says the first section is a steep run of steps and the second half eases off — which is exactly right. Steep steps appear straight away, followed by a path laced with tree roots. It feels like a different mountain from paved Trail 1, and there's real satisfaction in it.

We put our hands together at the small Inari shrine that gives the route its name and kept gaining height. There was thin mist that day, but the streets of Hachioji showed through gaps in the trees.

Eventually you reach the Inariyama viewpoint at 400 metres, where the view opens up and there's a good place to rest. Beyond that the trail becomes noticeably easier, with maintained steps and boardwalk sections. Walking a boardwalk one deliberate step at a time is its own small pleasure.

The thing I was quietly braced for was cedar pollen. The trail is lined with cedar almost the whole way, and early spring is the season, but I barely reacted while walking. My honest impression is that cedar pollen inside the forest may be less punishing than it is in the city — pollen is often said to get stirred back up off paved ground. Everyone's different, though, so if you're prone to it, bring a mask and your usual medication.

A way of walking that saves your legs — using the weight of your arms

Here's something I found myself doing on the way up. Fold your arms loosely in front of you as you walk.

With your arms hanging down, the weight of your hands quietly works against you and drains energy over time. Fold them so your shoulders — the deltoids — carry them instead, and it becomes surprisingly easier. The bokka, the professional load carriers who haul supplies up Japanese mountains, walk the same way, which I took as confirmation that it makes sense.

I first understood how much your hands weigh a few years ago, when an injury had my left arm in a sling. It was genuinely restful, and it made me realise how heavy an arm is. When you start to tire, try folding them. Even on a low mountain the difference is noticeable.

Is a 15 L pack enough? What I carried for the day

I brought a different pack from usual that day. Normally I use a 30 L Montbell — Montbell being the Japanese outdoor brand — but this time it was a 15 L Mammut. Half the volume, and yet everything I usually carry went in.

Specifically: rain shell, first aid kit, one meal, a change of clothes, a gas stove, and a litre of water. For a day on Takaosan that covers it comfortably. It surprised me how much a 15 L holds; if you're selective, you can walk very light.

One caveat. The compact pack I used has no hip belt, so all the weight sits on your shoulders. As the load grew, my shoulders started to ache in the second half. Even for a day out, you're walking 3.1 km, so it's worth not assuming any pack will do on an easy mountain — one that spreads the weight properly makes a real difference to how your body feels.

The view, the food, and the descent via Trail 4 and Trail 1

At the 599 m summit there's the Takaosan Visitor Center, and in clear weather the view takes in the towers of central Tokyo and Mt. Fuji. Half the fun of Takaosan is climbing while saying things like "it's warm enough today to eat curry at the top." There are plenty of places to eat at and around the summit, and food after exercise is in a class of its own.

And then there's the food the mountain is known for. Tororo soba — buckwheat noodles with grated yam — along the approach, tengu-yaki cakes filled with sweet bean paste, dango dumplings: the eating carries on well past the descent, and it's part of why this mountain is so loved. Walk, look at the view, eat well. Being able to have all three so easily is what makes Takaosan remarkable.

We came down as planned via Trail 4, which runs through fresh green forest and crosses the Miyama suspension bridge — a completely different character from the way up. Joining Trail 1, you pass through the imposing grounds of Takaosan Yakuoin, the centre of the mountain worship here, and continue down to the bottom. If your legs have had enough, you can pick up the cable car or the chairlift partway down Trail 1, which is a reassuring option to have.

A few notes on enjoying Takaosan safely

It's an easy mountain, but a few things make the day better.

• It's busy even on weekdays: this is the most-climbed mountain in the world, so expect company at any time. Leave room to pass and give way, and don't rush
• The Inariyama trail is real walking: if you arrive picturing paved Trail 1, the earth and roots may surprise you. Wear shoes with grip and set a pace you can hold
• Prepare for pollen season: the trail is mostly cedar. In early spring, a mask and your usual medication are worth packing
• Start early, finish early: with time in hand you get to eat slowly at the top and still enjoy the food at the bottom
• Basic kit even on an easy mountain: rain shell, snacks, water. And a pack that carries comfortably changes the whole day

What I took away

Takaosan is a generous mountain — the one that convinces you it's fine to start hiking casually. Amble up paved Trail 1, or take the Inariyama trail and get a proper walk in the trees. The genuinely interesting thing is that the same mountain gives you a different day depending on the route you pick.

Trail 1 for your first time, Inariyama when you want more of a workout: being able to come back again and again as your fitness grows is part of what makes it special. Superb access, varied routes, a big view and good food — all of it a short train ride away. There is no better mountain to start with.

Next day off, start with Takaosan. I hope your first step turns out to be a very good day.

🛒 See the gear from the video as a list → A packing list for your first low-mountain hike

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