Mount Mitake

Mount Mitake sits within Tokyo's western borders but feels far removed from the city. A cable car climbs most of the elevation, and from the top station, cedar-lined paths lead to Musashi-Mitake Shrine, which has sat at this summit for over a thousand years. The surrounding mountain village still operates traditional pilgrim lodges where guests sleep on tatami and wake to mountain air. Trails extend into the Okutama range for longer walks, and the river gorge below the cable car runs clear and cold through a narrow valley.