Shukubo temple lodgings on Mt. Mitake

Staying in one of the shukubo lodgings near the summit of Mt. Mitake puts you among families who have served as priests at Musashi Mitake Shrine for generations. Rooms are simple tatami affairs, and meals lean on mountain vegetables, herbs, and trout from the Tama River. Some lodgings offer takigyo, a Shinto purification ritual involving meditation beneath Ayahiro Falls. On the fourth Sunday of each month from June to November, guests can watch evening kagura performances, the sacred music and dance of Shinto, at the shrine.