Musashi Mitake Shrine is home to a 12th-century suit of armor, the Akaito-odoshi-yoroi, designated as a National Treasure.
The mountain is a center for mountain worship and historically served as a training ground for Yamabushi monks.
Visitors can find the Jindai-zakura, a Japanese cherry tree estimated to be over 1,000 years old, located near the shrine.
The mountain's forest is a prime habitat for the Japanese giant flying squirrel, locally known as musasabi.
There are traditional shukubo lodgings that have catered to pilgrims and hikers for centuries.
Mount Mitake is a 929-meter peak located within the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park in western Tokyo. The summit area is accessible via the Mitake Tozan Railway, a funicular that overcomes a steep incline to reach the mid-mountain village. At the top sits the Musashi Mitake Shrine, which houses a collection of ancient armor designated as Important Cultural Properties. The surrounding trails lead to the Rock Garden, a ravine featuring moss-covered boulders and the Nana-yo waterfalls. The area is a hub for shukubo, traditional temple lodgings that offer overnight stays for visitors. Its high elevation provides a distinct microclimate, often featuring different vegetation than the urban center of Tokyo. The mountain has served as a site for mountain asceticism, or shugendo, for over a thousand years.
The view from the main hall of the Musashi Mitake Shrine overlooking the Kanto Plain.
Wear sturdy hiking boots as trails are unpaved, uneven, and can be slippery after rain.
Bring a layered jacket, as temperatures at the 929-meter summit are significantly cooler than in central Tokyo.
Check the funicular's final operating time to avoid being stranded on the mountain at night.
Attempting the summit hike in standard street shoes or visiting during heavy rain, which creates hazardous trail conditions.
Maintain silence near the shrine, keep on marked trails to protect moss growth, and carry all trash off the mountain.
