弁天山 Benten Mountain, Tokyo -- Part 2

A hike to Mt. Benten, continues. Part 1 is HERE. 

Passing through the red torii (gate), the trail moved up the mountain. What surprised me most were the leaves, which had fallen to the ground. Our route transformed itself into a river of autumn leaves; I enjoyed "splashing" my feet in them as we walked. ^_^

Rising stone steps:

The "river" of leaves: 

A lady in the group, who was very knowledgable about vegetation, pointed out these -- 雪イチゴ[yuki-ichigo = winter strawberries]. She added: "They are edible; however, quite bitter."

Map pointing our current location (in red):

The trail passed this spot -- an abandoned temple. Long ago, it had been used for hosting traditional dances to appease the Gods.

Leaves & lanterns:

Main temple:

Further up the mountain was this cave. The opening's shape reminded me of a bicycle seat. ^_^

Inside the cave, which was large enough to hold approximately 20 people standing upright, 
were several statues: 

Another, smaller statue:

The ladies talked about the history behind these statues, but the Japanese was too difficult for me to understand, sorry.

From the cave, we pushed up a steep section of the mountain to reach our destination, the summit of Mount Benten!


Summit view (Tokyo city centre can be seen in the far distance):

It was hazy, but we managed to spot the Tokyo Skytree. 

Close up of the river, Akigawa: 

Signpost marking the summit of Mt. Benten:

These signs posted by the PTA association in the area. It was a nice gesture!

I am always homesick for the natural beauty of Canada. But, as I mentioned to the ladies in the group, hiking in Japan comes pretty darn close. I hope you enjoyed the photos. ^_^


We continued hiking to another mountain after completing Benten Mountain. I'll post more photos tomorrow. See you soon.


~ Information ~ 

Mount Benten is located in Akiruno city, which is north west of the Tokyo city centre. Access: JR Itsukaichi line to Masashi-Masuko station. Travel time: about 1.5 hours. Cost: ¥1,000 one way ($10).
Map showing Akiruno's location is HERE. 

From the station, it's a 15 minute walk to the trail head. A printable map is HERE. More information about hiking trails in the area is HERE. 

Akiruno city has many small mountains, perfect for a day's hike. Click HERE to read more information and see maps.