For most of us the first thing that comes to mind when one hears the word “Tokyo” is the image of crowded streets, hordes of neon and, for those who have seen movies like “Black Rain” and “Lost In Translation,” large - very large television screens on the sides of buildings. Tokyo has definitely got all of that and more, but what it also has - and that in delightful abundance I might add - is quaint, forested paths; scenic, natural vantage points; birds (real ones, not Tokyo crows); enough plant variety to satisfy the budding

Botanist and, yes, mountains! For those who come to Tokyo to get as much of a taste of the metropolis as they can but who are also nature lovers who would enjoy taking a break from their city visit, here’s the good news for you: Japan is made up of mostly mountains! And the convenience of being in Tokyo is that you don’t even have to leave Tokyo to set foot on their leafy trails! Using Shinjuku station on the circular Yamanote line as your point of departure you can board trains that will bring you west of the city center to such easily accessible and pleasantly walkable day trails as Mt. Takao; Mt. Mitake, where you can drop by historically interesting Mitake shrine; Mt. Gozen and trails in the vicinity of the Tama river. These are all part of Tokyo! While several of the trails to be found require some bus action there are still a good handful of trails that don’t, Mt. Takao being one of them. In actuality, there are too many inviting trails to be mentioned in the space given here but you may be able to find a trail you’d like to lay claim to in the descriptions among the sprinkling of informative sites on the web in English or in the select guide books on nature walks and hikes that can be found in the larger Tokyo book stores. Many Tokyoites themselves have taken to hiking and nature walking and have joined clubs and “circles” that meet weekly to explore the manifold paths in their own backyard. When you need a respite from painting the town on your next trip to Tokyo consider taking a jump west of the city into the freshness of a different kind of Tokyo air. Take pictures to show your friends, too. Who knows, maybe in a few years mountains and trees will soon become part of the image we have of Tokyo. But then again, maybe it won’t. It doesn’t matter, at least YOU know now! Get out there and explore!