Discover Tokyo's Mountain Roots: History, Culture & Nature

You can pass through the splendid thatched gate, see the giant ginko tree, and listen to explanations about the temple's history.

A large 250-year-old traditional house (village headman) and water shed were relocated from the Nishitama region (western Tokyo) to become a restaurant, cafe, and garden that blends in with nature. From the premises, you can descend to the waterside of Tokyo's pure Akigawa River and enjoy the beauty of the valley. You can imagine the simple yet prosperous lives of the Japanese of the past, who lived in harmony with nature. (You will receive the most highly acclaimed bento lunch box in the area, made with local ingredients.)

After traveling by shuttle bus deep into Hinohara Village, the only village on land in Tokyo, we take the mountain monorail up a steep slope with a maximum gradient of 43 degrees to the Kobayashi Family Residence, an "old house in the sky" at an altitude of 700m. The locals will talk to you about the construction of this old house and the life of the villagers in the past. Any questions you may have will be answered in a friendly manner. We sit on the veranda of an old house and enjoy our lunch with a village feel. It takes about 10 minutes to walk one way along a mountain path that was once a residential route to the "neighbor's" house, where you can draw water from a spring that gushes out from the base of an old cedar tree and make and drink coffee.

It's a 30-minute easy hike round trip to Hossawa Falls, a waterfall that is said to be inhabited by a giant snake. You'll also stop by a local shop and get a glimpse of modern village life.

You will experience a foot bath at Akigawa Valley Seono-no-yu, a hot spring famous for making your skin smooth. (Those who wish can also take a hot spring bath for an additional hour.)