Mount Takao

A mountain in the city of Hachiōji, within an hour of downtown Tokyo and protected inside the Meiji no Mori Takao Quasi-National Park. It stands 599 metres, carries eight hiking trails, and takes more than 2.5 million visitors a year. The walk to the top averages 90 minutes, though a funicular or a ropeway covers half of it. The mountain is closely associated with the tengu of Japanese folklore, and with Shugendō, the mountain asceticism built on strict discipline. Takaosan Yakuōin Yūkiji, a temple of the Shingon sect, stands on it, and people come to pray to the tengu for good fortune.