Sightseeing in Metropolitan Akikawa Hills Natural Park
Komine Park
Komine Park is located within the Metropolitan Akikawa Hills Natural Park and is an outdoor recreation site where people enjoy abundant nature. The park includes pleasant little streams, an athletics area, many good sites for picnics, and hiking areas. Also, the park is ideal for nature observation. You can observe a variety of wild plants and animals among cherry trees on the mountain ridge, in thickets and cypress forests, and in the Hygrophyte garden which makes use of the natural environment of Yato. The Komine Visitor Center offers a variety of programs for experiencing and learning about nature, as well as exhibitions showing the nature of the park with detailed explanations by commentators. The park is about a 17-minute walk from Musashi-Itsukaichi Station on the JR Itsukaichi Line.
Kotokuji Temple
The Kotokuji Temple is an ancient temple of the Kencho-ji Temple school of the Rinzai Zen sect which was founded in 1373. In the precincts of this dignified temple, you can see the stately appearance of a huge Japanese torreya tree, at 24.5 meters (80 feet) the tallest in Tokyo metropolitan area, and a tarajo holly tree, which is 19.1 meters (63 feet) high. At the approach to the temple, you can enjoy wild flowers in all four seasons. In particular, the splendid, huge ginkgo trees show lovely colors during the autumn leaves season. The temple is about a 25-minute walk from Musashi-Itsukaichi Station on the JR Itsukaichi Line. At Musashi-Itsukaichi Station, take a bus bound for Hossawa-no-taki Iriguchi, Koiwa, Fujikura, Kazuma, or Kami-yozawa, and get off at the Kamimachi bus stop. It is about a 15-minute walk from the bus stop to the temple.
Mt. Ajiro-Benten
Purple azaleas bloom from mid-slope to the top of Mt. Ajiro-Benten. The red and purple flowers seem to welcome the mountain climbers. The mountain is 292 meters (958 feet) high, and Benten Cave is nearby. This area is ideal for hiking. The inclines are moderate, and walking is not difficult. The hiking trails are enjoyable for people of all ages. After viewing the impressive display of azaleas on Mt. Ajiro-Benten, you can view the spectacular cherry blossoms while walking from the Akikawa Hills to Metropolitan Komine Park. The best time to visit here is from early to late April. The mountain is about a 35-minute walk from Musashi-Masuko Station on the JR Itsukaichi Line.
Kongonotaki Falls
The drop is approximately 20 meters (66 feet). The waterfall is about a 15-minute walk from Kotokuji Temple. The origin of the name of this waterfall is the statue of Kongo Rikishi (the guardian god at a temple gate) carved on the cliff to the left of the waterfall. Toward the end of the caves, the sight of the falls is in front of you. In the middle of the waterfall, the statue of the Fudo Myo-o (Acalanatha) is enshrined. Be careful after it rains. Because of the increase in water, it is difficult to track back along the river. The waterfall is about a 25-minute walk from Musashi-Itsukaichi Station on the JR Itsukaichi Line, or about a 15-minute walk from Kotokuji Temple. Alternatively, from Hachioji Station on the Keio Line or the north exit of the Hachioji Station on the JR Line, you can take a bus bound for Musashi-Itsukaichi Station (via Kawaguchi) and get off at the Imakuma-yama Tozanguchi bus stop. Kongonotaki Falls is about a 50-minute walk from the bus stop.
Mt. Imakuma and Imakuma Shrine
Mt. Imakuma is located in the Metropolitan Akikawa Hills Natural Park and has a height of 505.7 meters (1,659 feet). The mountain is popular for climbing and has easy routes for picnics. It is also known as Yobawari-yama (literally “call-out mountain”) because there is a belief that if you are seeking a missing person or a lost object, it will return when you shout, “Bring (person’s name or object name) to me!” from the top of the mountain. The Imakuma-yama picnic site and the Imakuma Kaiun-Inari Shrine are located on the mountain, and the Imakuma Shrine is at the top of the mountain. From Keio Hachioji Station or the north exit of JR Hachioji Station, take a bus bound for Musashi-Itsukaichi Station (via Kawaguchi) for about 40 minutes to the Imakuma-yama Tozanguchi bus stop. It takes about one hour to walk to the summit.
Agriculture in the Akikawa Hills Area (Akigawa Corn, Rapeseed, and Akigawa Pears)
In the Akikawa Hills area, agriculture has been thriving since ancient times due to the fertile plateau with black soil. There is a road called Tomorokoshi Kaido (Corn Street) in Akigawa, where the corn harvested in the fields along the road is popular because the sugar content is high. This corn is a specialty of Akiruno City. Rapeseed is a kind of turnip rape plant, and has been a traditional vegetable grown in the Itsukaichi area since the Edo Period (1603-1869). The soft new shoots are the edible part. Akigawa Pears are not widely sold, but have been grown for a long time. Corn,rapeseed, and pears are sold at the market or the Farmer's Center in Akiruno City.
Konnyaku
Akiruno City and Hinohara Village are the lands of konnyaku cultivation. Konnyaku (Amorphophallus konjac), sometimes called devil's tongue, is a plant used to make a popular Japanese food with a jelly-like consistency. Farmers have been eating homemade konnyaku for generations. Even today, farmers still use a traditional machine (called a batta) to knead konnyaku. The handmade masterpieces carefully kneaded by the craftsman have the reputation of having the original flavor of konnyaku. Their konnyaku is made from the konnyaku potato, so the taste is very different from mass-produced konnyaku.
Wanmonoya Konoka
This restaurant was launched for the purpose of demonstrating the appeal of the timber grown in Tokyo (Tama timber) and expanding its usage. The furniture and interior in the restaurant use Tama timber. When you step inside, you will be surrounded by the relaxing and appealing scent of the trees. In such an atmosphere, the restaurant offers authentic Japanese cuisine served in wooden bowls using local, seasonal ingredients. The operators want their cooking to help customers feel all of the 24 seasonal periods in the traditional Japanese solar calendar.
Charcoal-grilled Local Cuisine - Kurojaya
Kurojaya (literally, the Black Tea House), located near Akigawa Gorge, is surrounded by abundant nature and offers exquisite cuisine. The relocated main house was the residence of the Shoya (village headman in the Edo period) and was built 270 years ago. In the main house and the old traditional house, you can enjoy charcoal-grilled cuisine or banquet dishes using seasonal ingredients found in the local mountains or rivers. The capacity of the private dining rooms ranges from 2 to 30 people, and the rooms can be used by people for a wide range of purposes. For example, the restaurant is used by couples, by groups travelling with friends, for company trips, and for parties. The large site of 11,570 square meters (2.86 acres) includes facilities other than those for dining, such as an observatory overlooking Akigawa Gorge, an open terrace cafe on the banks of the river, and souvenir shops.
Hiking
There are three good trails adjacent to Komine Park. The Mt. Ajiro-Benten Trail provides plenty of wonderful views. From Mt. Benten, you can overlook the Tokyo metropolitan area. On a sunny day, you can see Tokyo Skytree and look across to Mt. Tsukuba. The Kongonotaki Falls and Kotokuji Temple Trail includes the ancient Kotokuji Temple. This temple has a large number of cultural properties, and its precincts are designated historic sites by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Kongonotaki Falls are located on the Sakagawa River, which runs through the valley to the north of Mt. Imakuma. Make sure you have strong shoes to walk down the steep slope to the falls. The Mt. Imakuma Trail has a relatively shallow slope and it does not take long to climb the mountain, so it is popular for picnics. The main hall of Imakuma Shrine is located at the top of the mountain.
Campgrounds
There are camping facilities, surrounded by nature, along Akigawa Gorge. The Akigawabashi Kasen Park Barbecue Land is located in the Metropolitan Akikawa Hills Natural Park. This barbecue site, in which nature has been left untouched as much as possible, is designed for people to relax and enjoy barbecues. The river flows relatively calmly, so even small children can play in the river. Note, however, that there are some deep parts.
Tokyo Summerland
Tokyo Summerland is a dome-shaped water and adventure theme park where visitors can play in the swimming pool throughout the year, without being affected by the weather. In addition to the swimming pool, there is an amusement park with attractions such as a roller coaster and Ferris wheel. You can spend all day there having a great time. During the summer season from July 1 to October 1, all 20 different attractions, including attractions only available in summer and the swimming pool, are open. You can spend all day in Tokyo Summerland, including one of Japan’s longest flowing pools, the Great Journey, which is about 650 meters (2,132 feet) in length, and enjoy the thrills of the water slides.
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Related link
Metropolitan Akikawa Hills Natural Park
- Features of Metropolitan Akikawa Hills Natural Park
- History of Metropolitan Akikawa Hills Natural Park
- Wildlife of Metropolitan Akikawa Hills Natural Park
- Sightseeing in Metropolitan Akikawa Hills Natural Park
- Accessing Metropolitan Akikawa Hills Natural Park