I went to Mount Takao and had lunch at Ukai Toriyama

Even though it's Tokyo, the area around Mount Takao truly feels like another world, even for city residents. It's close to Hachioji Station, but a short walk away, and you're truly in the mountains. Mount Takao is also famous for its autumn foliage. After enjoying it, we made a reservation at Ukai Toriyama, a charcoal-grilled restaurant. There's a free shuttle bus from Mount Takao. However, they advised us to allow plenty of time during the autumn foliage season, as traffic can be extremely heavy. In some cases, you might be stuck in traffic for about an hour. It's not within walking distance, though.
Ukai Toriyama's grounds are spacious, and the trees are filled with beautiful autumn foliage. The many trees, especially the beautiful red foliage, are truly soothing. The garden is spacious, even boasting a red bridge!
It was crowded, but since we had a reservation, we requested a private room, which allowed us to relax and enjoy our meal. Strolling through the garden is also wonderful.
By the way, on this day, I took the ropeway to Mount Takao at 7:30 and returned by lift at 9:00. Even so, it was incredibly crowded for a weekend. But on a good day, the autumn leaves are stunning, and there's a paved road from the station to the ropeway station. I highly recommend it.

Post by white_wisteria | Aug 13, 2025