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Following a peaceful experience at the shrine, it was time to begin an approximately two-hour mountainside hike that follows trails around a thick forest. I began at the trail head adjacent to the shrine and worked my way down into a mountain valley where I was to see some stunning scenery. The paths around the mountain side are part of a larger network of trails that weave through various areas of the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, of which Mount Mitake is one of the highlights. The trail network is so extensive that it even accommodates two-day-long hikes.
After around half an hour of walking along the gentle pathways, I came to an area of the hike called the Rock Garden, which is characterized by an abundance of moss-covered boulders strewn at either side of a babbling brook. Shaded by the thick canopy overhead, I found the atmosphere around this part of the forest to be wonderfully serene, and the scenery truly magical. A few steps further along the trail brought me to another beautiful feature of the mountain forest, the Ayahiro Waterfall.
The Ayahiro Waterfall has been held for years as a sacred spot on the mountain, and it is where Takigyo, or waterfall mediation, takes place. This was something I was going to be
lucky enough to experience with the help of a Shinto priest the next morning, and coming for a preview of the waterfall made me all the more excited for this experience.
The
waterfall itself was beautiful and, listening to the sound of the gushing torrent that reverberated off the surrounding rocks, I found it hard to believe at this moment that I was
still in Tokyo. From the waterfall, I walked around half an hour further to end the trail back near the shrine, and then made my way to my lodgings for the night.
I arrived at Komadori Sanso, the pilgrims inn where I'd be staying the night, shortly before dinner time, and was pleased to be led to a cozy traditional Japanese tatami room with a comfy looking futon and commanding views of the mountainside. Pilgrims inns like this one have been serving pilgrims to Musashi Mitake Shrine for centuries. Today, inns like this cater to tourists as well as pilgrims, and commonly provide nice (if simple) rooms, a bath, and meals for their guests.
The first thing on my mind after unpacking my bags was to bathe, which I was lucky enough to do in the inn's wonderfully rustic wooden tub. After enjoying a blissful soak that soothed my aching muscles, I headed to the dining room where I was treated to a delicious dinner of traditional foods including trout, steamed vegetables, tofu and rice with bamboo sourced on the mountain. I thoroughly enjoyed the fantastic fare, especially after a day of mountain exploration. After dinner I retired to my room and enjoyed a good night's sleep.
