Mount Takao
In our past trips to Tokyo, we had never hiked there. So, today, we were very excited to give it a try. One of closest spot for hiking in Tokyo is the Mount Takao. It had beautiful scenery and was a very comfortable hike even for family with kids.
At the foot of the mountain, we took a chair lift to begin the hike. Along the way, there were small food vendors selling local food like roast chestnut and sweet rice cakes (Mitsufuku Dango). They were very delicious and perfect for the day because the weather was still a bit unstable after the typhoon.
As we hiked along the path, we passed by the Yakuoin Temple and local shops. There was also a monkey park if you wanted to interact with the local monkeys. My wife and I already brought along our three monkeys and didn't need any extra, if you know what I meant.
Up on the mountain, there were also a couple of local restaurants. We tried Juicchome-Chaya and we were amazed by it. Not only did it serve excellent udon, it also provided an excellent view overlooking the Takao mountains. The servers were very patient with us and we had a wonderful time there.
Samurai Museum
After hiking on Mount Takao, we decided to visit the Samurai Museum in Shinjuku. The museum was well curated and offered some interesting historical facts about samurai. There were also some rare artifacts on display. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and patient with our kids. Unfortunately, we found the museum a bit small and was a little pricey for this reason.