| From Tokyo: | 2-3 hr |
How to Get There
Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park is a convenient day trip from Tokyo, with scenic hikes through mountains, gorges and dense forests. The park spans parts of four prefectures: Saitama, Yamanashi, Nagano, and Tokyo. Many highlights, including Mount Mitake, Mount Mitsumine and Shosenkyo Gorge are accessible in around two hours via public transportation from Tokyo.
From Tokyo
The park extends over four prefectures, so you’ll need to take different routes to access its highlights. To reach Mount Mitake in western Tokyo, take the JR Chuo Line from Shinjuku Station to Ome Station (75 min) and transfer to the JR Ome Line. Alight at Mitake Station (20 min) and use the Nishi Tokyo Bus service to reach the cable car at Takimoto Station (10 min). To get to Shosenkyo Gorge in Yamanashi Prefecture, take the JR Chuo Line to Kofu Station (90 min), then a bus to the terminus where you can board the Shosenkyo Ropeway. For Nishizawa Gorge, take the Chuo Line to Yamanashishi Station (15 minutes from Kofu Station), then a bus (60 min). Mount Mitsumine and its atmospheric shrine in Saitama Prefecture can be reached from Ikebukuro. Board the Seibu Ikebukuro Line limited express train to Seibu Chichibu Station (100 min) then take a bus to the Mitsumine Shrine stop (75 min).
Getting Around
A car will allow more time communing with nature (rather than waiting for buses). A car will also allow you to pass through the center of the park, which isn’t as well-served by public transportation as the perimeter. Instead of renting a car in Tokyo, avoid the city traffic and take the train part-way, then rent a car at the station closest to your destination. If public transportation is your preferred option, buses from Nishi Tokyo Bus run to popular hiking spots in the Okutama and Mitake areas of Tokyo, while Yamanashi Kotsu offers bus service to the trails in Yamanashi.