Half-way to the height of Mt. Takao is an unforgettable beer backyard expertise.
Each summer time in Japan “beer gardens,” seasonal open-air institutions that provide all-you-can-drink plans and loads of meals, open up across the nation. However whereas knocking again a pair chilled brews may sound like a fantastic plan in midsummer, the reality is that oftentimes even the coldest of chilly ones isn’t sufficient to totally counteract the warmth and humidity that blanket Japan all through July and August.
Alternatively, September within the Tokyo space continues to be heat sufficient for a chilly beer or two (or three…or 4) to sound very interesting, however with out the danger of sweating to demise when you’re ingesting them exterior. And so it was that we headed out to Mt. Takao, within the Hachioji Metropolis part of west Tokyo, one superb September day.
For those who time your transfers proper, it’s lower than an hour from Shinjuku Station in downtown Tokyo to Takaosanguchi Station, the closest station to Mt. Takao, on the Keio Takao Line (there’s additionally a Takao Station within the space, but it surely’s a lot farther from the mountain).
▼ Takaosanguchi Station (高尾山口駅)
Mt. Takao, or Takaosan, because it’s known as in Japanese, is called one of many Tokyo space’s finest day hikes, because it’s straightforward to entry from town and has a number of routes to the highest, all doable in 90 minutes or so and never requiring any particular tools past some good strolling footwear. Nonetheless, Mt. Takao additionally has one of many Tokyo space’s finest beer gardens, known as Takao Beer Mount, which is positioned on the facet of the mountain at an elevation of 488 meters (1,601 toes).
From Takaosanguchi Station, it’s a brief stroll to the foot of the mountain. Comply with the stream, and shortly you’ll see this construction.
This constructing is Kiyotaki Station, and from right here a chairlift or cable automobiles whisk you up near the highest of the mountain, and in addition near the doorway to the beer backyard, for 950 yen (US$6.80) round-trip. For those who’re feeling energetic, you’ll be able to hike up as an alternative, taking Climbing Route 1, however our Japanese-language reporter Ahiruneko was not feeling energetic, he was feeling thirsty, and wished to get to the beer backyard ASAP.
For his journey up, Ahiruneko opted to take the chairlift. Why?
As a result of, for security causes, individuals who have been ingesting aren’t allowed on the elevate. For those who’re planning to hit the beer backyard, your selections for getting again down are the cable automobile or strolling, so the journey up was going to be Ahiruneko’s solely probability to trip the elevate.
Not that taking the elevate will get you fully out of strolling, although, as there’s a fairly steep stairway to climb to get to the chairs.
As a local of Hokkaido, Japan’s snowiest prefecture, Ahiruneko has been on plenty of ski slope chairlifts in his youth, however even he was stunned on the brisk tempo of Takao’s, and there was extra swaying than he anticipated too.
The view, nonetheless, was beautiful, with only a tiny yellowish tinge to the bushes as an early signal of autumn.
A phrase of warning, although: For those who’re going to be snapping images together with your cellphone, Ahiruneko recommends securing your gadget with a neck strap, since at finest it’s going to be a ache to retrieve when you drop it, and at worse it’ll by no means be discovered.
Even on the elevate’s fast tempo, it takes 12 minutes to get to the higher station, which is at an elevation of 462 meters.
From right here, it’s a six-minute stroll to Takao Beer Mount, alongside the route proven on the map under.
As soon as Ahiruneko had made the stroll, the beer backyard constructing got here into view!
There have been, nonetheless, as soon as once more stairs for him to climb on the beer backyard’s entrance.
He persevered and made it to the highest of the steps, although, after which, he’d arrived!
Takao Beer Mount is, even by beer backyard requirements, a really spacious place. They’ve roughly 600 seats, and settle for reservations for teams of much more than 100 individuals.
By displaying up on a weekday shortly after Takao Beer Mount opens at 1 p.m., although, he had virtually the entire place to himself! Even when he headed as much as the very best seats on the rooftop…
…it was like he’d rented the entire place out.
This additionally meant that there was nobody forward of him within the drink line! Wanting on the menu, Ahiruneko noticed that no single brewer has a monopoly at Takao Beer Mount, and Asahi, Kirin, Suntory, Sapporo, and Heartland beers are all choices, as are lemon chu-hi cocktails, highballs, and sake.
Taking a seat and taking his mug in his hand, Ahiruneko took a second to understand the attractive vista earlier than him and to appreciatively toast the great thing about the mountains, forests, and sky.
In these quiet environment, the place you’ll be able to hear the chirping of the birds and rustling of the wind, the liquid refreshment was particularly wonderful.
Perhaps even a bit of too wonderful. As he made fast work of his first beer, Ahiruneko remembered that he hadn’t eaten something since breakfast, and figured he ought to put one thing in his abdomen earlier than downing one other brew.
Takao Beer Mount serves a combination of Japanese, Chinese language, and Western-style dishes, just about the holy trinity of buffets in Japan. Despite the fact that hardly another clients have been there at the moment the cooking workers had nonetheless put out a full unfold, and Ahiruneko grabbed some yakitori rooster skewers and mapo tofu, together with a variety of different sides, all of which have been satisfyingly tasty.
▼ He additionally grabbed one other beer as a result of, keep in mind, it’s all you’ll be able to drink.
To his pleased shock, Takao Beer Mount even has Hachioji ramen, the native model of ramen with a soy sauce-based broth, further oil, and a beneficiant quantity of chopping onion…
…and regionally brewed Hachioji sake.
Oh, and we are able to’t neglect the dessert nook, with its chocolate fountain.
Takao Beer Mount expenses 5,000 yen for 2 hours of all-you-can-drink-and-eat, and let’s simply say Ahiruneko positively received his cash’s price.
When his time was up, Ahiruneko, with a smile on his face, left the beer backyard and walked again right down to the higher cable automobile station for his trip again to the underside of the mountain.
The trip down takes solely six minutes, and the Mt. Takao cable automobile monitor has an angle of a bit of over 31 levels. That quantity may not imply a lot to individuals who aren’t infrastructure fans, but it surely’s apparently the steepest cable automobile route in all of Japan!
Looking the entrance window, we’re not inclined to argue with that designation, and Ahiruneko felt a bit of thrill watching from this angle because the automobile made its descent, plus a bit of little bit of childlike pleasure once they handed by one other automobile on its method up after which went via a tunnel.
And with that, Ahiruneko’s go to to Mt. Takao, and Takao Beer Mount, got here to an in depth. After all, you don’t should be as singly targeted on the beer backyard as he was, as loads of individuals do a full hike from the foot of the mountain all the way in which to its prime, stopping to take a look at waterfalls, temples, and different factors of curiosity alongside the way in which, and in any case that seize a late lunch or dinner on the beer backyard. Actually, there are all types of the way to benefit from the place, simply keep in mind that Takao Beer Mount is a seasonal spot, and its final day to be open this 12 months can be October 15.
Location info
Takao Beer Mount / 高尾山ビアマウント
Tackle: Tokyo-to, Hachioji-shi, Takao-machi 2205
東京都八王子市高尾町2205
Open 1 p.m.-9 p.m.
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[ Read in Japanese ]
[ Read in Japanese ]
