Mount Takao · Getting up
Mount Takao's cable car and chairlift
You don't have to hike all of Mount Takao. A cable car and an open-air chairlift both climb from the foot of the mountain to about halfway up, leaving an easy walk to the temple and the summit. Here's how they compare, and how to make the most of them.
By Luke, local guide since 2013Updated 4 min read
- Cable car
- About 6 min
- Chairlift
- About 12 min
- Climb saved
- About 270 m
- Top to summit
- About 40 min walk
The cable car
The cable car opened in 1927 and runs about a kilometre from Kiyotaki station, just past Takaosanguchi, to Takaosan station, climbing about 270 metres in roughly six minutes. Its steepest section is about 31 degrees, the steepest of any cable car in Japan, so the carriage is built in steps like a staircase on wheels. Two cars share one cable and pass each other halfway.
The chairlift
Next to the cable car, an open-air chairlift takes about twelve minutes to reach the same height. You sit in the open with the valley below and the forest on either side: lovely on a fine day, and the better choice for views. It isn't for anyone nervous of heights, and it stops in strong wind or bad weather.
Which should you take?
- Cable car: covered, quicker, runs in most weather, and the better choice with young children, bags or nerves.
- Chairlift: the views and the fun. On a clear day it's the one I recommend.
- Walk: paved Trail 1 from the bottom takes about 40 to 50 minutes to the top stations. It's steep and hard on the knees on the way down.
- My favourite mix: walk up a quiet trail, then ride down. Going down is when tired legs appreciate it most.
At the top
From the top stations it's a pleasant walk along Trail 1: the Kasumidai viewpoint over the Kantō plain is right there, the octopus cedar about three minutes on, then Yakuō-in temple, and the summit about 40 minutes from the station. Look out for the tengu-yaki stall by the cable car station, and in season the Beer Mount beer garden.
Queues and timing
- Autumn weekends can mean 30 to 60 minute queues at the peak of the leaves. Go early or on a weekday, or walk up.
- Around Diamond Fuji (late December), the cable car has run later than usual so people can come down after sunset. See my Diamond Fuji guide.
- Pay with cash or an IC card at the ticket office. Fares and timetables change, so check the Takao Tozan Railway's current information before you go.
Private tour · 5 hoursMount Takao: Beyond TokyoOn my Takao tour we walk the quiet trails up and choose the best way down on the day.From ¥12,000 per personQuestions people ask
How long does the Mount Takao cable car take?
About six minutes, climbing about 270 metres from Kiyotaki station to Takaosan station. The chairlift takes about twelve.
Is the Mount Takao cable car the steepest in Japan?
Yes. Its steepest section is about 31 degrees, the steepest of any cable car in Japan.
Does the cable car go to the summit?
No. It goes about halfway up. From the top station it's about a 40-minute walk to the summit along Trail 1.
Cable car or chairlift?
The cable car is covered and runs in most weather. The open-air chairlift has better views but isn't for anyone nervous of heights.