In the popular imagination, Tokyo is usually represented by the tall buildings and bright lights of Shinjuku or Shibuya, but this metropolis actually encompasses a large geographic area that includes multiple municipalities besides the urban wards. Among them, probably the most remote is Okutama, a town with a population of only a few thousand people located over fifty kilometers from central Tokyo. It was here that I headed on a recent autumn weekend to hike the Okutama Mukashi Michi or \u201cOld Trail,\u201d a charming route through the countryside where you can experience a very different side of Tokyo\u2014and even meet some of its \u201cwilder\u201d residents…<\/p>\n
The Okutama Mukashi Michi Trail is slightly under ten kilometers in total length, connecting a trailhead located near JR Okutama Station with the shore of Lake Okutamako, a reservoir created by a dam. Since a regular bus service also operates between the station and the lake, most visitors walk in just one direction and use the bus for either the outbound or return trip, although I walked both. The trail is not overly strenuous but does contain some steep uphill sections when going in the direction of the lake, which is at a higher elevation than the station area. It is very clearly marked with signposts and banners and also follows mostly paved roads, with a few more rugged sections.<\/p>\n
Along the trail, visitors will encounter a variety of rustic sights and historical landmarks including thick forests, waterfalls, small shrines, abandoned railway tracks and tunnels, rope bridges, and farmhouses. There are even opportunities to purchase souvenirs, with some houses along the way selling fresh produce or handicrafts at unattended stands that function via the honor system.<\/p>\n
Most of the route follows the Tama River, which is nearly unrecognizable here to those who know it as the broad waterway lined by parks and sports fields at the southern edge of central Tokyo. Near its source, the river is a pristine mountain stream, its rushing waters looking invitingly cool and clear.<\/p>\n
The autumn season, when I visited, is the most popular time to walk the trail thanks to the beautiful fall foliage, and I encountered numerous groups of hikers including both locals and foreign tourists. In fact, one pleasure of hiking, whether in Japan or elsewhere, is the warm camaraderie of the trail. In central Tokyo, as in most other big cities around the world, talking to strangers is simply not something one does, and greeting passersby with a hearty Konnichi wa! <\/em>would be unlikely to elicit any response but alarm or suspicion. In this part of Tokyo far removed from the concrete labyrinth, however, people for the most part followed the etiquette of acknowledging each other with a polite greeting and even some casual small talk. I asked a hunter lounging in the front seat of his parked truck if there were bears active in the area. \u201cOh, definitely, tons of them,\u201d he replied nonchalantly. \u201cWe have bear spray!\u201d noted my travel companion, the hunter conveying his approval with a silent thumbs up.<\/p>\n Fortunately, we did not encounter any bears, a topic of great concern in the news lately as Japan faces its worst-ever year for bear attacks. However, on the return trip from the lake, we spotted a troop of wild monkeys wreaking havoc on an unfortunate farmer\u2019s vegetable patch. Previously, on the outbound journey, we\u2019d witnessed that very farmer installing an electric fence to ward off the furry marauders, but it seemed to present little obstacle now as they ravaged the field, with the farmer nowhere in sight. Although undoubtedly a great source of consternation to the farmer, the antics of the nearly ten-member troop, including several baby monkeys, were adorable to watch. Equally amusing was the realization that these monkeys were, technically speaking, residents of Tokyo Metropolis just as much as a Shinjuku salaryman!<\/p>\n Although the leaves had just barely started to change color when I visited at the end of October, the trailside scenery must surely be even more beautiful these days, and provided that you own a sturdy pair of walking shoes, the Okutama Mukashi Michi Trail is the perfect weekend getaway to discover a very different side of this fascinating city.<\/p>\n\n\t\t