Category: Country Sides | MustLoveJapan - Video Travel Guide of Japan

Country Sides

Less populated with lot of Nature.
Stepping out from the big city like Tokyo, you will find the another beautiful face of Japan with Nature.
In modern cities, everything is globalized, but those country side cities still preserved the true color and face of traditional Japan. They offer interesting, unique and traditional moment to the travelers. See real Japan in country side. They also offer great local foods.

Hinohara Village

Get the Flash Player to see this video.

► check in map

Information

Hinohara Village (檜原村, hinoharamura) is located west side of Tokyo. More than 90% of the village is forest and mountain.
There are many headwaters into Aki River which is one of the source river of Tama River. Most of those headwaters have water waterfalls, and some of those waterfalls frozen up completely in the winter. There are many hiking courses. In some view spots, there is a great view of Mt. Fuji.
Tourist info:
Only village in Tokyo (except Tokyo southern islands). There are many public restroom, motels, restaurants, and gift shops. For the hiking tourist, there are many bus tours coming from Tokyo.
Access
0. at Tachikawa St.
1. take JR Ome line to Haijima (12min)
2. take JR Itsukaichi line to Musashiitsukaichi (17min)
3. take bus to Hinohara (20min)

Detail

Hinohara is a municipality in Nishitama District, Tokyo, Japan. It is the only administrative unit left in the non-insular area of Tokyo that is still classified as a village.
Hinohara lies in the mountainous upper reaches of the Akigawa, a tributary of the Tama River. The highest point is the summit of Mount Mito at 1528 m. 93% of its area is forest.
The name Hinohara means the field or forest of Chamaecyparis obtusa.Formerly the trees were cut down to build wooden structures in Edo.
Motoshuku, at the confluence of the north and south branches of the Akigawa, is the center of the village and is where the village offices are located.
Mountains in Hinohara include Shoto (990 m), Ichimichi (795 m), Kariyose (687 m), Usuki (842), and Odake (1267 m).
Communities surrounding Hinohara are: to the east, Hachioji and Akiruno and, to the north, (Okutama) in Tokyo; to the west, Fujino in Kanagawa Prefecture; and to the south, Uenohara in Yamanashi Prefecture.
Hinohara is one of the closest nature spot from Tokyo. Many people visit here for hiking or camping on the weekend.
(reference: Wikipedia, Wikitravel)