Colors of My Heart

During the autumn foliage season, the Mount Takao Cable Car serves as an important means of transportation that allows visitors to enjoy the beautiful fall colors while reducing the physical burden of climbing the mountain. The autumn leaves typically reach their peak from mid‑November onward, and during this period Mount Takao becomes extremely lively, attracting many visitors as one of the most accessible and popular spots for autumn foliage near central Tokyo. The Mount Takao Cable Car connects Kiyotaki Station and Takaosan Station in approximately six minutes and is known for its exceptionally steep gradient, reaching a maximum incline of 31 degrees 18 minutes, one of the steepest in Japan. The cars feature large windows, allowing passengers to admire vividly colored maple leaves, ginkgo trees, and beech trees along the route. The foliage is especially beautiful in the soft light of the morning and in the angled sunlight of the late afternoon, which enhances the rich autumn hues. O...

/Home › › Mt Takao Mt Takao is a 599‑meter mountain located in Hachioji, Tokyo, and is widely loved as a place where people can easily enjoy nature thanks to its convenient access from the city center. It has long been known as a sacred mountain of Shugendō, and partway up the slope stands Yakuōin Temple, which still retains the distinctive atmosphere of a mountain of faith. In late autumn, when I visited Mount Takao with my daughter, we took the cable car and gradually rose higher, captivated by the changing colors of the mountain scenery spread out beyond the windows. The trees along the mountainside were dyed in shades of red and yellow, and the autumn foliage was breathtakingly beautiful. The well‑maintained hiking trails were easy to walk, allowing us to make our way to the summit without difficulty while enjoying conversation together. With nature, faith, and time spent with my daughter gently overlapping, I felt that Mount Takao was not merely a tourist destin...

/Home › › Meguro Civic Campus Park In early December, I encountered some truly beautiful autumn foliage. Meguro Civic Campus Park, located in the Yakumo area of Meguro Ward, is a lush green park known for its calm and understated autumn colors.  The park is planted with Japanese maples, zelkova trees, and ginkgo trees, which gradually turn vivid shades of red and yellow as autumn deepens. While the park is not large enough to be considered a major sightseeing destination, it offers a peaceful atmosphere free from large crowds, allowing me to photograph the changing season at a relaxed and unhurried pace. Along the park’s walking paths, brightly colored trees blend harmoniously with the surrounding public buildings, creating a tranquil scene that feels far removed from the city despite being in the heart of Tokyo. On the day of my visit, the weather was ideal, and the soft, angled sunlight created gentle shadows across the foliage, bringing out rich and beautiful a...