Mt. Mitake Rengeshoma Festival: See Tokyo's Beautiful Rare Wildflowers

The Rengeshoma Festival on Mt. Mitake, Tokyo

Photo by Pixta

Mt. Mitake, one of Tokyo's best hiking and trekking destinations, is hosting its annual Rengeshoma Festival from July 22 - September 10, 2023. Rengeshoma is the Japanese name for Anemonopsis macrophylla, a flowering plant that is endemic to Japan's Honshu island.

Photo by Pixta

These flowers grow only in cool areas with plenty of shade as they are very sensitive to powerful sunlight and strong winds. The summit of Mt. Mitake is one of the rare places where these flowers bloom in the summer. In early August, more than 50,000 rengeshoma bloom near the summit ropeway station on Mt. Mitake.

During the festival period, events such as kagura (shrine dance) performances and ninja shows are held on the weekends on the stage of Musashi Mitake Shrine.

How to Get to Mt. Mitake's Summit

From Shinjuku Station or other major stations on the JR Chuo Line, take a rapid train on the Ome Line and get off at Mitake Station. From here, take a local bus headed to Takimoto Station of Mt. Mitake Ropeway.

The cable car takes you in about 6 minutes to the summit of Mt. Mitake. The area where the rengeshoma flowers bloom can be accessed by a path that starts right near the ropeway station on the summit.

Other Fun Things to Do on Mt. Mitake's Summit

Musashi Mitake Shrine. Photo by Pixta

Mt. Mitake is part of the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park. Not only is it a place with beautiful rich nature, but, in the past, it was considered a sacred peak and it used to be a training ground for ascetic monks known as yamabushi. Traces of this spiritual tradition can be found on the grounds of Musashi Mitake Shrine.

There is a town with hot spring inns, guesthouses, souvenir shops, and dining facilities at the shrine's entrance - a great place to stop for lunch or refreshments.

The Rock Garden on Mt. Mitake. Photo by Pixta

The trails through the forest around the summit are well marked and easy to trek. The Rock Garden, a valley with moss-covered rocks and a beautiful stream, the mystic Ayahiro Waterfall, and the strangely shaped Cedar of the Tengu are just some of the highlights that can be enjoyed in a three-hour trek around the summit of Mt. Mitake.

Please refer to the article linked below for further details on Mt. Mitake.

Mt. Mitake's Rengeshoma Festival 2023

Venue: the Rengeshoma colony area near Mt. Mitake Ropeway Station
Dates: July 22 - September 10
Admission: free
Events: Kagura shrine dances by torchlight on July 22 and September 9, Ninja show on August 5, Ocarina performance on August 11, Insect observation event on August 29, Mt. Mitake storytelling show on August 19
Event venue: the stage before the main torii of Musashi Mitake Shrine (*with the exception of the Insect observation event, or which the participants meet at the Mt. Mitake Fureai Center)
Hours: the events start at 20:00
Official website: http://mitakesan.com/rengeshoma/ (Japanese)

Written by Ramona