Ruben Ramos
SILS (exchange student)
On October 14th, I took part in the Mount Takao Hiking Event organized by the ICC. I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to discover a beautiful natural place far from the busy city center, and to meet new friends while having a nice hike. Located far in the west of Tokyo, this famous place can easily be reached by train in approximately one hour and a half from Waseda. Everyone met at the Takaosanguchi train station and the ICC split us in groups of 5 to 6 people, with a mix of Japanese and international students. My group and I then started the climb!
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On the way up, we decided not to use the cable car in order to enjoy the walking trail. Many other people were climbing on that day, and I now understand why this hike is so popular: it is not too difficult and you are surrounded by a beautiful environment. We continued climbing for around two hours, enjoying the good weather, buying dango and seeing on our way a Buddhist temple and a Shinto shrine. When we arrived at the top of the mountain, we enjoyed a beautiful view of Mount Fuji, the surrounding valley and Tokyo on the horizon while having lunch. We then got down using the cable lift, which allowed us to experience the mountain in a different way!
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Throughout the event, we were able to talk between members to get to know each other. I remember that we talked a lot about many subjects: our cultures, languages, hobbies, aspirations for the future, etc. Climbing together helped us to create a strong group unity and talking made the overall experience really interesting and fun.
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Overall, I would really recommend to students to join similar events in the future! Such a hiking event is a great experience and it is perfect if you want to meet new people while discovering beautiful new places.
