[To an old house in the sky] A tour to visit an old house in the sky by mountain monorail deep in Hinode Village, Tokyo

Hinohara Village is the only village on land in Tokyo. Deep inside the village, on a ridge well over 700m above sea level, lies the old house "Kyu Kobayashi Family Residence". Built in the mid-Edo period (more than 320 years ago), this mountain house is literally an "old house in the sky". This tour, which takes you there by mountain monorail that goes straight up a super steep slope of nearly 45 degrees, is an extremely extraordinary experience that will leave a deep impression on your memory, both geographically and historically, as well as physically. The tour meets at the Tokyo Back Mountain Base in front of JR Musashi-Itsukaichi Station, and includes transportation to the site by private car. *Hinohara Village has been designated as a national ecotourism promotion area, and as an exception, transportation to the ecotour site by car is permitted. (Your accompanying guide, Jinken, is a certified eco-tour guide for Hinode Village.) For lunch, you will be served at the Kobayashi Family House, with a lunchbox of light snacks (Cuban sandwiches) made specially for the Tokyo Urayama Base, and coffee brewed with water that participants themselves will have drawn from a special spring in the area. After experiencing the old mountain house, we will move on to another highlight of the day. We will stop at Kanoto Rock, a power spot known only to those in the know, and walk along the valley using chains. Here, too, you can experience a part of the local mountain worship and lifestyle culture. On the way back, we will cross a suspension bridge over the valley just beyond the Akigawa River from the village and enjoy a foot bath at a popular local hot spring. Once your feet are warm, we will head to a local cafe renovated from an old house, recommended by our guide (Jinken). We will take a break at CAFE POUND, the most popular cafe in the area, renovated from a Showa-era house by the owner himself. A private car will pick you up from the station, and you will be accompanied by a Hinode Village certified eco-tour guide. It will be a very fulfilling day where you can experience the lifestyle and culture of a mountain village. This is a premium tour with a capacity of only 6 people. (Participation is possible from one person. However, the minimum number of participants for the tour is 2 people.)

This place can be said to be the original landscape of the mountain village of Hinode Village, where people have lived since ancient times while receiving the bounty of the mountains, so much so that there are ruins from the Jomon period just beyond the ridge. People here cut wood, burned charcoal, drew water from the spring, cultivated the land, and lived a very prosperous life in a sense for many years. Since then, many times have passed, and it seems that this mountain life may be the cutting edge of a pure lifestyle that modern people who once longed for the city now long for. This is a special Hinode Village eco-tour that will reveal the secrets of the lifestyle and culture of the mountain village from ancient times. *The former Kobayashi family house was designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1978.

Just riding it is worth it, as you head to the top of the mountain on a mountain monorail that you won't find anywhere else. You will climb up a steep slope that will make you scream. A private car will pick you up from the station, and you will also ride the mountain monorail to the top of the mountain, so even those who are not confident in their physical strength can participate with peace of mind.

The gorge, which towers 100m high after being carved out of a gigantic monolith of chert over time, is a special place also known as the "pathway of the gods." You can walk through this overwhelmingly powerful gorge by following a chain. It's a special experience that will stay etched in your memory if you visit just once.