Once off the cable car you have a host of choices, continuing the trek to the top level of the village and Musashi-Mitake Shrine and/or picking one of many hiking trail.

The view of the Japanese countryside is spectacular. I learned that only 20% of Japan’s land mass is liveable, with the population living on only 8%. The hills show you why.

As we hiked to the village we passed through many traditional Japanese buildings and traditional Japanese inns. I plan on coming back here to spend a night.

This building is occupied by the descendants of a shogun. In fact, the 140 or so residents are all original descendants with the homes and businesses passed down through the ages.

One of the few English signs.

Our first stop was the village at the top where we enjoyed a wonderful meal of soba noodles and tempura while looking out at the colors. The tree beside us was hundreds and hundreds of years old.

Of interest, it was November .. on the top of a Japanese mountain .. and the flowers will still blooming.

The village street … where we could purchase tourist items or a wide range of local sweets and foods (on the way out, we loaded up).