It's mid-December already. Time really flies. Before introducing the topics of the year end, I'm going to show you autumn scenery in the metropolitan area.
Mt. Takao is a popular sightseeing area near downtown Tokyo. It takes less than two hours from Shinjuku sub-center to the summit of the mountain at 599 meters above sea level. Mt. Takao was granted the highest rank of three stars in the Michelin Voyager Pratique issued in 2007. This mountain is also known as the autumn leaves spot. The best season is late November. To enjoy the best view, you should climb up the mountain, but please don't worry. You can take the cable railway, namely Takao Tozan Railway, and arrive easily at Yakuo-in temple near the summit. When I visited there, the maple leaves had just started turning red. It went well with the halls.
To get to the gateway of this splendid autumn leaves area, I took the Keio line, and got off at Takao-sanguchi station. Taking this opportunity, I'm showing a work train named the 900 series on the line. The 900 series is commissioned as an inspection car for track and catenary maintenance. Furthermore, it's also used as a snow-removing train and an open freight car to transport rails. I have posted the photo of the 900 series before, but this picture is much better. As you know, Keio doesn't release timetables of the work train, so whether I can shoot the 900 series or not depends on my luck.
