Hachioji

Hachioji (八王子市 Hachiōji-shi) is in the western part of Tokyo, with a population of about 550,000 people (2010). Home to Mount Takao which surprised the locals by suddenly getting 3 stars on the Guide Michelin in 2007.

Understand

Hachioji gained city status on September 1st, 1917.

Tourist information sites

Official English Travel Guide is available on the city's site.

There is also a semi-official Visitors Guide site maintained by Hachioji Visitors & Convention Association (just one page for its English part).

Get in

By plane

If coming from Narita Airport (NRT ^IATA), take the JR Narita Express to Tokyo station, and change for the Chuo Line for service to Hachioji (about 2 hr 15 min, ¥3670). It is a real climb all the way up to the Chuo platforms, but since Chuo line trains start at Tokyo station, odds are you will probably find a seat. The alternative is to continue on the Narita Express to Shinjuku and from there board the Chuo Line, or the less-expensive Keio Line.

If you have a Japan Rail Pass, and if the timing is right, you may be able to reserve a seat on a Kaiji or Azusa train from Shinjuku and have a more comfortable journey to Hachioji.

The Narita Express runs directly from Narita Airport to Hachioji twice in the evening (leaving Narita 19:45 and 20:44), and there are two trains from Hachioji to Narita in the morning (05:19, 05:55).

Six daily airport limousine buses run from Narita to both the JR and Keio Hachioji train stations in about 2 hours, 40 minutes (¥3700).

From Haneda Airport (HND ^IATA), the easiest way to Hachioji by train is to take the Keikyu Line to Shinagawa, from where you can take the JR Yamanote Line in either direction, to either Tokyo or Shinjuku station, to pick up the Chuo Line for Hachioji. It costs ¥1180 no matter which way you go; allow about 1 hr 45 min. Slightly faster, but requiring an extra transfer, is to travel via Yokohama.

Six daily limousine buses go from Haneda to the JR and Keio Hachioji train stations in 1½-2 hours (¥1700).

By train

The two main railways serving Hachioji are the JR and the private Keio railway, both of which run directly to Tokyo. The two stations, Hachioji (for the JR) and Keio Hachioji, are separated by a 10-minute walk.

The cheapest trip between Tokyo and Hachioji is on the Keio railway, taking about 50 minutes on the fastest service at a cost of only ¥350. The JR Chuo Line travels to Mitaka from both Tokyo Station (¥780) and Shinjuku (¥460). The faster Chūō Special Rapid (中央特快 Chūō-tokkai) trains run from Shinjuku to Hachioji in 35 minutes, compared to regular rapid trains which take 50–60 minutes.

JR Hachioji is also a primary stop for Azusa (あずさ) limited express trains between Tokyo and Matsumoto, and Kaiji (かいじ) limited express trains between Tokyo, Otsuki and Kofu. These trains require a surcharge on top of the regular train fare. Japan Rail Pass holders can travel on these trains for free; lucky rail pass travelers can hop onto a Kaiji or Azusa unreserved seat car in Shinjuku and get to Hachioji in as little as 30 minutes.

By car

• Chūō Express onramp and exit.
• From Akirunoshi through the number 16 road to Hachioji.

By bus

Overnight buses run into and out of Keio Hachioji station. Services run from Kyoto (Tama Bus/Keihan Bus; ¥7950 one way; ¥14310 round-trip), Osaka (Tama Bus/Kintetsu Bus; ¥8250 one way; ¥14770 round-trip) and Kanazawa (Tama Bus/Hokuriku Railroad; ¥8250 one way; ¥14850 round-trip)

Get around

City buses depart from all train stations and serve even the farthest outlying areas. Taxis can also be found at train stations. Renting a car is a reasonable option, but traffic can be slow and parking anywhere in Tokyo gets expensive.

Train

• East Japan Railway Company (JR East)
  • Chuo Line: Toyoda, Hachiōji, Nishi-Hachiōji, & Takao stations.
  • Yokohama Line: Katakura & Hachiōji-Minamino stations.
  • Hachiko Line: Kita-Hachiōji & Komiya stations. Here, Hachiko (八高) means the line connecting Hachioji (八王子) and Takasaki (高崎), not the loyal dog statued in Shibuya.

Keio-Horinouchi Station

• Keiō Corporation: In fact, Keio (京王) means the line connecting Tokyo (東京) and Hachioji (八王子).
  • Keiō Line: Naganuma, Kitano, & Keio-Hachioji stations.
  • Keiō Takao Line (branching at Kitano station): Keio-Katakura, Yamada, Mejirodai, Hazama, Takao, & Takaosanguchi stations.
  • Keiō Sagamihara Line (branching at Chofu station): Keiō-Horinouchi & Minami-Osawa stations.

See

Looking at the mountain range near Mt. Takao from the Keio Line.

• 1 Sagami Lake (相模湖 Sagami-ko). A popular spot to see summer fireworks.  
• 2 Imperial Mausoleum (武蔵陵墓地 Musashiryōbochi). The burial site of the Shōwa Emperor Hirohito and his predecessor, the Taishō Emperor Yoshihito.  
• 3 Trick Art Museum (高尾山トリックアート美術館) (1 minute from Takaosan-guchi Station.). Apr-Nov: daily 10:00-18:00; Dec-Mar: daily 10:00-19:00. Museum dedicated to optical illusion exhibits. ¥1300. 
• 4 Hachioji Castle Ruins (八王子城 Hachiōji-jō). Ruins of a castle destroyed during the Warring States Period by Toyotama Hideyoshi. You can see Sagami Bay from the lookout at the mountaintop.  
• 5 Hōkyōintō (宝筐印塔). Grave of Matsugi Shichiro (松木七郎), a samurai during the Kamakura era. Small pagoda-like grave by a small shrine. 
• Sengen Shrine (浅間神社) (A 10-minute walk from Keio Horinouchi Station.). There are many festivals, especially the large summer festival. 

Do

Top of Mt. Takao. When weather is good, Mt. Fuji is visible from the top.

• 1 Mt. Takao (高尾山) (From Shinjuku, board a Keio Line express or semi-express train for Takaosan-guchi. It takes 47 min.). A 600-meter peak that is easily accessible by a combination of cable car and hiking, giving a little taste of nature in Tokyo. It is popular in the fall to see the changing color of the leaves, however springtime is also a nice time because you can see many beautiful cherry blossoms. Just outside of the station a large map indicates hiking trails in the area. The first part of the main trail is steep, this can be avoided with a cable car or chairlift ride (6 min/¥470, ¥900 round trip). Once you get off the cable car, there are shops selling food and souvenirs. There is also Monkey Park, where for ¥400 (children ¥200) you can watch a demonstration (in Japanese) and learn about Japanese Macaques in this zoo-like exhibit. There is also a beer garden with an all-you-can-eat-and-drink course for ¥4300, a welcome reward on the return trip for a couple hours of hiking (open June to October). From there, it is about a 50-minute walk to the top of Takaosan (高尾山頂). However, there are many lesser traveled routes also available that may take longer but are more scenic. On the main route (Path 1) there are shrines and more food vendors. The entire path is paved, although there are steep stairs in places. At the top of the mountain there is a visitor center, restaurant, and viewing platform where Mount Fuji is visible. Mt.Takao Magazine is a good English source for the mountain and surrounding areas.  
• 2 Fujimidai Park (富士見台公園). The largest park near this station. On weekends a lot of families come to picnic and someone play catch ball. And someone come to this park with dogs. In spring, a lot of cherry blossoms blossom. It is very beautiful so this park is famous as a good park to see cherry blossoms. 
• 3 Nagaike Park (長池公園), Bessho 2-58. This park is so big and it has a lot of green. You can enjoy it and the song of birds. On weekends many people visit here. Moreover, there are Japanese rice fields (tanbo) and a water mill. There is a big pond named "nagaike" in this park. This has a sad legends that a princess who lived 100 years ago died in this pond because her husband died in war. Once there were a custom that when a husband dies, his wife dies too in Japan. 

Festivals

• Hachioji Icho Festival. There are about 770 maidenhair trees (ichou) in autumn, those colors change and it is very beautiful. 
• Hachioji Firework (In Hachioji Citizen Ball Park (八王子市民球場, Hachiōji Shimin Kyūjō)). Late July. A fireworks festival. 

Learn

Hachiōji is home to over 20 universities and technical schools.

• 1 Hakubi Kyoto Kimono Gakuin (ハクビ京都きもの学院), ☏ +81 120-370-893. 
• 2 ABC Cooking Studio (http://www.abc-cooking.co.jp/), Asahicho 9-1, ☏ +81 42-643-8450. 
• 3 KAWAI Music School (カワイ音楽教室), Asahicho 7-1, ☏ +81 42-626-4844. 

Work

Various large corporations have factories, branches, and head offices in Hachioji.

Buy

Scattered within 10 minutes from JR Hachioji Station's North Exit and Keio-Hachioji Station, there are about 10-15 used clothing and vintage shops, often 1/4 the price of those found in the more popular shopping districts such as Kichijoji and Harajuku.

• 1 Senseless Records (3 minutes from the north exit of JR Hachioji Station.), ☏ +81 42-623-8488. Japanese and import punk records, CDs, and domestic and imported beer. 
• 2 Hachioji Octore (八王子オクトーレ). Department store and shopping mall. (updated Dec 2023)
• 3 Tama Green Walk (ぐりーんうぉーく多摩). A shopping mall with a supermarket, about 20 shops and several restaurants. (updated Dec 2023)

Eat

There are many restaurants along the Tama Newtown street. For example, Sushi, Fast foods, Udon, and Chinese noodles. Especially, this region is famous of Chinese noodle. There are a lot of Chinese noodle shops.

Budget

• 1 Yanawarabaxa (やなわらばあ), Sennicho 1-6-1 (5 minutes from JR Nishi-Hachioji Station). Daily 11:00-14:30; Tu-W F-Su 18:00-20:30PM. A Japanese woman runs the place by herself and serves traditional Japanese fare. Sets change by day and include a main dish and two sides, fruit, rice, miso soup, and coffee. Eat in and take out available. Lunch set ¥490. (updated Jan 2016)
• 2 Waketagami (分田上), ☏ +81 426-74-7460. A noodle shop. The base of this noodle is tonkotsu (pork bone). The noodles are thin. This shop has many kinds of interesting and unusual toppings: cheese, umeboshi, soft-boiled egg, and more. (updated Jan 2016)
• 3 Ajigen (味源), Misakicho 5-12 (5 min from the north exit of Hachioji Station), ☏ +81 426-27-9043. Daily 11:00-05:00. A ramen shop. (updated Jan 2016)

Mid-range

• 4 Torattoria Campagna (カンパーニャ), Misakicho 1-5, ☏ +81 426-27-1201. Tu-Su 11:30-14:30, 17:30-21:30. An Italian restaurant. (updated Jan 2016)

Splurge

• 5 Ukai Toriyama (うかい鳥山), Minami Asakawa 3426 (A taxi ride from Takaosanguchi Station), ☏ +81 42-661-0739. The food doesn't challenge the non-Japanese palate too much — mostly chicken and sashimi, and to order you just pick one of three dinner sets. The great thing about this restaurant is the ambience. The restaurant comprises a number of traditional cottages situated within a beautifully maintained garden. Reservations are required. It's good to arrive early — give yourself time to walk around the garden. If possible, go in a group of at least four people. The restaurant is open for lunch, but if you go for dinner, you can enjoy the lanterns lighting the grounds. ¥5,000-10,000. 

Drink

• 1 Sherlock Holmes Pub (シャーロックホームズ), Misakicho 4-1 (2 minutes from the station north exit, on the pedestrian arcade to the left), ☏ +81 426-27-4869. For once, a pub in Tokyo that's English, not Irish. 

Sleep

Budget

There are many love hotels close to JR and Keio Hachioji Stations, and can even be found in less populated and mountainous areas. Normally love hotels operate on an hourly/bi-hourly system, but are also known to have a cheaper overnight charge. If you want to walk around western areas of Tokyo such as Hachioji and Machida, consider lodging near Tama Center Station or at Tachikawa Station.

Mid-range

• 1 Keio Plaza Hotel Hachioji (京王プラザホテル八王子), Asahicho 14-1, ☏ +81 426-56-3111. Singles ¥13,382. (updated Jan 2016)

Connect

• 4 aprecio (A short walk NW from JR Hachioji Station.), ☏ +81 426-20-5171. 24 hr. An internet cafe. You can use computers, read books and you can play darts and billiards. A drink bar is included. Night pack ¥1500. 

Go next

You'll feel closer to nature when you visit to Nagaike Park and Renshoji Park.

Routes through Hachioji

Nagoya ← Otsuki ← Fujino ←	W  E	→ Tachikawa → Tokyo
END ←	N  S	→ Sagamihara → Machida → Yokohama
END ←	W  E	→ Fuchu → Chofu → Shinjuku
Nagoya ← Otsuki ←	W  E	→ Kunitachi-Fuchu → Chofu → Tokyo
Ōme ← Akiruno ←	N  S	→ Sagamihara → Atsugi → Chigasaki
Ōmiya ← Kawagoe ←	N  S	→ Sagamihara → Yokohama → Yokosuka
Kofu ← Koshu ← Okutama ←	W  E	→ END