Hiking in the Tama Hills

When people hear the word “Tama” (the name of one of Tokyo’s regions), they think of a wide range of things from the deep mountains of Okutama to residential districts such as Tama New Town. The Tama Region is actually quite large – the name refers to the area, which is also called “Santama,” that does not include Tokyo’s 23 wards and islands. This time we will introduce the Tama Hills part of this region, where visitors – who would like to closely experience the natural world but don’t want to visit full-scale mountains – can enjoy undeveloped woodland scenery and history in a place close to Tokyo.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is working to protect and utilize the natural environment of this area. Its Green Finger Plan designates the Tama Hills as the area from the boundary with Kanagawa Prefecture in Machida City to the east to the foot of Mt. Takao in the west. The rain falling on the gently sloping hills creates a stream that stretches all the way to its source in Tokyo Bay. The vast natural world also includes forests of mixed trees and fields, creating scenery of undeveloped woodlands in each season.

The website “Let’s go to the Tama Hills!” introduces several hiking courses where visitors can enjoy the nature and undeveloped woodlands of this area. In particular, the 12 footpath courses centered on Machida City are especially recommended for their easy distances of approximately five to eight kilometers.