Mount Takao-san, Tokyo

Just 51 minutes west of Shinjuku lies Mount Takao and the Yakou-in shrine. There are six different nature trails to the top (about 600 meters high), where you can relax over a beer and look out over the metropolis below to the east and Mount Fuji to the west. Recommended Routes are 6 along the valley, going up, and 5, walking down, which take about 50 and 70 minutes, respectively. For those less inclined to walk there is a chairlift and a cable car, each costing a few hundred yen, that take you two thirds of the way up. All in all, an exhilarating experience.