Okutama: A Natural Getaway in Western Tokyo

Okutama, the furthest mainland town from Tokyo’s center city, is a vibrant natural oasis popular for its scenic mountains, rivers, lakes, and accompanying activities. From exhilarating summertime water sports to mesmerizing autumn foliage, Okutama shines no matter the season. The region is even home to Nippara Limestone Cave, the largest cave in the Kanto region. Given its long enduring connection to the environment, Okutama is home to a number of organizations that promote ecotourism and seek to deepen visitors’ relationships with nature.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Raft!

Tokyo Mountain Tours, established in 2020, is a company that offers experiential tours to connect visitors with the local communities and environment of Tokyo’s mountainous area, which encompasses Okutama, Hinohara, and Ome. Through engaging and thought-provoking activities, the company aims to teach people about regional issues while simultaneously creating fun and memorable experiences. Thanks to western Tokyo’s natural beauty, one of Tokyo Mountain Tours’ main focuses is ecotourism. On the company’s website, it designates a number of its activities as “Tokyo SDGs Tours” to highlight its awareness and commitment to a sustainable future.“Humans are a part of nature and cannot exist without it, “Makoto Takagi, the company’s Tour Producer, shared, “I don’t think people can truly feel this connection unless they actually spend time in nature.”

Takagi previously worked at a travel agency where he saw firsthand the negative effects of over tourism. “I wanted to create tours that supported communities and were accepted by residents,” Takagi said, “I wanted to create tours that would lead to a better future.”

A prime example of how Tokyo Mountain Tours integrates regenerative tourism into its offerings is its River Clean Rafting activity—its most popular tour. This unique activity, located in Ome’s Mitake Valley, combines river rafting and garbage cleanup to create both an exhilarating and environmentally beneficial experience. In this region, the Tama River’s clear waters are regarded as one of Japan’s 100 Famous Waters. Unfortunately, due to barbequers’ litter and displaced garbage from natural disasters, trash has started to accumulate on the bottom of the river and along its bank. During this 2.5-hour activity, participants help clean up the river, while also enjoying a thrilling rafting ride. Aside from this rafting experience, Tokyo Mountain Tours also offers a seasonal hydrangea planting experience , a sake brewery tour at a facility that utilizes spring mountain water, and much more. With these activities that balance fun, education, and hands-on action, Tokyo Mountain Tours exemplifies regenerative tourism.

“Although many of our offerings focus on SDGs, they are still tours,” Takagi explained, “So, rather than teaching people with difficult terminology, we focus on creating hands-on and fun activities where people understand the concept of sustainability through experiences.” In Okutama, the region’s natural beauty and culture have been carefully preserved by residents for years. Takagi wants tourists to be aware of this fact and contribute to the continuation of the local resources.

Through Tokyo Mountain Tours’ regenerative tourism offerings, tourists have opportunities to connect with nature and gain insights into how they can preserve it for the future. This introspective thinking is crucial for a sustainable future as it prompts visitors to reflect on their own lifestyles—facilitating change even after the experience is over.

Immersive Forest Adventures in Central Okutama

Okutama Tomin no Mori, situated near Mount Gozen in central Okutama, is a facility where visitors can deepen their understanding of forests and forestry through a variety of recreational activities. The center features a massive 82.4-hectare “Experience Forest” and an accommodation facility called Tochiyose Forest House. At these locations tourists can participate in mountain village life experiences, forestry activities, and educational hiking tours in the lush nature surrounding Mount Gozen.

As many visitors lead lives disconnected from nature, the facility’s mountain village life experiences aim to impart new perspectives on participants by introducing them to lifestyles typical of communities living in nature. Some fun activities include charcoal grilling, mushroom cultivation, miso making, and soba making! With these immersive activities, tourists can learn about daily practices that work in harmony with nature. For a more intimate look into the forestry industry, visitors can also participate in forest maintenance and growth activities such as planting trees, clearing undergrowth, thinning trees, pruning trees, and more. Each season features its own experiences and enlightens tourists about sustainable forestry habits that support and enhance the environment for the future. Of course, thanks to the vibrant nature of the area, the facility’s Experience Forest is also home to wonderful hiking spots. Along the trails, visitors can observe trees and wildlife in all seasons and even climb Mount Gozen. The tranquil woods provide a welcome break from the busyness of modern life and help hikers reconnect with nature and themselves.

Through Tomin no Mori’s tourism offerings, especially its forestry ones, tourists can help support the growth and development of Okutama’s forests, while also learning insightful perspectives about life, nature, and sustainability.

Hinohara: Where Traditional Lifestyles Meet Nature

Also located in western Tokyo, Hinohara, is mainland Tokyo’s only officially designated village and is abundant in natural beauty. The village’s scenic forests, mountains, and waterfalls are perfect for both leisurely strolls or more advanced treks and are only located about two hours away from central Tokyo by train and bus. In order to introduce visitors to this treasured environment and preserve it for years to come, numerous companies in Hinohara have started to incorporate sustainability and regenerative tourism into their offerings.

Ecotourism is Better Together

Established by the Hinohara Village Ecotourism Promotion Council, Tokyo Hinohaland is an online resource that compiles information about current ecotourism opportunities in Hinohara. The village established the Hinohara Village Ecotourism Promotion Council in 2016 with the goal of using its unique natural resources, historical charm, and local communities to promote ecotourism. Hinohara recognizes that nature is a valuable resource for visitors who are disconnected from it and aims to preserve its biodiversity and cultural history through regenerative tourism so future generations can enjoy it for years to come.

On Tokyo Hinohaland’s website, tourists can easily peruse a number of eco-tours and even read profiles about local tour guides. In addition to its environmental exploration tours, such as hiking and seasonal harvesting, Hinohara also offers regenerative tourism options. One such example is the “forest path fixing” experience. During this activity, participants help restore hiking trails so future visitors can enjoy the forest safely. By maintaining nature paths, this experience not only supports continued ecotourism in the region, but also protects the forest from vegetal damage caused by people wandering off designated trails. In fact, Tokyo Hinohaland provides a number of etiquette guidelines that outline how visitors can best experience the region’s nature and culture in a way that does not disrupt the environment or local communities.

“We want to create ecotours that showcase what villagers have the most pride in,” Maita Akio, a professor who specializes in ecotourism and resource management shared. One of the best examples of this goal is Hinohara’s treasure map, which notates thousands of spots and relics hand selected by residents. This map shares the village’s nature, cultural beauty, and history. At the actual spots, Hinohara added stone markers and created a self-guided tour where visitors can scan the treasures for more information. The village also designed a calendar highlighting its best sights per season.

One of the village’s most recent initiatives, in terms of economic sustainability, is its canning of rainbow trout from local rivers. The village has long prioritized caring for and cleaning its rivers, resulting in high quality fish that have even been recognized in tasting competitions for their exquisite flavor. The product makes for both a delicious and sustainable souvenir.

Given Hinohara’s connection with nature, sustainability has existed in the village’s culture long before the term became a buzzword. “Hinohara’s tours do not emphasize words like “sustainable” or “SDGs.” Instead, they focus on providing people with opportunities to experience sustainability,” Akio explained, “For example, you go to Hinohara’s mountains, talk with a local, and receive regional produce—this is an SDG activity, even if it is not labeled as such.”

Akio believes that SDGs cannot be separate and disconnected goals—like a checklist. In order to save the Earth and enhance local communities, it is important for people to incorporate sustainability into their everyday lives. At Hinohara, tourists can gain these insights by simply watching village life and interacting with locals.

With its focus on disseminating information about sustainable tours and guidelines, Tokyo Hinohaland creates a mutually beneficial environment where tourists can enjoy, learn about, and enhance Hinohara’s blessings without disturbing the ecosystem and local communities.

Wooden Delights in a Unique Facility

Located in western Tokyo, the Hinohara Toy Museum is an experiential tourist facility that seeks to deepen children’s relationships with Hinohara’s forests. The museum opened in 2021 and is built on the site of the former Kita-Hinohara Elementary School—making it a location where learning and growth have long existed. The museum’s three goals are to become a place where different generations can exchange knowledge, to revitalize Hinohara’s timber industry by introducing children to the charm of wood, and to become an ecotourism destination where residents and tourists can reconnect with nature.

Hinohara Toy Museum’s welcoming interior is completely constructed out of wood and features two floors filled with interactive wooden play areas. Children can explore a wooden egg pool, climb a bouldering wall, and even play in houses where they can “cook” with wooden toys. The facility is also staffed with volunteers, called “Toy curators”, who teach visitors how to play with the toys and how to make wooden crafts. This exchange of multi-generational knowledge is a key element of sustainability as it preserves ideologies from the past and has the potential to encourage younger generations to continue those practices.

Through its interactive activities, the Hinohara Toy Museum helps teach children from a young age that they should appreciate and respect the environment—fostering a community in Hinohara and beyond where individuals grow up with an urgency to preserve nature.

Maintaining Hinohara’s Forests for Posterity

Tokyo Chainsaws is a forestry company based in Hinohara that is committed to sustainably planting, growing, felling, and utilizing trees to maintain and improve the area’s forests for future generations. Thanks to its commitment to eco-friendly practices, the company has earned certifications that highlight its responsible, socially beneficial, environmentally conscious, and economically viable forest management practices.

To spread awareness about the important role sustainability plays in preserving Tokyo’s forests, Tokyo Chainsaws hosts forest tours, hands-on experiences, and business opportunities, in which it holds seminars and woodworking activities to teach businesses about sustainability and SDGs. Through these initiatives, Tokyo Chainsaws helps preserve Hinohara’s forests and teaches future generations about the importance of working and living sustainably.

Preserving Nature Now for the Future

In an urban region like Tokyo, where people’s connections to nature can be strained, the Tama area’s environment is a cherished resource and reminds visitors that Tokyo is actually a city surrounded by mountains and forests. Through Okutama and Hinohara’s many eco- and regenerative tourism offerings, visitors can experience the natural beauty of western Tokyo and help preserve it for years to come. These insightful activities directly involve tourists in bettering the environment and teach them about sustainability and SDGs. Even more so, these experiences can prompt visitors to integrate sustainability into their own lives—making the Tama area a place that can facilitate long-term change in Tokyo and abroad.