Experiencing Mt. Mitake in a downpour! This should be tops on everyone’s agenda. Why? It clears them out, them being that two legged nuisance that makes their presence known so persistently everywhere one goes in this country. I don’t say these things in ignorance to the fact that this country has a high population density (especially in the Tokyo Metro Region) or with the delusion that that will change in any meaningful way in the future (despite hyped up reports of population decline). If the population suddenly decreases to about 10 million or less, then we might be on to something. Until then, I will enjoy Mt. Mitake in the rain, a kind of natural reservation/hold that is placed on the forest in your name. A 4-5 hour long morning downpour offers the perfect opportunity to escape. It also helps the lower streams one follows on the return loop really fill up with water.