Okutama, Tokyo

• Mount Kumotori

  Mount Kumotori, at 2017 m is the highest mountain in Tokyo and the westernmost place of Tokyo. Many plants grow here during the summer, most notably the tsuga. From the summit, there is a clear view of Mount Fuji and the Okuchichibu Mountains.[3]

• Mount Mitō

  Because it was forbidden to enter Mount Mitō during the Edo period, there are still many forests of enormous beech trees. Mount Fuji and Mount Kumotori can be seen from the summit, and it attracts many visitors especially during autumn. It is one of the Three Mountains of Okutama.[4]

• Mount Ōdake

  Mount Ōdake is one of the Three Mountains of Okutama. From the summit at 1266 m, Mount Fuji can be seen to the south and Mount Gozen to the west.[5]

• Mount Kawanori

  From Mount Kawanori, all mountains in Okutama can be seen. Also, the Hyakuhiro Waterfall is located here.[6]

• Mount Gozen

  Mount Gozen is well known for its oddly perfectly triangular shape. Like Mount Mitō, it attracts visitors in the fall.

• Tama River

  The Tama River, with a length of 138 km, is the longest river in the prefecture. It flows through the entire prefecture, and the upstream of the river is located in Okutama.

• Hinohara River

  The Hinohara River is a rather short and small river located in the western portion of Tokyo.

• Lake Okutama
• Lake Shiromaru

  Lake Shiromaru is a rather infamous dam on the Tama River. It has a height of 30.3 m, a length of 61 m, and a volume of 14,161 m³.

• Tokyo Metropolis
  • Akiruno
  • Ōme
  • Hinohara
• Saitama Prefecture
  • Chichibu
  • Hannō
• Yamanashi Prefecture
  • Uenohara
  • Kosuge
  • Tabayama

People began settling in Okutama from before the Jōmon Period and many archaeological sites have been found with ancient pottery. During the Yayoi period, rice cultivation began in the flatter lands of present-day Okutama, but most of the area remained covered by forests and only small flat lands existed.[7]

During the Edo period, the area included in present-day Okutama was divided into 16 villages within Musashi Province. In each village, there was one person who served as the mayor, another who served as the leader of a particular group, and another who served as a representative for the farmers. Also, entering Mount Takanosu was forbidden for people of low rank during this time. This was because the people of high rank (government officials and such) hunted with hawks at the mountain, and the officials wanted to keep the hunting grounds for themselves.[7]

With the start of the Meiji period, the area of Okutama became part of Nirayama Prefecture except for Kotaba village, which was merged into Maebashi Domain, which then became part of Gunma Prefecture. While Kotaba village was turned into part of Maebashi city, the Okutama area was divided into three villages of Hikawa, Kori, and Ogouchi with the establishment of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889. In 1940, Hikawa was elevated to town status. In 1955, Hikawa town, Ogouchi village and Kori village were united, forming the town of Okutama.[7]

The East Japan Railway Company serves the town. The Ōme line, which connects the town with Tachikawa, terminates at Oku-Tama Station.

• East Japan Railway Company (JR East) - Ōme Line
  • Kawai - Kori - Hatonosu - Shiromaru - Oku-Tama

The Nishi Tokyo Bus Co. carries passengers to Lake Okutama, the Nippara Limestone Cave, Tabayama village and Kosuge village (both in Yamanashi Prefecture) from Oku-Tama Station.

• National Highways
  • Japan National Route 139
  • Japan National Route 411
• Prefectural Roads
  • Tokyo Prefectural Road 184 Okutama-Akiruno
  • Tokyo Prefectural Road 204 Nippara Limestone Cave
  • Tokyo Prefectural Road 205
  • Tokyo Prefectural Road 206 Kawano-Kamikawa