Fifty minutes from Tokyo’s bustling centre lies Mt. Takao, a popular ‘spiritual power spot’ set in a lush natural environment. Mt. Takao has always held an air of mystery— Japanese folklore holds that it’s inhabited by Tengu (a mountain spirit). It’s also a little known fact that the mountain is actually the location of a Buddhist seminary for mountain ascetics, founded by Gyoki, a Buddhist monk from the Nara period. The quiet afforded by the surrounding forest as well as the introspective atmosphere not only attract those looking to purify their souls, but also Tokyoites and tourists alike who want to get away from the city.