Photo/Illutration A monorail climbs a steep incline in Tokyo’s Hinohara village on Dec. 21, 2024. (Kotaro Ebara)

Adventure-seekers can enjoy a blend of excitement and natural beauty in Hinohara village aboard a nine-passenger monorail that climbs through steep, dense cedar forests to a national treasure perched high on the ridge above.

As the monorail begins its sharp ascent up lush slopes lined with towering cedars, passengers tilt backward, giving them the wild sensation of almost tumbling down.

Hinohara village—the only mainland village in Tokyo—is located on the western outskirts of the capital, more than 50 kilometers from the bustling city center. It is a remote enclave surrounded by mountains where wild monkeys occasionally appear.

The settlement, situated at an elevation of 500-some meters, has no train station—but it does have monorails.

The monorail station offers a 15-minute journey along 384 meters of track to the Kobayashi Family Residence, a designated important cultural property known as the “Old Folk House in the Sky.”

Although the ride is only slightly faster than walking speed, the monorail’s steep incline and tight weaves through groves—narrowly avoiding trees—creates a thrilling sense of excitement and unique connection with nature unlike any other form of transportation.

The ride is free of charge.

Masato Sato, 62, a resident of Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, who rode the monorail with his wife as part of a local eco-tour, described the experience as like “climbing a sheer cliff. It was almost terrifying to look down.”

“The slope reaches up to 41 degrees. Quite a thrill, don’t you think?” said Shigeo Kobayashi, 79, a monorail driver and blood relative of the original head of the Kobayashi family.

He notes that the incline far surpasses that of the steepest cable car in Japan—the famed cable car on nearby Mount Takaosan in Tokyo’s Hachioji city—which is only 31 degrees.

The monorail was built in 2011 to transport heavy machinery and materials for the restoration of the thatched roof of the Kobayashi family residence, which was built in the mid-Edo Period in the early 18th century.

When the historic house opened to the public in the spring of 2015, the monorail was converted into a tourist attraction to spare visitors from trekking up and down the steep mountain path.

The monorail now serves around 6,000 visitors annually, including many foreign tourists.

The village also has three other monorails that connect mountain homes with roads. They are used by residents with weakened legs or backs to transport goods.

Riding the tourist monorail, visitors can catch glimpses of an abandoned rail line, separate from the three still in operation.

The ride also offers a deeper insight into the realities of a depopulating village, while allowing visitors to enjoy the natural surroundings.

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