The Japanese giant flying squirrels of Mt. Takao are depicted in the Musashi Meisho Zue (“Collection of Scenic Sites of Musashi”) compiled in the Edo period (1603–1867). This animal has long been a symbol of Mt. Takao, a place that has been close to the people for a long time.
Flying squirrel watching events are also held, and the animals can be seen poking their heads out of their dens or gliding between the trees in the area around Yakuoin Temple after sunset or before sunrise.