Category
Hiking
Mountain and LandHiking
Japan is a country with a rich alpine history. From yamabushi (mountain priests), to mountain loving missionaries like Sir Walter Weston, to modern adventurers such as the Miura family, Japan’s mountainous terrain has been the playground – and holy ground – to generations of mountain climbers and recreational hikers. North to south, east to west there are countless peaks to bag and trails to explore. Whether you are out to conquer the Hyakumeizan (Japan’s 100 famous peaks) or just head out on a day hike to get some fresh air and escape the heat, there’s something for every hiker and climber in Japan.
Climbing
Conquering the Kita Alps Ridges
Grappling with a slightly rusty chain bolted into the hard, cold rock, I heave myself up onto the relative safety of a flat ledge...
Eco Tourism
Japan Eco Track: Hiking and Cycling the Miyagi-K...
In 2011 the largest earthquake in Japan’s recorded history—known as the Great East Japan Earthquake—destroyed much of the coastal...
Travel
Hunan’s Floating Mountains
A crisp fog clears, revealing islands “floating” in the clouds. Massive, dangerously narrow sandstone columns seemingly defy...
Autumn
Trekking the Panorama Ginza Trail
The Northern Japan Kita Alps have been a source of inspiration for centuries, from missionaries and foreign traders looking up at...
Autumn
Into the Mystic
While you probably won’t encounter an elusive river sprite in the highlands of the Northern Japan Alps, you may feel a bit lightheaded from the refreshing thin air, remarkable vistas and mystical aura of the mountains and valleys in Kamikochi.
Features
Nakasendo: A Flash from the Past
For years I’d wanted to hike the Nakasendo, the ancient Edo Period route used for travel between the capital of Edo (Tokyo) and K...
Features
Scaling Fuji in Spring
You might think no one would be crazy enough to be on Japan’s highest volcano during this “forbidden” season. Read more to find out about scaling Mt. Fuji pre-season!
Hiking
Thru-Hiking the Shinetsu Trail
Recent movies such as “Wild” and “A Walk in the Woods” have popularized long-distance hiking, causing many of us who enjoy backpacking to wonder what it would be like to complete one of the legendary long distance hiking trails.