Category
Mountain and Land
ActivitiesMountain and Land
Japan’s mountains and inland terrain hold the deepest well of outdoor activity on this site — hiking trails through century-old pilgrimage routes, cycling routes across the Japan Alps, campsites beside hot springs, and rivers still holding wild trout upstream of it all. Start with our complete guides to hiking, cycling, and camping in Japan for a full regional breakdown of where to go and when, or head straight to fly fishing if you’re chasing yamame and iwana in the headwaters. Beyond those, this section covers everything from technical rock and ice climbing to trail running and mountain biking across every region of the country, all searchable below.
Hiking
100 Famous Japanese Mountains: #89 Enna-san
The sound of traffic woke me up, and I quickly threw the sleeping bag to the floor and flipped open my mobile to check the time. ...
Hiking
A Spooky Feeling
Do you believe in ghosts or spirits in the woods? Maybe this story will change your mind…or maybe not. A couple of summers ag...
Hiking
100 Famous Japanese Mountains: #68 Goryu-dake
The dust in the rusting tin storage shack I had stayed in near Goryu campsite had gotten the best of me, and I woke up sneezing a...
Longboard Skateboarding
Finding Flow in Korea
When I read “Finding Flow” in the Outdoor Japan Longboard Section for the first time, I mused how cool it sounded; how Zen. “Yes, ...
Features
A Cool Escape to Misty Island
A methane-like pong wafts through the air. The pungent odor is in fact part of the attraction of Kyushu’s most elevated onse...
Hokkaido
Breaking All The Rules With Mr. Bear
If you’ve ever read about what to do when camping in bear country, you’d know there are a few rules one should try to follow. Han...
Hiking
100 Famous Japanese Mountains: #27 Kaimon-dake
The mountain of the day was Kaimon-dake, also known as Satsuma-Fuji, the symbol of Satsuma-hanto Peninsula. I had less than two h...
Cycling
Niseko Goes Green
Once the last snow melts away, Niseko doesn’t skip a beat—it finds a new rhythm—and people find other ways to enjoy the great out...
