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    • Spring
      • video

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        Shikoku’s many mountains, valleys and proximity to the ocean has made it a hidden gem for rafting, kayaking and canyoning enthusiasts willing to take a step or two further from the Golden Route of Kyoto and Osaka.

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        The mystical oni is prevalent in Japanese children’s stories, usually as a way to scare kids straight. Adventure Travel Kyoto is shedding a new light on this folklore and developing a new hiking route in the countryside of Kyoto.
    • Summer
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    • Autumn
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    • Winter
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        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • Near Kyoto
      • video

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    • All Regions
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      • getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • River and Lake
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        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • Mountain and Land
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        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • Snow and Ice
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        Fuji-san is the most climbed mountain in the world. If you are in good shape, there is a way to avoid the traffic for a more peaceful Mt. Fuji experience during the off-season.
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        adventure travel world summit in hokkaido

        Adventure Travel World Summit in Hokkaido

        The ATTA will host their first Adventure Travel World Summit in Asia in Hokkaido, Japan. We caught up with ATTA Director Shannon Stowell to find out more about the adventure travel industry and how it continues to grow and evolve.
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        The Knights in White Lycra

        Each year a group of cyclists head to the deep north towards Tohoku’s vast rice fields and coastal trails to help transform the lives of neglected children.
    • Food and Drinks
      • the nomad pasche family

        The World is Our Playground

        The Pasche family has been cycling and living out of a tent in remote corners of the planet for the past 13 years on four continents spanning 50 countries.
        adventure travel world summit in hokkaido

        Adventure Travel World Summit in Hokkaido

        The ATTA will host their first Adventure Travel World Summit in Asia in Hokkaido, Japan. We caught up with ATTA Director Shannon Stowell to find out more about the adventure travel industry and how it continues to grow and evolve.
        getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
        maota sustainable fashion

        Weaving Stories with Maota

        Maota is a small-scale clothing line working with local craftsmen in the countryside of Aichi and Gifu prefectures. While their focus is on small, local and “slow” fashion, they are moving fast toward some big goals.
        the knights in white lycra

        The Knights in White Lycra

        Each year a group of cyclists head to the deep north towards Tohoku’s vast rice fields and coastal trails to help transform the lives of neglected children.
    • Races and Events
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Mountain Man Memories

I’ve mentioned my father was also deaf and, like me, had a great love for the outdoors. He spent most of his youth hiking, camping and snapping pictures in the Japan Alps. I recall asking him why he loved the mountains so much.

“Only after you make the effort to climb are you rewarded with the awe-inspiring scenery,” he replied. “You haul up a heavy pack, use your experience and make the weather your friend. It’s rough at times, but there’s genuine satisfaction in the effort.”

Back then sign language was still an oddity; there were no subtitles on TV and the public’s understanding was minimal. Yet the mountains remained equal to all. Actions translated directly into results for everyone.

Yet mountain information was limited to a smattering of books and magazines, so climbers had to study the gear and techniques of climbers around them. My dad first packed a large, heavy sleeping bag from the U.S. army-surplus. You can imagine his excitement the first time he laid eyes on someone carrying an ultra-light bag.

Information came from studying magazines and searching mountaineering shops. “You couldn’t allow your lack of knowledge to put you in danger,” he said. So he would always try to improve his hardware, knowledge and technique.

My dad loved meeting people on trips to the hills; you bonded quickly while experiencing the merciless side of Mother Nature. Foreigners were among those he befriended as language was secondary to a mutual love of the mountains.

We enjoyed looking through his pictures, and I cherished hearing about his triumphs and failures. His signing about the mountain’s freezing temps and difficult environs drew in my childhood curiosity.

A collapsed bridge forced him to wade through the water. Awakened by something pressing on his head only to find it was mounting snow outside his tent. One night his tent shook so fiercely, he thought there was an earthquake, he looked outside to see a helicopter landing nearby. It was a world of surprises and thrills.

Although my father has passed on, he lives in my heart and his spirit has a great effect on my life. My hope is I can share stories nearly as exciting as his.

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