Make Your Safety a Priority As I go about preparations for my summer hike in the Southern Alps, I thought it would be timely to reflect on how safety figures into the mix. I hope you find it useful. Last month, the National Police Agency released...
Hiked on Jun 17, 2023 . Mt. Mae-Shirane 前白根山 – Midaga Pond 弥陀ヶ池 – Mt. Goshiki 五色山 Duration: 8 hours Distance: 13.3 km Elevation change: 1098 metres Highest point: 2578 metres Start: Nikko Yumoto Campground...
Yamanashi’s Most Prominent Peaks One thing Japanese people love to do is rank and categorise things, and mountains are no exception. Ever since the release of Kyuya Fukada’s best seller 100 Famous Japanese Mountains (Nihon Hyaku-meizan) back...
Hiked on May 25, 2023 . Mawarime-daira 廻り目平 – Hacho-daira 八丁平 – Fujimidaira-goya 富士見平小屋 Do not attempt this hike unless you have experience in route-finding, and make sure you carry a topographic map and handheld GPS device. ...
What’s in a Name? Japan’s Mountain Kanji Explained Studying kanji, or Chinese characters used in the writing of Japanese, can leave even the most ardent student exasperated at the best of times, and that’s before they ever open a hiking map. Place...
A Compact, Packable, Flatpack Grill Hauling along a BBQ grill on a hike may not be everyone’s cup of tea; but hear me out. I’m not suggesting bringing one on any old hike, where weight is a major consideration, but rather on shorter solo camping...
Hiked on Apr 28, 2023 . Nishi Tanzawa Visitor Center 西丹沢ビジターセンター – Mt. Komotsurushi 菰釣山 – Mt. Takazasu 高指山 Duration: 2 days Distance: 23 km Elevation change: 839 metres Highest point: 1379 metres Start:...
Tokyo’s Best Public BBQ Spot As far as hassle-free BBQ spots in Tokyo go, they don’t get much better than Fuchu Kyodonomori BBQ Park. Believe me, I’ve been to many over the years. So, what sets it apart from the likes of Showa Memorial Park...
Hiked on Apr 3, 2023 . Wado Ruins 和銅遺跡 – Minoyama Park 美の山公園 Duration: 3 hours Distance: 6.3 km Elevation change: 412 metres Highest point: 582 metres Start: Wado-Kuroya Station (Chichibu Main Line) ...
2023 Release of Maps of Mountains and Plateaus The map images and contents of this article have been obtained with the permission of the publisher (株式会社昭文社 Shobunsha Publications, Inc.). As is customary, Shobunsha Publications, Inc. (MAPPLE)...