Unearthing a Forgotten Legacy More than ten years ago, while trudging up the now cordoned-off Inamura-iwa Ridge from the sleepy village of Nippara on Tokyo’s fringes, something glinting on the side of the track caught my eye—a rusted soft drink can...
Rethinking Where and How we Sleep in the Mountains I’ll start with a confession: I wild camp in Japan quite a lot. If I had to guess, I’d say about a quarter of my overnight hikes have involved camping outside of official campsites. For regular...
Are They a Force for Good – Or a Blight on the Landscape? In Japan’s high mountain ranges, you’re never far from a hot meal, a warm place to rest—and sometimes even a vending machine. Contrast that with Victoria, Australia, where I cut my teeth as a...
More Mountains, Less Backtracking There’s nothing quite like wrapping up a long day on the trail and hopping on a nearby local train or bus for the ride back to the burbs. No need to retrace your steps or worry about where you left the car. In...
Hiked on May 20, 2025 . Karasawa Junction 涸沢分岐 – Hanadate 石楠立 – Mt. Banjiro-dake 万二郎岳 Duration: 5 hours Distance: 9 km Elevation change: 366 metres Highest point: 1,406 metres Start: Amagi juso...
The Familiar Jingle of the Trail On nearly every well-trodden mountain trail in Japan, from the gentle slopes of Mt. Takao to the exposed ridgelines of Yatsugatake, one sound is almost always present: the steady jingle of bear bells. Dangling from...
Hiked on May 3, 2025 . Kamihikawa-toge 上日川峠 – Mt. Tanayokote 棚横手山 – Mt. Koshutakao 甲州高尾山 Duration: 2 days Distance: 20.9 km Elevation change: 1207 metres Highest point: 1627 metres Start: Kamihikawa-toge Bus Stop...
Embracing Public Transport for Hiking in Japan Following my recent reflections on the Hyakumeizan, crowds, hiking etiquette, and the transformative power of overnight hikes, another topic that deserves more attention is how we actually get to the...
Unspoken Rules of the Japanese Trail The first time I climbed Mt. Fuji—my first real hike in Japan—I was struck by two things: the endless zigzags up a volcano of loose rock, and the chorus of greetings—“ganbatte!”, “konnichiwa!”, and the occasional...
How Overnight Hikes Shaped my Journey as a Hiker There’s a unique kind of satisfaction that comes from pitching your tent under a sky full of stars, miles from the nearest road or vending machine. After a long day of climbing ridgelines, crossing...
Hiked on Apr 18, 2025 . Beacon Tower ruins 烽火台 – Shibire-toge 四尾連峠 – Mt. Obata 大畠山 Duration: 2 days Distance: 21.5 km Elevation change: 1025 metres Highest point: 1279 metres Start: Ichikawa-Hommachi Station...
The Rising Tide of Hikers in Japan A few weeks ago, I shared why I’ve decided not to complete the Hyakumeizan, Japan’s celebrated list of 100 mountains. While that choice came from a mix of personal and deeper reflections, one word keeps coming back...
