Debunking More Myths About Hiking in Japan You’d think most of the common misconceptions about hiking in Japan would’ve been put to rest by now, but a few still stubbornly hang around. Whether you’re new to the trails or have been hiking here for...
How Japan’s Mountains Turned Me Into a Solo Hiker Before I moved to Japan, I never really considered hiking alone. Back in Australia, bushwalking was always a group activity. From my earliest days in the Cubs and Scouts, through to school camps...
Hiked on Jul 24, 2025 . Shinhotaka Ropeway 新穂高ロープウェイ – Yarigatake 槍ヶ岳 – Kamikochi 上高地 Duration: 3 days Distance: 35.2 km Elevation change: 2090 metres Highest point: 3180 metres Start: Shinhotaka...
Not the Quiet Afternoon I Had Planned Exhausted from a gruelling morning traversing the three peaks of Mt. Houou, I arrived at Hayakawaone Hut on the second day of a three-day hike, ready for a quiet, solitary lunch. What I got instead was an...
Hiked on Jul 8, 2025 . Yashajin-toge 夜叉神峠 – Jizo-dake 地蔵岳 – Hirogawara 広河原 Duration: 3 days Distance: 26.8 km Elevation change: 1460 metres Highest point: 2840 metres Start: Yashajin-toge trailhead bus...
Are Japan’s Mountain Huts Becoming a Luxury? As the 2025 summer hiking season kicks into gear, one thing remains clear: staying in a mountain hut isn’t cheap—especially in the Northern Alps. At huts like Hakuba-yari Onsen-koya and Kiretto-goya, a...
Where Japan’s Mountain Names Come From and What They Mean Place names in Japan can range from tricky to downright impossible—even if you know your kanji. Ask most native speakers how to pronounce 水松山, a quiet, forested peak in Tokyo’s Okutama...
Hiked on June 27, 2025 . Village Hakushu ヴィレッジ白州 – Suisho-Nagi 水晶ナギ – Hokugino-daira ホクギノ平 Duration: 2 days Distance: 22.9 km Elevation change: 1357 metres Highest point: 2037 metres Start:...
Fuji Fatigue: Can the Mountain Keep Up? Each summer, Mt. Fuji opens for a fleeting two-month season, welcoming tens of thousands of climbers hoping to witness the sunrise from Japan’s highest peak. For many, it’s a bucket-list moment—an iconic...
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...