David Lowe

David grew up in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, with hiking and outdoor pursuits being a major part of his life for as long as he can remember. He has been writing, snapping photos, and sharing his adventures on RIDGELINEIMAGES.com since 2013.

At university, David majored in environmental management and holds a Graduate Diploma of Education. He has been living in Japan for over 15 years, first in Fukushima Prefecture and now in the Tokyo Metropolis. With a love of hiking and photography, he felt the best way to combine the two was a blog to provide some inspiration for others to enjoy the myriad of trails and outdoor offerings on Tokyo’s doorstep. You can follow David on Instagram @ridgelineimages.

Yama to Kogen Chizu: 2023 Edition

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 (Shobunsha). As is customary, Shobunsha Publications (MAPPLE) released their annual Yama to Kogen...

Mt. Iwadono 岩殿山

Hiked on Feb 26, 2023 . Oni-no-iwaya 鬼の岩屋 – Mt. Iwadono 岩殿山 – Yosuike 用水池   Duration: 2.5 hours   Distance: 7.7 km   Elevation change: 270 metres   Highest point: 634 metres   Start: Otsuki Station (JR Chuo Main...

Kita Takao Fujimi 北高尾富士見

Hiked on Feb 11, 2023 . Hachioji Jouseki 八王子城跡 – Sugisawa-no-Atama 杉沢ノ頭 – Mt. Karasawayama 唐沢山   Duration: 4.5 hours   Distance: 10.9 km   Elevation change: 389 metres   Highest point: 556 metres   Start: Takao Station...

5 Hiking in Japan Myths, Busted

Deciphering Fact From Fiction Over the years, social media, guidebooks, including Lonely Planet’s Hiking in Japan, as well as various Japanese and foreign websites have kept alive a number of myths about hiking in Japan. In this post, we bring to...

Hiking in Japan: 100 Favourite Things

100 Things You Should Know About Hiking Japan In spite of the fact that blogging is often thought of as a solitary pursuit, most of us count on the support, wisdom, and good deeds of others to cobble things together. This blogger included. I...

Mt. Takatsuka 高柄山

Hiked on Dec 19, 2022 . Senzoku-toge 千足峠 – Shinyanone-toge 新矢野根峠 – Gozenyama 御前山   Duration: 5 hours   Distance: 10.5 km   Elevation change: 493 metres   Highest point: 733 metres   Start: Shiotsu Station (Chuo Main Line)   Finish:...

Mt. Hachioka 鉢岡山 (Hizure Alps)

Hiked on Dec 7, 2022 . Mt. Hizure-kongozan 日連金剛山 – Mt. Yasaka 八坂山 – Mt. Takara 宝山   Duration: 3.5 hours   Distance: 10.4 km   Elevation change: 297 metres   Highest point: 460 metres   Start: Fujino Station (Chuo Main Line)   Finish:...

Tokyo’s 10 Best Mountains

10 Mountains In Tokyo Worth Climbing As this blog approaches its 10th anniversary, it’s time to do what any self-respecting Tokyo hiking blogger would; rate from 1 to 10, Tokyo’s best mountains – specifically the list focuses on mountains...

Mt. Nagasawa 長沢山

Hiked on Nov 12, 2022 . Mitsumine Shrine 三峯神社 – Mt. Shiraiwayama 白岩山 – Mt. Tenso 天祖山     Do not attempt this hike unless you have experience in route-finding and make sure you carry a topographic map and handheld GPS device...

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