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.
Sleep in these Mountain Huts and Save Some Coin While hiking purists might scoff at the idea of bedding down for the night in a mountain hut either due to cost considerations or the thought of suffering through an ensemble of snorers, huts do have...
Hiked on May 5, 2017 Nov 13, 2022 . Mt. Bonomine 棒ノ峰山 – Mt. Sobatsubu 蕎麦粒山 – Mt. Tenmoku 天目山 Duration: 2 days Distance: 19.8 km Elevation change: 1171 metres Highest point: 1576 metres ...
Hiked on Apr 28, 2018 . Tenguno Falls 天狗の滝 – Tsuzuraiwa Rock つづら岩 – Fujimidai 富士見台 Duration: 5 hours Distance: 8 km Elevation change: 764 metres Highest point: 1054 metres Start: Senzoku bus stop ...
The Tranquil Tenguno Falls Hinohara Village in the backblocks of Tokyo has nature in abundance and is home to several stunning waterfalls including the Odake and Hossawa Falls. Located a stone’s throw away from the latter is the no less...
The Perfect Place to Relax and Get Back to Nature Hinohara Village in western Tokyo is home to several scenic spots including the Hossawa and Odake waterfalls, Hinohara Tokyo Citizens’ Forest and Mount Mito to name a few. Adding to this list...
Shibazakura Moss Phlox on Display at Hitsujiyama Park Resting blissfully under the gaze of nearby Mount Buko is a hill of vivid pink, white and lilac. The Shibazakura no oka 芝桜の丘 or hill of pink moss (also known as moss phlox) is in Hitsujiyama Park...
Hiking and Adventure Sports Insurance Important note: The hiking insurance policies listed below are available to everyone. The only caveats are that you can navigate the website (mostly in Japanese only) and that it needs to be tied to a Japanese...
A Small Star on a Small Island As hard as it is to believe a grandmother built a lighthouse. The lighthouse in question is the pint-sized 3-metre-high Takamori Lighthouse on Shikinejima one of the smaller islands that make up the Izu Seven Islands...
Old Style Campground Meets High Tech The diminutive Izu Island of Shikinejima is often overlooked for its larger neighbour Niijima. Arguably Niijima has better beaches at least surfing ones while Shikinejima is charming and chilled out with plenty...
Hiked on Mar 16, 2018 . Tojinzushiro 唐人津城 – Kanbiki Lookout 神引展望台 Duration: 3 hours Distance: 6.4 km Elevation change: 96 metres Highest point: 109 metres Start: Kamanoshita Campground Finish: Oura Beach...
Tokyo a City of Extremes With near on 14 million people living in the Tokyo Metropolis it goes without saying there isn’t much in the way of personal space. The corollary to this craziness is excellent food, shopping, nightlife and entertainment...
Cycling from the Shin Ome-kaido to Sayama Lake Recently while cycling around the Tama and Sayama Lakes in western Tokyo, I came across a tunnel network which appeared to be from an abandoned railway. It struck me as a little odd that they would...