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.

Mt. Kuroyama 黒山

Hiked on Jul 4, 2012    Aug 24, 2023 . Mt. Bonomine 棒ノ峰山 – Mt. Kuroyama 黒山 – Nasaka Pass 名坂峠   Duration: 6 hours   Distance: 14.7 km   Elevation change: 577 metres   Highest point: 969‬ metres   Start: Kawai...

Mt. Kumotori 雲取山

Hiked on May 23, 2013    Aug 22, 2023 . Mitsumine Shrine 三峯神社 – Mt. Kumotori 雲取山 – Mt. Mutsuishiyama 六ッ石山   Duration: 2 days   Distance: 29.2 km   Elevation change: 977 metres   Highest point: 2017‬ metres   Start:...

Tamako Cycling Road

Tama Lake – Seibu Dome – Tamako Jitensha Dori Ave     For those looking for a nearby off road adventure try the Sayama Hills mountain bike course.   Duration: 1 hour   Distance: 13.1 km   Elevation change: 63 metres   Highest point: 158...

Hinodeyamakita Ridge 日ノ出山北尾根

Hiked on Apr 28, 2013    Aug 24, 2023 . Hinodeyamakita Ridge 日ノ出山北尾根 – Mt. Hinodeyama 日の出山 – Mt. Mitsumuroyama 三室山   Duration: 5 hours   Distance: 11 km   Elevation change: 652 metres   Highest point: 902‬ metres...

Mt. Tanzawa 丹沢山

Hiked on Apr 4, 2013    Aug 22, 2023 . Mt. Tounotake 塔ノ岳 – Mt. Tanzawa 丹沢山 – Mt. Hirugatake 蛭ヶ岳   Duration: 2 days   Distance: 23.7 km   Elevation change: 1383 metres   Highest point: 1673 metres   Start: Okura Bus...

Shiromaru Dam fish ladder

Unearthing the Longest Fish Ladder in Japan On recent nature outing near Okutama I stumbled across non-descript administrative building which just happens to house the longest fish ladder in Japan. The fish ladder is situated along a scenic stretch...

Hiking and hay fever in Japan

The Spoils of Early Spring Outings Tempted with the lure of warm weather for the first time this year, I made an ill-fated decision yesterday to set out knowing very well I had a good chance of succumbing to hay fever. This ignominious fate first...

Hakuunsan Torii Kannon

A Bodhisattva Inspired Kannon Temple The township of Naguri is more than just a launching pad for local trekking adventures and includes the impressive Hakuunsan Torii Kannon 白雲山 鳥居観音 which makes a formidable statement on the surrounding landscape...

Mt. Bonomine 棒ノ峰山

Hiked on Feb 28, 2013    Aug 23, 2023 . Naguri Lake 名栗湖 – Mt. Makinooyama 槙ノ尾山 – Mt. Bonomine 棒ノ峰山   Duration: 6 hours   Distance: 11.2 km   Elevation change: 736 metres   Highest point: 969 metres   Start:...

EIZO FlexScan SX2762W Revisited

It has been almost two years since purchasing the EIZO SX2762W FlexiScan LCD monitor and with almost 3,500 hours on the clock, I felt it was time to revisit my original review (included below) and add some closing remarks. The primary reason for...

Kiyomizu-dera Kyoto

A Pilgrimage to the Quintessential Temple While yesterday was unfathomably cold, today Kyoto turned into one gigantic puddle with incessant rain putting a dampener on things so to speak. Stoically we decided to adhere to our original itinerary by...

Fushimi Inari Taisha Kyoto

The Shrine of 10,000 Torii Kyoto is a city I have been rediscovering for many years and is undeniably one of the best places to point a camera in Japan. In fact it’s hard to take a bad photo – well most of the time anyway. Last weekend I again had...

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