Kamakura Travel with Ease The nice thing about living in west Tokyo is its easy access to Okutama though heading south to Yokohama and Kamakura can be a drag. However, help is at hand. Enter the little-known Holiday Rapid Kamakura ホリデー快速鎌倉 a...
Hiked on Oct 28, 2019 Aug 15, 2021 . Makihatayama Refuge Hut 巻機山避難小屋 – Mt. Makihata 巻機山 Duration: 2 days Distance: 16.3 km Elevation change: 1372 metres Highest point: 1967 metres Start: Shimizu...
Japanese Outdoor Gear Manufacturers As a follow up to my recent blog post about Japanese outdoor brands I have decided to make the list a little more expansive thanks to some reader suggestions. The aim is to include outdoor manufacturers which...
Hiked on Sep 27, 2019 Aug 15, 2021 . Futarayama Shrine 二荒山神社 – Mt. Nyoho 女峰山 – Kirifuri-kougen 霧降高原 Duration: 2 days Distance: 15.9 km Elevation change: 1853 metres Highest point: 2483 metres...
Hiked on Sep 14, 2019 Aug 28, 2021 . Mt. Takahata 高畑山 – Mt. Kuratake 倉岳山 Duration: 5.5 hours Distance: 11.4 km Elevation change: 674 metres Highest point: 990 metres Start: Torisawa Station (Chuo Main...
In Search of Japan’s Northernmost Cycling Road As far as bicycle rides go, they don’t get much further north than this ride in the highlands of Cape Soya – the northernmost point of Hokkaido. So much so that in clear weather a silhouette of...
Japanese Cottage and Mainstream Outdoor Brands With an annual mountaineering market in the ballpark of 186 billion yen, you would think large numbers of homegrown manufacturers are cashing in. The reality is that there are very few Japanese outdoor...
Recollections from my First Hyakumeizan It’s been 19 years since I first climbed Japan’s highest landmark so this Mountain Day I thought it fitting to wind back the clock and revisit my first Nihon Hyakumeizan or 100 Famous Japanese Mountain. ...
Hiked on Jul 25, 2019 . Mt. Senmai-dake 千枚岳 – Mt. Warusawa 悪沢岳 – Mt. Eboshi 烏帽子岳 Duration: 5 days Distance: 29.1 km Elevation change: 2021 metres Highest point: 3141 metres Start: Sawarajima Lodge...
Guidebook to the Magnificent Japan Alps It would seem the only thing rarer than an albino dodo bird, scoring an albatross in golf or stumbling upon a Freshness Burger outlet in Tokyo is an English-language guidebook dedicated to Japan’s mountains...
Hiked on May 29, 2019 . Mt. Ogura 御座山 – Zeneimine 前衛峰 – Miharashidai 見晴台 Duration: 2 days Distance: 11 km Elevation change: 972 metres Highest point: 2112 metres Start: Kuryu bus stop Finish:...
Enjoy the Tokyo Islands on a Shoestring If you are looking for some great spots to camp around Tokyo, than the laid-back Izu Islands (Izu-shoto) are one place you should definitely pay a visit. This group of volcanic islands stretch south-east from...