A Unique Shrine Surrounded by Nature Hatsumode or the first shrine visit of the year is a big deal in Japan with literally millions rocking up to their local shrine to pray for good fortune in the year ahead. In recent years I haven’t bothered much...
Day of the Falcon Japanese falconry or takagari was a ‘sport’ widely practiced by the noble and samurai class from the fourth century to underscore their status and authority. It flourished until the Edo period but with modernisation during the...
The World’s Lightest Down Jacket When it comes to lightweight down jackets, they don’t come much lighter than the Montbell Plasma 1000 Down Jacket weighing in at a miserly 130 grams (medium size). In fact, according to this Reddit user’s data sheet...
My Favourite Spot to Photograph Mt.Fuji Over the past seven years I have regularly snapped Fujisan from my balcony in Kodaira City in west Tokyo. As the crow flies it’s 79 km (49 mi) to the centre of Fuji’s main crater but often seems deceptively...
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. ...