Debunking More Myths About Hiking in Japan You’d think most of the common misconceptions about hiking in Japan would’ve been put to rest by now, but a few still stubbornly hang around. Whether you’re new to the trails or have been hiking here for...
How Japan’s Mountains Turned Me Into a Solo Hiker Before I moved to Japan, I never really considered hiking alone. Back in Australia, bushwalking was always a group activity. From my earliest days in the Cubs and Scouts, through to school camps...
Hiked on Jul 24, 2025 . Shinhotaka Ropeway 新穂高ロープウェイ – Yarigatake 槍ヶ岳 – Kamikochi 上高地 Duration: 3 days Distance: 35.2 km Elevation change: 2090 metres Highest point: 3180 metres Start: Shinhotaka...
Not the Quiet Afternoon I Had Planned Exhausted from a gruelling morning traversing the three peaks of Mt. Houou, I arrived at Hayakawaone Hut on the second day of a three-day hike, ready for a quiet, solitary lunch. What I got instead was an...
Hiked on Jul 8, 2025 . Yashajin-toge 夜叉神峠 – Jizo-dake 地蔵岳 – Hirogawara 広河原 Duration: 3 days Distance: 26.8 km Elevation change: 1460 metres Highest point: 2840 metres Start: Yashajin-toge trailhead bus...
Are Japan’s Mountain Huts Becoming a Luxury? As the 2025 summer hiking season kicks into gear, one thing remains clear: staying in a mountain hut isn’t cheap – especially in the Northern Alps. At huts like Hakuba-yari Onsen-koya and Kiretto-goya, a...
Where Japan’s Mountain Names Come From and What They Mean Place names in Japan can range from tricky to downright impossible – even if you know your kanji. Ask most native speakers how to pronounce 水松山, a quiet, forested peak in Tokyo’s Okutama...
Hiked on June 27, 2025 . Village Hakushu ヴィレッジ白州 – Suisho-Nagi 水晶ナギ – Hokugino-daira ホクギノ平 Duration: 2 days Distance: 22.9 km Elevation change: 1357 metres Highest point: 2037 metres Start:...
Fuji Fatigue: Can the Mountain Keep Up? Each summer, Mt. Fuji opens for a fleeting two-month season, welcoming tens of thousands of climbers hoping to witness the sunrise from Japan’s highest peak. For many, it’s a bucket-list moment – an iconic...
Unearthing a Forgotten Legacy More than ten years ago, while trudging up the now cordoned-off Inamura-iwa Ridge from the sleepy village of Nippara on Tokyo’s fringes, something glinting on the side of the track caught my eye – a rusted soft drink...
Rethinking Where and How we Sleep in the Mountains I’ll start with a confession: I wild camp in Japan quite a lot. If I had to guess, I’d say about a quarter of my overnight hikes have involved camping outside of official campsites. For regular...
Are They a Force for Good – Or a Blight on the Landscape? In Japan’s high mountain ranges, you’re never far from a hot meal, a warm place to rest—and sometimes even a vending machine. Contrast that with Victoria, Australia, where I cut my teeth as a...