Kamikochi Showa Era Photochromes By any measure Kamikochi in the Hida Mountains of Nagano Prefecture is one of the best natural spots in Japan. But surprisingly this wasn’t always the case. Up until the mid-19th Century Kamikochi underwent extensive...
One of the Best Places to See the Fall Foliage in Japan The splendid autumn colours which envelop the glacial cirque at Karasawa in the Northern Alps are a sight to behold. The only downside is you’re likely to be witnessing the “koyo” with loads of...
Beer, Boots and a Thousand Tents The Karasawa Cirque is surrounded by the towering peaks of Mt. Oku-Hotakadake and Mt. Kita-Hotaka in the Northern Japanese Alps. The glacial-eroded cirque has diameter of 2 kilometres, sits at an altitude of 2,300...
My Backpacking Gear Deciding what gear to pack for a hike is a careful balancing act between saving weight and potentially putting your health and wellbeing in harm’s way. As someone who readily admits to bringing along too much stuff, I have...
Hiked on Aug 27, 2017 Aug 10, 2022 . Hirogawara 広河原 – Shirane-oike 白根御池 – Kita-dake 北岳 Duration: 3 days Distance: 11.8 km Elevation change: 1673 metres Highest point: 3193 metres Start:...
Go Lightweight without Sacrificing Durability For an outdoor apparel company as large as Montbell there are surprisingly few hiking backpack reviews. This is a shame as Montbell packs are very reasonably priced, lightweight and well-constructed. I...
One LCD Monitor Brand that Holds its Resale Value When shopping for a new computer monitor its future resale value probably isn’t something you put much thought into. Like most people I just assumed that after many years of heavy use it would be...
Hiked on Aug 3, 2017 Jul 18, 2022 . Mt. Tateshina 蓼科山 – Ogawaratoge Pass 大河原峠 – Mugikusa Pass 麦草峠 Duration: 3 days Distance: 16.2 km Elevation change: 886 metres Highest point: 2530 metres ...
Central reference point for all Japanese surveys First up this sightseeing locale is only really recommended for mapping diehards. To give some perspective the place doesn’t even make TripAdvisor’s list of 623 ‘things to do’ in the Minato ward...
Not the Easiest Access but a Gorgeous Spot Nestled in the back hills of Kosuge Village just inside Yamanashi Prefecture contains a couple of rather beautiful waterfalls. First is the Shiraito Falls (not to be confused with the waterfall of the same...