Viewing Interactive GPS Maps Then & Now Not long after starting this blog I began using the pro version of WP Google Maps, a WordPress plugin to plot ‘polylines’ to display my hiking routes on Google Maps. As I commented at the time not having...
Wada Hut 和田小屋 – Kaguragamine 神楽ヶ峰 . . Autumn Hike to a Tranquil Alpine Marshland A couple of points set apart this hike from most on this blog. First is driving to the trailhead and second and importantly my wife Akiko joined me for the first...
Mt. Kentoku 乾徳山 – Mt. Kurogane 黒金山 – Nishizawa Gorge 西沢渓谷 The Nishizawa Gorge hiking trail is currently closed due to construction work and is not expected to reopen until late April 2021 for the latest information please refer to the...
Hinohara Village ‘Takimeguri’ Waterfall Tour This blog post continues my Hinohara Falls Tour Hinohara Takimeguri ひのはら滝めぐり a photographic journey of the 13 main waterfalls in Hinohara Village, Tokyo. Apart from the two waterfalls...
Komanogoya 駒ノ小屋 – Chumon-dake 中門岳 . . Primeval Beech Forest Gives Way to Alpine Marshland Mt. Aizu-Komagatake or simply Aizu-Koma is a vast expanse of rolling marshlands, limpid ponds and flower fields in Minamiaizu, Fukushima Prefecture. The...
Solo Summer Hike and Camp in Okutama Arriving mid-morning at Okutama Station during the Obon holidays was as expected bustling with activity. A little surprising perhaps given COVID-19. I made a beeline for one of the two diminutive buses headed for...
Nyukasa Marsh 入笠湿原 – Mt. Nyukasa 入笠山 . . Best-in-class Hiking for Families, Beginners, and Adventure Seekers Mt. Nyukasa lies at the north end of the Southern Alps in Nagano Prefecture though technically falls outside the Minami Alps National...
Suwa Shrine 諏訪神社 – Mt. Ogamiyama 越上山 – Yugate ユガテ . . Discover One of Saitama’s Best Kept Secrets Koburi Pass has been on my ‘to hike’ list for ages so with sunny skies forecast last weekend I finally found my opportunity. Located in...
Tracking Down Campgrounds Like Pro There is no shortage of camping locations in Japan in fact there are over 3,000 campgrounds according to this Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) travel guide. They can be found in just about every nook and...
Rainy Season Delights at a Suburban Tokyo Park A mere 25 km (16 mi.) from Shinjuku Station finds one of Tokyo’s most underrated parks that being Hachikokuyama Park 八国山緑地. Together with Kitayama Park abutting to the south it is one of four discrete...