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...
Fujisan’s Endless Crowds The famous 17th-century poet Basho wrote ‘Rain obscures the scene; But Fuji still exerts a charm Even when unseen’. This sentiment still rings true today based on the sizeable number of climbers who took to the slopes in...
Mt. Ogura 御座山 – Zeneimine 前衛峰 – Miharashidai 見晴台 . . A 200 Famous Mountain Worth Spending a Night When planning an overnight hike there are three things I look for. First is water which needs to be available either near the campsite or...
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...
Mt. Jinba 陣馬山 – Maruyama 丸山 – Mt. Mito 三頭山 . . Sun-bathed plateau to a Remote Mountain Path During Golden Week last year, I tackled the Nagasawa ridgeline which straddles Tokyo and Saitama Prefectures. This time I’ve switched boundaries...
Bukkasan 仏果山 – Mt. Takatori 高取山 – Miyagase Dam 宮ヶ瀬ダム . . A Gateway Hike Towards Mt. Tanzawa For those looking for a limbering up hike before tackling the Tanzawa Mountain Range, Mt. Bukka is a good starting point. The mountain has long been a...
Unazawa Otaki Falls 海沢大滝 – Onara Pass 大楢峠 . . An Early Spring Hike This hike pays a second visit the picturesque Unazawa Valley in Okutama. A few years back I made it as far as the Mitsugama Falls before succumbing to a migraine which put a stop to...
Motomachi Harbour 元町港 – Mt. Mihara 三原山 . . Sea to Summit up Mt. Mihara Izu Oshima is both the largest and closest of the Izu Islands situated at the far end of Sagami Bay. On clear days the island can be seen from as far as Mt. Oyama some 80...
Fancy a Spot of Fire-walking? The Mt. Takao Fire-Walking Festival (hiwatari matsuri) is an annual event held on the second Sunday in March a 5-minute walk up the road from Keio Takaosanguchi Station. The festival is organised by the Takao-san Yakuo...
Another Piece of the Puzzle Let’s rewind to the early 1960s in Tokyo. The city was in the midst of massive transition both socially and economically a stark contrast to just 20 years before. If you were a Japanese housewife you pined for the...