Tag: Chichibu Tama Kai National Park

Autumn Colours in Tokyo’s Hinohara Village

Guns, Momiji, and Waterfalls If you’re in search of abundant nature Hinohara Village on the outskirts of Tokyo is a good place to start. Each year I make more than a few trips to the metropolis’s only village to escape the city and enjoy fresh air...

Mt. Kasatori 笠取山

Hiked on Oct 31, 2020    Nov 10, 2021 . Gan-toge 雁峠 – Kasatori-goya 笠取小屋 – Tama River Headwaters 多摩川源流   Duration: 2 days   Distance: 20 km   Elevation change: 893 metres   Highest point: 1953 metres  ...

Mt. Kurogane 黒金山

Hiked on Sep 21, 2020 . Mt. Kentoku 乾徳山 – Mt. Kurogane 黒金山 – Nishizawa Gorge 西沢渓谷 The Nishizawa Gorge hiking trail closes during winter (December 1st-April 28th subject to change depending on snowfall) for the latest information please...

Journey Along the Kurasawa Valley in Okutama

Solo Summer Hike and Camp in Okutama Arriving mid-morning at Okutama Station during the Obon holidays was, as expected, bustling with activity. Perhaps a little surprising given COVID-19. I made a beeline for one of the two diminutive buses headed...

Some Camping Spots I’d Rather be Right Now

18 Beautiful Places to Camp in Japan With everyone now under stay-at-home requests through May 31 it’s looking increasingly likely the spring hiking will pass without most of us hitting the trail – myself included. To console myself with this...

Tokyo Hiking: Mountain Grading Guide

Choose Your Next Hike with Confidence With so many hiking trails around Tokyo to choose from it can be tough to know where to begin especially if you’re a novice hiker or new to the prefecture. Over the years probably the single most sought out...

Mt. Jinba 陣馬山 to Mt. Mito 三頭山

Hiked on Apr 28, 2019    May 5, 2022 . Mt. Jinba 陣馬山 – Maruyama 丸山 – Mt. Mito 三頭山   Duration: 2 days   Distance: 28.5 km   Elevation change: 1166 metres   Highest point: 1531 metres   Start: Wada bus...

Three Waterfalls of Unazawa Hike

Hiked on Apr 13, 2019 . Unazawa Otaki Falls 海沢大滝 – Onara Pass 大楢峠   Duration: 5 hours   Distance: 14.8 km   Elevation change: 340 metres   Highest point: 680 metres   Start: Shiromaru Station (Ome Line)   Finish: Kori...

The Mystery Behind the Okutama Ropeway

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...

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