Makihatayama Refuge Hut 巻機山避難小屋 – Mt. Makihata 巻機山 . . Vast Grasslands and Limpid Ponds Mt. Makihata is a broad open peak dotted with grasslands, flower meadows and ponds on the border of Gunma and Niigata. It has been selected as one of...
Mt. Senmai-dake 千枚岳 – Mt. Warusawa 悪沢岳 – Mt. Eboshi 烏帽子岳 . . Exploring the Southern Minami Alps If you want to enjoy some of the most pristine and rugged nature Japan has to offer than the south end of the Minami Alps is an excellent...
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...
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...
Okinomimi オキノ耳 – Mt. Mantaro 万太郎山 – Mt. Tairappyou 平標山 . . Crossing the “Mountain of Death” Let’s get this out the way first. I can’t stress it enough: if you decide to do this hike, plan carefully. The trail for the most part...
Mt. Mibudake 三峰岳 – Mt. Ainodake 間ノ岳 – Mt. Notoridake 農鳥岳 . . Exploring the Northern Minami Alps Claiming joint honours as the third highest mountain in Japan, Ainodake is regularly climbed in concert with Kita-dake and Notoridake...
Sleep in these Mountain Huts and Save Some Coin While hiking purists might scoff at the idea of bedding down for the night in a mountain hut either due to cost considerations or the thought of suffering through an ensemble of snorers, huts do have...
Mt. Bonomine 棒ノ峰山 – Mt. Sobatsubu 蕎麦粒山 – Mt. Tenmoku 天目山 . . Some of the Finest Mountain Hiking in Tokyo This lesser hiked trail follows the Nagasawa ridgeline 長沢背稜 which forms part of the boundary between Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture...
Kamikochi 上高地 – Karasawa 涸沢 – Mt. Karasawa 涸沢岳 . . Autumn Colours and Incredible Views There’s a good reason Kamikochi consistently ranks as one of the most popular hiking destinations in Japan – it’s dazzling beautiful especially...
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...