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...
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...
Mt. Tateshina 蓼科山 – Ogawaratoge Pass 大河原峠 – Mugikusa Pass 麦草峠 . . Climbing the Biggest Mountain Top in Japan Hopes of climbing Mt. Tateshina last year were hampered by rain and cloud so this time round I was yearning for clearer skies...
The Source of Japan’s Longest River All great rivers need to start from somewhere and Japan’s longest – the 367 km (228 mi) long Shinano River is no exception. The difficulty arises however when trying to pinpoint the actual source of a river...
Moukidaira 毛木平 – Mt. Kobushi 甲武信ヶ岳 – Jumonjitouge Pass 十文字峠 . . Tackling Mt. Kobushi from the Nagano Side This hike follows a well-worn trail to Mt. Kobushi from Kawakami Village in Nagano Prefecture. Whilst this route was leisurely...
Futagoike 双子池 – Mt. Kitayokodake 北横岳 . . Exploring the Top End of the Yatsugatake Mountains In the late summer the weather is at best changeable, strike it lucky and you’re blessed with superb panoramas, strike it otherwise and it can be...
A Couple of Minakami’s Finest Sights Aside from chronicling the deepest railway station in Japan and partaking in an onsen or two, I also checked out two other great sightseeing spots in Minakami. It should be noted however that access to both...
No Escalators just 486 steps from the Ticket Gate When one thinks of a deep, subterranean station you would normally envisage somewhere like Roppongi Station in Tokyo which rests at a hefty 42 metres (138 ft) underground. What you probably wouldn’t...