A Panorama of Mountains from Tama Lake in Tokyo. The Tokyo Metropolis sits on the Kanto Plain, the largest lowland area in Japan and home to around a third of the country’s population. To the east, the city is bordered by the Edogawa River and Chiba...
Enoki-toge 榎峠 – Nago-toge 名郷峠 – Mt. Sanbosan 三方山 . . Ome Kyuryo Hiking Trail If you’re after a half-day beginner friendly hike close to Tokyo, then the Ome Kyuryo Hiking Trail 青梅丘陵ハイキングコース could be just the spot. While the rolling hills which...
Ogouchi Dam 小河内ダム – Yama-no-furusatomura 山のふるさと村 . . Wandering the Gentle Shores of Lake Okutama The Okoi-no-michi 奥多摩湖いこいの路 is a 12 km mostly flat walking path that winds around the banks of Lake Okutama in western-most Tokyo. The trail stretches...
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...
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 – 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...
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...
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...
Mt. Aso 麻生山 – Mt. Hinodeyama 日の出山 – Tsurutsuru onsen つるつる温泉 . . Tarukubo Stream and Shiraiwa Falls Trail For those looking to gain some hiking experience, tackling the main ridgeline which runs between Musashi-Itsukaichi Station and Okutama...
Sogaku Ravine 惣岳渓谷 – Lake Okutama 奥多摩湖 . . Explore Okutama’s Historic Past From the late 18th century until the completion of the National Route 411 in 1945 the Okutama Old Road (Mukashi Michi むかしみち) was an integral part of Koshu Back Road...