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...
Where to Hike as a Family in the Greater Tokyo Area Hiking with children is a great way to get them connected to the outdoors and enjoy nature but knowing exactly where to go can be a challenge. Thankfully the Greater Tokyo Area has plenty of...
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...
Tokyo a City of Extremes With near on 14 million people living in the Tokyo Metropolis it goes without saying there isn’t much in the way of personal space. The corollary to this craziness is excellent food, shopping, nightlife and entertainment...
Exploring the Backwoods of Okutama One of the places I love frequenting in Okutama, Tokyo is the rather obscure Kurasawa Valley a lazy 20-minute bus ride from Okutama Station. Flanked on either side by precipitous cliff faces it was once home to the...
Caving in Tokyo: Then and Now There was a time not so long ago when visiting a tourist cave was a popular way to spend a lazy weekend. Rewind to the early 1980s and there were seven such caves operating in Tokyo now sadly more than half of them have...
The Kurasawa Bridge (Kurasawabashi) One could be forgiven for thinking the Tokyo Gate Bridge is the highest bridge in Tokyo and while its truss sections rise some 88 metres, the bridge’s “clearance” when measured from the deck of the road comes in...