Category
Hiking
Mountain and LandHiking
Japan is a country with a rich alpine history. From yamabushi (mountain priests), to mountain loving missionaries like Sir Walter Weston, to modern adventurers such as the Miura family, Japan’s mountainous terrain has been the playground – and holy ground – to generations of mountain climbers and recreational hikers. North to south, east to west there are countless peaks to bag and trails to explore. Whether you are out to conquer the Hyakumeizan (Japan’s 100 famous peaks) or just head out on a day hike to get some fresh air and escape the heat, there’s something for every hiker and climber in Japan.
Hiking
100 Famous Japanese Mountains: #12 Akadake
It was still mid-October, but the chill in the air made me wonder if sleeping in a tent was a good idea. When I arrived at the gy...
Hiking
100 Famous Japanese Mountains: #17 Hachimantai
I hear the door to the Visitor’s Center slide open as I scramble to get my things in order. Still in my sleeping bag with all...
Adventures of the Hokkaido Bush Pig
Close Encounters of the Furry Kind
About this time last year I did a trip to one of Hokkaido’s great peaks – Mt. Ashibetsu. This hike has one of my favorite huts—be...
Hiking
100 Famous Japanese Mountains: #56 Kita-Dake
It was my third day out in the South Alps, and I was convinced I was an “ame-onna” (rain woman) as I had been in my rain ge...
Hiking
100 Famous Japanese Mountains: #30 Ishizuchi-san...
On the ferry from Tokyo to Tokushima, a local woman told me it was a good choice to climb Ishizuchi-san, as it is the guardian an...
Trekking
Summit Day
On the scale of great enthusiasms and devotions it’s hard to think of anything physically, emotionally or symbolically grander th...
Hyakumeizan
100 Famous Japanese Mountains: #1 Poroshiri-dake...
“A foreign girl climbing Poroshiri alone? I have lived here 50 years, and the mountain is no joke.” So said the old man at the vi...
Hiking
100 Famous Japanese Mountains: #54 Kaikoma-gatak...
For two weeks I had been in the South Alps, working as hut staff. Preparing pre-sunrise breakfasts and early dinners left little ...