My name is Wes Lang and I am the founder of Hiking in Japan, which provides practical English-language information for Japan’s mountain trails. While my main site focuses on the logistics of climbing the mountains, this blog is reserved for my trip reports and other mountain musings.
In 2008 I became the first American to finish climbing all of the Nihon Hyakumeizan, and in 2017 I became the first foreigner to climb both the Kansai Hyakumeizan and the Kinki Hyakumeizan. In July of 2021 I finally finished my long-term goal of climbing the highest mountain in each of Japan’s 47 prefectures, the first foreigner to achieve this unique feat. Nowadays, I am more interested in climbing lesser-known peaks than checking mountains off a list.
hi, im a hiker from the philippines planning to climb mountains in japan this june-july. i enjoyed your stories. very informative. thanks!
Many thanks for your comment about my “Washiba” article – I will certainly be linking in to your own articles and photos when you publish on Tozan Tales. By the way, I read on your other blog that you plan to visit Tekari-dake this September. It would be most interesting to learn what you find on the summit. Fukada Kyuya (in Nihon Hyakumeizan) says the summit was covered in creeping pine. But now it seems that taller trees have moved up from below and obscure the summit view. I’m wondering if this is a sign of climate change. Some more photos might help to answer this interesting question…. More about the Tekari question on One Hundred Mountains at
http://onehundredmountains.blogspot.com/2008/06/creeping-pine-question-reloaded.html
Hello , I got really interested in your blog.
Actually I’m doing a research project for the graduation research class at I-NAC College in Niigata.I am trying to find out foreigner’s knowledge and interests in trekking in Japan.
It would be grateful if you don’t mind I would like to attatch a questionnaire .
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Hi, amazing blog you’ve got here! Keep up the terrific work!
I will be in Tokyo 2 to 6 of October and I would like to do some hiking for two days (2 dayhikes or a trek of 2 days). Can you advise a your preferred hike (mountain climb) not too far from Tokyo? Thanks a lot for your help, Jensen.
thanks for the kind words Jensen!
As far as places to go for 2 days, you have lots of options. I guess my first question would be: what are you looking for? Volcanic terrain? Beautiful marshlands? Stunning views of Mt. Fuji?
Volcanic scenery can be found in the mountains just outside of Nikko (Mt. Nantai and Oku-shirane). Head to Oze if you’re looking for marshlands, and try your hand at Mt. Tanzawa if you’re looking for great views of Mt. Fuji (weather permitting).
Hi, love your blog. You’re truly lucky to be able to do all this hiking, very jealous! I’ll be coming to Japan in June for a mere 2 weeks this year and was wondering if you would be able to help me narrow down my choices. We won’t have any overnight gear so we’re limited to day treks. I’m trying to decide between Dewa Sanzan, Yakushima, Rishiri & Rebun, and Kumano Kodo. Trying to figure out if Gas-san in Dewa Sanzen will be open late June but getting different reports. Anyways, I’d really appreciate any input you have. Thanks!
Amy,
Thanks for the kind words and welcome to Japan (even if only for a short time)
June is a tricky month for hiking, as the summer monsoon moves over the main island. It usually rains just about every day between mid June and mid July, but there’ll be pockets of good weather in between, but usually not consecutive days of sunny skies. That being said, there’s something enchanting about hiking in the rain, and I’ve climbed close to 50 mountains in pretty terrible conditions, so don’t sweat it. If you’re truly adverse to the wet conditions, then consider going to Hokkaido, which doesn’t have a rainy season.
All of the trails will be open despite the potentially bad weather (unless there’s flooding or landslides). As far as choices go, you can’t go wrong with any of the places on your list.
My wife’s favorite place is definitely Yakushima. Not only can you go trekking, but you can rent bicycles and traverse around the island. Plus, there are hot springs, monkeys, and the chance to see giant sea turtles laying eggs on the beaches!
Rishiri and Rebun are pretty great if you love alpine flowers (and want to escape the rain!) Dewa sanzan will still have quite a bit of snow, depending on how early or late in June you come.
Kumano kodo is also good, but I really think it’s worth it to explore other areas of Japan first, as they feel a little more pristine than the Kansai area (maybe I’m just partial because I live in Osaka and can go to Kumano kodo anytime!)
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Wes
Wes, thanks for that, it’s immensely helpful! I think we’ll end up in Rishiri/Rebun. Yakoshima would be great, but it’s turning out to be a bit far from anything else on our itinerary and kind of expensive to get to. Cheers & enjoy your travels.
Hi Wes,
Your travels and adventures are truly interesting and amazing.
We are planning a 2-3 month trip to Japan, between late August and late October. mostly going out into areas with both good onsen (away from the hoardes of tourists) and good hikes.
We lived in Japan for about 5 years before and have traveled the Hokkaido and Okinawa area a lot so we are not planning on going there this time.
So far we have narrowed it down to Akita, Aomori, Tochigi, Nagano, Shimane, Wakayama and maybe some parts of Shikoku.
What areas and hikes would you recommend as must do? We are aiming for single day hikes, we do not want to have to travel the whole country with too much gear.
Am unsure what areas in Shikoku are worth doing and you might have some info on that.
Also in Kyushu what would your recommendation be. Am avoiding Beppu like the plague, so anything that is the exact opposite of that would be great.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
C.
C.
Sorry for the late reply. I’ve been in Hokkaido.
On Shikoku, Mt. Ishizuchi is the best day hike. You can find information on my Hiking in Japan site (click on the link in the right margin)
Kyushu has some outstanding volcanic scenery. Definitely check out Mt. Kuju and possibly Kirishima national park if you get a chance.
The first snows usually fall on the higher peaks from the end of September, and you have to be prepared if hiking in Tohoku during that time. My favorite peak in Tohoku is probably Mt. Chokai in Akita Prefecture. Spectacular scenery and incredible views. Mt. Hakkoda is also another great option – a much easier hike with a nice hot spring.
Let me know if you have any other specific questions.
Wes
Thanks mate,
Went up both Chokai and Hakkoda, was raining cats and dogs on both days but made it to the top and back safely.
Chokai was definitely a good challenge, Hakkoda was wet as can be but the onsen at the base made it all worth it.
Am going to Ichizushi later in october, am waiting for a break in the weather to try either tateyama or Tsurugi in Nagano, fingers crossed I can do either one tomorrow.
Cheers,
Charles.
Hi there mate,
Awesome blog! Im living in Sendai area at present but I have the whole of April to go missioning around the south of japan.
I notice you’ve done a fair bit of ‘wild camping’ – i.e. no camp site – pretty much what I love doing. Got any tips for not upsetting the locals?
Could you recommend any multi-day hikes with a view of Mt Fuji (so not actually climbing fuji) – I have all my own gear and am fairly experienced/fit etc.
Also any other multi-day hikes anywhere south from Tokyo that you recon are really worth it? I have a car to get there so that will hopefully help!
Any tips would be grand!
Take care,
Stephan
Stephan,
Sorry for the late reply. I’ve been out of the country.
‘Wild camping’ basically involves pitching the tent in a non-discrete place by setting up camp after sundown and breaking down camp really early in the morning before daybreak. Another option would be to sleep out in the open without a tent – I’ve done that about a dozen times and it works well as long as it doesn’t rain and the mosquitoes aren’t too bad.
As far as multi-day hikes go near Fuji, I’d recommend doing the Mizugaki-Kinpu-Kobushi traverse (you can search for it on this blog) or the Tsurugi traverse on Shikoku island (or Ishizuchi for that matter).
It’s still too early to do any trekking in the Alps with all of the snow. You’re more that welcome to check out my other blog (japanhike.wordpress.com) for other ideas.
Wes
Hi Wes,
In ozasanosyuku (小笹の宿), it was pleasant.
A panoramic photograph is later published to my blog.
Please see.
fukayama
Hi Wes. This past weekend I hiked from Shijonawate-eki to Ishikiri-eki, via Ikomayama. A great day. The best part was the descent down to Ishikiri. It was something out of this world. Can you remember the name of the path?
Ross,
Thanks for the comment. Yeah, Ikoma is a pretty nice mountain if you can ignore the amusement park on the summit.
The route down to Ishikiri is called Zushidani (辻子谷). It’s an amazing course and definitely the best route on the mountain.
Hi Wes. Thanks for the reply. I am planning of returning to the Zushidani and maybe another track in the area. Yeh,The summit was a hoot. No view,just bloody swings,tables & trains. But well worth the climb. Do you have any hikes planned in the near future?
Hi Wes,
If I’d have to choose 5 favorite blogs on the internet, this would surely be one of them 🙂 Thank you for sharing all this experiences!
My girlfriend go on a trip to Japan in august. We thought to do the (hiking in Japan) trip from Mi-no-koshi to Kubo (Tsurugi/Jirogyu/Maruishi etc). Would you recommend that one? Is not that crowded right?
Also, if we would like to do a 2 days hike in the Japanese Alps and were wondering which one you’d recommend.
Thank so much! 🙂
Thierry,
Sorry for the late reply. I’m on the road at the moment.
Thanks for the kind words about the blog. I hope my response isn’t too late.
Not sure if you’ve seen the news, but Shikoku is receiving record rainfall at the moment, and most of the island is underwater. It’d probably be best to skip the Tsurugi hike at the moment, as I’m sure most of the buses have stopped and the mountain roads are likely closed.
As far as the Japanese Alps are concerned, you have several options. For a 2-day hike, you could go to Kamikochi and hike up into the backcountry. It’s a really beautiful area, but takes a bit of time to get to. Another easier option would be to head to the Chuo Alps, and take the ropeway up to Senjoshiki. From there you can hike up to Kiso-komagatake and either stay at one of the huts up there or camp. The next day, you could climb up and over Mt. Hoken (a challenging hike that has a few chains in place to help you) and then loop back down to the ropeway station, or you could descend the back side of Kiso-koma down to Kiso-fukushima station. That trail doesn’t get much use, so it’d be better to buy a map at any Japanese bookstore. A third option would be Yatsu-ga-take. It’s easy access from Tokyo and it’s a really popular area for hikers and climbers. There’s a also a hot spring at one of the huts. Accessible by bus from Chino station in Yamanashi prefecture.
I hope that helps
Wes
Hi
I was wondering if there is a rough map for hiking the mackerel trail, “SabaKaido” from Kyoto to Obama. I was going to camp along the trail on the way. cheers gregg
Gregg,
You can find Japanese information on-line, as well as checking out Ted’s blog.
http://notesfromthenog.blogspot.jp/search/label/Wakasa%20Kaidō
The Saba Kaido is also known as the Wakasa Kaido, so sometimes it’s helpful to search for that name when you’re looking.
Here’s a rough map in Japanese
http://kaidoaruki.com/area_kinki/saba/index.html
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks,
Wes
Hi,
I have been reading your blog for over a year now. I like it very much. I will be in Takatsuki, Osaka, and Kyoto between 8/7 – 8/20 visiting wife’s family. It would be great if we could meetup and do some hiking together. Some place in the Kansai area. If you don’t have any ideas I plan to continue hiking another leg of the Kyoto trail or the “88 Temples Pilgrimage Hiking around Ninnaji, Kyoto. I know Japan is very hot in August, but these trails are at higher altitudes.
Hope to hear from you,
Daniel
Daniel,
Cheers for the message and invite. Kansai gets uncomfortably hot in August, so I usually don’t do much hiking in this part of Japan. I usually head north to Hokkaido, Tohoku, or Nagano.
You really need to get above 2000 meters to escape the heat. However, hiking between 4 and 9am may bring relief from the heat (or hiking in the evening). I usually do a sunset hike of Mt. Ikoma once a summer to catch the sunset and to eat ice cream at the amusement park on the summit. That is good fun.
Anyway, let me know your plans once you arrive. I may have a free day in between trips to the Japan Alps.
Cheers,
Wes
Hello there! interesting blog!
I’m heading to Japan (Kansai area) in February 2018. Are you also a guide? I’m going to hike Mount Kongo. Am looking for a guide. I’m from Malaysia btw.
Bella,
You can contact me directly if you would like. I won’t be in Japan during most of February, so I probably won’t be able to guide you. Mount Kongo is a very popular mountain in winter, so a guide is probably not necessary if you are used to hiking in cold weather. A light pair of crampons is recommended because there may be icy sections of the trail. There is also a ropeway that you can use if you’re not comfortable with snow. From the top of the ropeway it’s a 30-minute walk through the snow to the top.
I hope that helps.
Wes
Hi Wes, thank you for your reply 🙂
may i know how to contact you directly?
do you happen to know know any local hiker or any hiker that i can invite to join me? because im heading to mt kongo alone, i think it would be fun if i have a friend to hike together. but if not, then it is fine 🙂
Bella,
I heard from Kaori that she guided you on Kongo. I’m happy that you could find her and she could lead you up the mountain. She’s a great person and I hope that you enjoyed your trip.
Hi Wes,
Nice blog. If you don’t mind, two questions… I’m thinking of thru-hiking the Takashima Trail around the second week of March. I expect some snow of course. Is there tons of snow then? Is the trail generally easy to follow in such conditions (previous traffic, marking tape above the snow on trees, etc)?
Cheers!
Daniel,
There will still be quite a bit of snow in mid-March, so I’d definitely recommend snowshoes if you are going. The trail, due to the lack of water sources, is not popular at all, even in the summer, so I doubt you will have a trace to follow. A GPS would be essential as it can be easy to get lost.
The first section from Kunizakai to Akasaka is popular for snowshoeing, but beyond that you’re unlikely to see any other hikers.
The one advantage of doing it in mid-March is that you could melt snow for drinking water so you wouldn’t have to carry much with you. I think most thru-hikers wait until early April when the weather is a bit warmer but there are still snowfields in which to get water. Here are the condition you can expect in mid-April
http://toyorou.exblog.jp/15801150/
There is a map for sale of the Takashima Trail, which I recommend picking up. You can purchase it at the tourist information office at Omi-Takashima station and probably at Makino station as well.
I hope that helps. The Takashima Trail is really beautiful and remote and worth the effort and planning.
Let me know if you have other questions.
Cheers,
Wes
Hello there. I was wondering if you could recommend a 3-night backpacking trip in Japan for my daughter and me in late June this year. We are both very experienced backpackers. I am tentatively planning on hiking the Yatsugatake Traverse from Mount Amigasa to Mount Tateshina. However, it will take us nearly 6 hours by train, etc. to get there from Kyoto. Could you recommend any 4-day/3-night routes closer to Kyoto? I was thinking the Omine Mountains, but the “no women” rule put a stop to that idea. Any ideas? Thank you, Derek Loranger (100peaks.com)