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Japan |
Japan is an exciting country for hiking. Walking comes in all flavors: volcanoes, pilgrimages, trails thousands of kilometers long, alpine hikes and climbs. Main difficulty is the language. Information in English is hard to find. You might get the impression that hiking in Japan is no option. Totally wrong - read on!
Let's do a little research first: what's the geography like? Japan is about the size of Germany, a bit larger, but the population is 1,5 times as large. 127-million people are crammed together on 35% of the land surface, 65% being rugged mountain area. You've got the opportunities, right?
The country counts four large islands and countless smaller ones. These main islands are, from northeast to southwest:
- Hokkaidō, the mountainous island in the north. This island tips the Russian Island of Sakhalin
- Honshū, the main island in the middle, including Osaka and Tokyo
- Kyūshū, the westernmost island
- Shikoku, the island that squeezes in between Honshū and Kyūshū
These islands span some 20 degrees in longitude, from the chilly north to the subtropical south! Nature imposes itself mercilessly. On the one hand, Japan exists thanks to the collision of continental shelves. This means, on the other hand, exploding volcanoes and earthquakes. Also, in everyday life Japanese have to cope with typhoons and tsunamis. Nature has enjoyments to offer as well: exuberant colors in autumn, blossoming in spring, wild animals like bears, wild fruits and vegetables...
Politically Japan is divided into 9 regions and 47 prefectures. Let's have a closer look at them. In the centre of the country lies Tokyo, on the main island of Honshu. The Greater Tokyo Area houses 35-million people. This region, Kanto, is rather flat, but even here hiking trails can be found. To the west of Kanto lies the Chubu region, not far from the population centers. This is the region with the highest and wildest mountains, known in the West as the Japanese Alps. Mountains do not rise up higher than 4.000 m in Japan, but their often volcanic origins makes them wild and varied. Not far south of the capital is famous Mount Fuji – Fuji-san, 3776 m – Japan's highest. To the north of the country's mountainous centre lies Tohoku region and finally the island of Hokkaido, the second largest island. Its relatively cool and dry climate, quiet and mountainous, makes it interesting for hiking. To the south of Tokyo and the Chubu region, the main Honshu island continues for a while, less mountainous though. Then we reach the island of Shikoku, island of pilgrimages, half enclosed by Honshu. And in the far west is the island of Kyushu, again mountainous, the elements from below causing havoc (and nice hot springs!). This makes for good hiking, but with a warm and humid climate.
Talking about the climate: the north of the country and the mountains are snow covered in winter. Hiking in this season is still feasible in the south. In summer, Hokkaido in the north is pleasant and not too wet, whereas the rest of Japan is hot and humid. Between June and July, a monsoon works its way from south to north. In large parts of Japan, spring and autumn are best for hiking. Summer is best for the mountains.
Hiking comes in different shapes in Japan. Let's start with the traditional pilgrimages and old imperial roads. These are popular with foreigners. The two months hike on Shikoku, passing 88 temples, is well known, as is the old highway between Kyoto and Tokyo, the Nakasendo Trail. Tour operators will offer their services like luggage transportation and hotel reservations.
But don't forget: the country has an extensive system of long distance trails, the so called Nature Trails, 自然歩道. Popular with Japanese, hardly known abroad, there are nine of them, totaling to 26.000 km. The system was an initiative of the central government dating from around 1970, with the purpose of providing a means for experiencing nature and culture in a healthy and safe manner. The prefectures are upkeeping the trails and providing hiking maps. Usually, the Japanese use Nature Trails for day trips, picking out sections, often around 15 km. These sections are situated in such a way that they can be reached by public transport. The different sections do not always form a continuous trail. On the contrary, in places the system looks more like a fragmented chromosome. Completing all the sections is an honorable goal, rewarded with a medal if proper proof is submitted to the prefecture. The trails are well marked, but mainly in Japanese of course. Hiking the Nature Trails is a perfect way to explore all the corners and backyards of the country, cities and mountains alike.
Mountain tramping is popular with the Japanese and foreign visitors. Main focus is reaching the mountain top. The Japanese variant of peak bagging is very popular indeed: the 100 Famous Mountains - Hyukameizan 百名山. To check them all, and possibly fast, is a major achievement. Should you run out of mountains, there is always a list of 200 and even 300 famous mountains. Topographical maps are available in the larger bookstores. They do not give many hiking clues though, and of course they stick to Japanese.... Many mountain huts are at your service. Geberally these are private huts, not cheap, but good, offering linen and dinner. They might be crowded, but not full. The day starts early in these huts. Breakfast at 4.30 am and dinner at 5.00 pm.
Talking about accommodation, it's time to mention some other options for the night. The long distance hiker often uses the Minshuku, a kind of private accommodation, like B&B with often dinner included. Another popular choice is the Ryokan, the traditional Japanese hotel. Popular, especially on the pilgrimage ways, are the temple lodges, Shuboku, offering good value. In any case, do make reservations in advance! Your host will appreciate this very much. Remember dinner is normally included and will be prepared unless explicitly agreed otherwise.
                                     
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