Hike difficulty rating matrix
Amon Bradshaw There are a lot of different systems across Australia, Japan and Europe for rating or comparing the difficulty of hikes or bushwalks. For example, in Australia the Australian Walking Track…
Mount Wills Summit Live Weather
Access real-time weather data directly from the Mt Wills Summit Hut, sitting at 1,757 metres above sea level in Victoria’s High Country. Having travelled the Omeo Highway and hiked in…
Top 10 Hikes in Shikoku
Shikoku is often overlooked by hikers and travellers in Japan, but the island’s four prefectures offers some of the best moderate (non-mountaineering) foot-on-ground hiking trails in the country. From the…
Top 5 Hikes in the Iya Valley
The Iya Valley in Tokushima is one of Japan’s “Three Hidden Regions,” famous for its tall limestone gorges, historic thatched-roof houses, and the iconic Kazurabashi (vine bridges) across the Iya…
Best topographic maps and apps for hiking in Japan
You might have noticed that the topographic maps or app you use at home doesn’e have a lot of detail for Japan – where are all the mountains? Below I…
Shikoku’s 100 Famous Mountains 四国百名山
For every mountain you hike, there will always be another hundred you’ll never get to. While you may have heard of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains, only two peaks from Shikoku…
Shikoku’s Best Mountain Huts
Shikoku is a hiker’s paradise, especially if you’re not mountaineer and prefer to stay on your feet like me. But unlike the well-known hikes and trails of the Northern Alps…
Tokushima’s best waterfalls in one weekend
If waterfalls were tastes; Shikoku’s waterfalls would be umami. Yes, Shikoku has all of the usual ingredients that make a waterfall great: clear water.. check, mountains.. check, deciduous trees.. check,…
Elliot’s Map of Shikoku Campsites
Compiled by a long term resident of Kochi, Elliot, and added to by us this map highlights some of the best campsites in Shikoku’s Ehime and Kochi prefectures. Camping is…
Shikoku’s Top 6 Waterfalls
Shikoku, one of Japan’s true hidden gems, is covered by hundreds of beautiful waterfalls eight of which are on Japan’s Top 100 Waterfall list. From Todoroki-no-taki to Nikobuchi we have…
We created a map of the best hikes in Shikoku
Hiking all of Shikoku’s beautiful mountains in one lifetime might just be impossible – but if you’d like to try this list will provide you a good place to start.…
Top places to surf in Kochi Prefecture
Where can I surf in Kochi, Japan? The south-west area of Kochi Prefecture around Shimanto City and Cape Ashizuri is a great location if you’re looking to do some surfing…
What to wear hiking in Japan
Deciding what to wear when hiking is a challenging (but very important) task. In Japan the weather can change at any moment and if you pack the wrong clothing you…
What to pack for a hike in Japan?
Even if you’re a seasoned hiker in your home country it is important to be aware of the differences between hiking in Japan and other places like Australia, New Zealand…