Top 5 Hikes in the Iya Valley
Amon Bradshaw 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…
Mt Tarumae 樽前山 & Mt Higashi 東岳 Volcano Hike
Ironically, hiking this active volcano was the safe choice for us. One of our biggest worries while living in Hokkaido and going into the outdoors was actually bears, so this…
Mt Akakuradake 赤倉岳 Day Hike with kids
This hike to Akakuradake (1545m) is a 5.5km return hike with 321m of elevation gain that starts and finishes at the Hakkōda Ropeway Sanchō-kōen Station (山頂公園駅). The Hakkōda Mountains (八甲田山)…
Mt Usu 有珠山 Day Hike with kids
This hike to the Mount Usu outer rim at 500m is a 6.5km return hike with 269m of elevation gain that starts and finishes at the Showashinzan Station Ropeway (昭和新山駅).…
Mt Hakkyou 八経ヶ岳 Overnight Hike in Nara
Much like Shikoku, Osaka and Nara aren’t the first places that come to mind when foreigners think about snow or tall mountains in Japan. Despite that we enjoyed a magical…
Mt Kajigamori 梶ヶ森 Day (or Overnight) Hike Kochi
A moderate but well located (accessible by train) hike in the heart of Shikoku. Kajigamori is not the biggest and most beautiful mountain around but it is accessible by train…
Mt Yake 焼岳北峰 Day Hike
This hike to Yakedake’s North Peak (焼岳北峰) is a 7km return trek with 811m of elevation gain in Nagano. Starting at an elevation of 1,600m near Nakanoyu, it tops out…
Mt Kamegamori, Japan 瓶ヶ森 Hike
Kamegamori (瓶ヶ森, 1897m) sits on the border of Tokushima and Kochi Prefectures and spectacularly overlooks the famous (and tallest on Shikoku) Mt Ishizuchi. It is short and fairly easy 3km…
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…
Mt Tsurugi 剣山 Day Hike
Mt Tsurugi 剣山 is easily the most well known hike in the Iya Valley. The climb offers an accessible way to experience the peaks of Shikoku, featuring an optional single…
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,…
Amegamori 雨ヶ森 Day Hike in Kochi
Mt. Amegamori (雨ヶ森, 1387m) in Niyodogawa Town, Kochi is a fairly straight forward day hike accessible by car. Worth doing if you’re living nearby or in the area you’ll pass…
Heikedaira 平家平 & Kanmuriyama 冠山 Day Hike
Have you ever heard The Tale of the Heike or the Genpei war? On April 25th 1185 the Genji clan fleet defeated the Taira (aka Heike)-clan fleet in the Shimonoseki…
Hijiri Shrine, Ochi-cho 聖神社越知町 Short Hike
A hidden shrine, tunnel, bridges and waterfalls await you on this short and easy half-day walk in Ochi-town (越知町), Kochi Prefecture, Japan. If you find yourself nearby and have half…
Mt Miune 三嶺 Iya Valley Winter Hike
An overnight hike to Mt. Miune in Tokushima during early spring.