Category: Japan
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Festival: Shirotori
The Shirotori Obon Dance was held every summer for over 400 years in central Gifu until the pandemic changed everything.
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Walking – Rucking
What? Walking around with a backpack weighing roughly 20% of your body weight for as long as you feel like. Some consider it the perfect exercise for those that don’t like the gym (me) and aren’t that fond of running either (sometimes me). The military have been doing it forever and it seemed to have…
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Hiking in the Minami Alps: Coffee at the Top
There’s a joke between a good friend and his brother regarding a hike they did in Colorado a few years ago. Early morning on a remote mountain, as they approached the summit they saw a trail runner come through the mist, he flies straight past them shouting “Coffee at the top!”
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Hiking: Fujimidai
Fujimidai is the perfect place to hike with the family. The trails are safe, the views are wonderful, and it only takes 2 hours to get there from the Nagoya region.
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Alarm Clocks, Nature Sound Gallery, Morning Routine, and a 4-Day Work Week
Since April this year I have switched to a 4-day work week and it’s possibly the best work-related change I’ve made to my life in years. I now work from Monday to Thursday and am ‘free’ from Friday to Sunday.
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Hiking: Mt. Ibuki – The Easy Option
Driving Ibukiyama Skyline was not how I’d liked to have reached the summit of Mt. Ibuki on the border of Gifu and Shiga prefectures but hiking up with 14kgs of daughter, a 2kg kid’s carrier backpack, a camera, and 1.5 litres of sports drink in 30°C heat wasn’t really an option.
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Nakasendō – Walking Takenami to Mitake
The original plan was to walk to Mitake with my daughter, but with the route covering more than 20 kilometres, as well as moderate spring summer heat meant I chose instead to walk solo and meet up with her and my wife at a friend’s house for a wonderful sansai (山菜) lunch.
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Minimalist Gear
Everyone loves a good gear post and as I find myself waiting patiently for the Rapid Express to Takenami station (武並) I thought I’d break down what I’m carrying with me on my Nakasendō walk from Takenami to Mitake (御嵩町) today.
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