Tag: outdoor Japan
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Hiking: The Other Eboshidake in the Clouds
Eboshidake in the Minami Alps behind the clouds. This was the third time in succession that this hike hasn’t gone to plan. See here and here. The Minami Alps usually offer spectacular views of Mt. Fuji and the other big mountain ranges of central Japan but once again the weather had other ideas and the…
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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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Lake Katsura and Wajima
I first visited the small town of Wajima (輪島) on the Noto Peninsula (能登半島) while on a bike packing trip back in 2015. Protruding out into the Sea of Japan on the Hokuriku coast (北陸), the Noto Peninsula is one of my favourite places in Japan, and one that has been regularly visited since that…
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Nakasendō/Kisoji – Magome and Tsumago
Magome (馬籠) and Tsumago (妻籠) — possibly the two most popular villages on the Nakasendō (中山道). My first visit was way back in 2000 if memory serves me well and I’ve been back on numerous occasions ever since.
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Tōkaidō – Walking in Kuwana
These little day trips are proving to be just the ticket. A dip into history, a new corner of Japan, and exercise to boot. Being fairly central, I get to choose.
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Nakasendō/Kisoji – Walking Kiso Fukushima to Agematsu
It’s been a long time since I walked a section of the Nakasendō (中山道). Back then it was the mountainous trail between Magome (馬籠宿) and Tsumago (妻籠宿), an insanely popular Nakasendō ‘theme park’ for both Japanese and foreign tourists.
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Cycling: Suwa’s Ginko Tree
Ginko trees (inchō・銀杏), along with momiji (紅葉) and persimmon (kaki・柿 – not to be confused with the other kaki meaning oyster) make for a staple of the Japanese autumn.