Tokyo Hikes, Adventure, Travel
If I Wanted to Open a Sanso in the Alps Today, Could I? If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably passed a mountain hut and wondered at some point: what would it actually take to run one of these myself? Buy a mountain plot somewhere, put up four walls and a stove, spend the warmer […] The post Who Owns the Mountain Huts in the Japanese Alps? appeared first on RIDGELINEIMAGES.com .
July 21st to July 24th, 2026 . Nakabusa Onsen 中房温泉 to Kamikochi 上高地 This is a long and demanding multi-day hike suitable for experienced hikers. Do not attempt this hike unless you have experience in route-finding. Carry the relevant topographic maps and a handheld GPS device. Submit your backcountry plan at the tozan posuto […] The post Northern Alps Panorama Ginza Traverse パノラマ銀座縦走 appeared…
Hiked on Jul 13, 2026 . Hirogawara 広河原 – Shiraneoike 白根御池 – Mt. Mae-Kotaroyama 前小太郎山 Duration: 2 days Distance: 13.3 km Elevation change: 1340 metres Highest point: 2860 metres Start: Hirogawara Bus Stop Finish: Hirogawara Bus Stop Difficulty: ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ❹ Map: Yama to Kogen Chizu 山と高原地図 […] The post Mt. Kotaroyama 小太郎山 appeared first on RIDGELINEIMAGES.com .
A Pocket Guide for Climbing Mt Fuji in 2026 Hot on the heels of the Japan Hiking Field Guide comes its first companion: a pocket reference built for one mountain and one mountain only. If you’re climbing Mt Fuji this season, this pocket guide is intended to make things a whole lot easier. The Japan […] The post Mt Fuji Field Guide 2026 appeared first on RIDGELINEIMAGES.com .
Where to Pitch a Tent in the Kiso Valley Most people walking the Nakasendo Kiso Valley stay in ryokan and minshuku, and for good reason: it’s both the traditional and enjoyable way to do this route, and the welcome at places like Minshuku Matsuo or the inns of Tsumago and Narai is half the experience. […] The post Camping Along the Nakasendo Trail appeared first on RIDGELINEIMAGES.com .
Book Launch I’m pleased to announce that The Nakasendo Kiso Valley: A Complete 5-Day Walking Guide is now available as a paperback on Amazon, with availability across several international Amazon stores, alongside the existing PDF edition on Ko-fi. When I released The Nakasendo Kiso Valley: A Complete 5-Day Walking Guide back in May, a PDF […] The post The Nakasendo Kiso Valley Guide: Now…
Hiked on June 12, 2026 . Asama-sanso 浅間山荘 – Asama-kazankan 火山館 – Mt. Maekake 前掛山 Duration: 2 days Distance: 22.3 km Elevation change: 1320 metres Highest point: 2524 metres Start: Asamayama tozan-guchi bus stop Finish: Asamayama tozan-guchi bus stop Difficulty: ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ❹ Map: Yama to Kogen […] The post Mt. Asama 浅間山 appeared first on RIDGELINEIMAGES.com .
A New Pocket Reference for the Trail I’ll preface this by saying this is one of the projects on the blog I’m happiest with. Pulling all of this information together into one place has been a labour of love – something I’ve spent a good chunk of time refining over recent months. Some of you […] The post Japan Hiking Field Guide appeared first on RIDGELINEIMAGES.com .
Route Notes, Accommodation & Logistics As someone who naturally gravitates towards longer, multi-day walks, the Nakasendō had long been on my radar – not as a quick day trip between Magome and Tsumago, but as a continuous walk through the Kiso Valley. That opportunity finally came in April 2026, when I spent five days walking […] The post The Nakasendo Kiso Valley: A Complete 5-Day Walking Guide…
Hiked on Apr 28, 2026 . Mt. Obinayama 帯那山 – Tara-toge 太良峠 – Mt. Tanayama 棚山 Duration: 2 days Distance: 18.5 km Elevation change: 1091 metres Highest point: 1422 metres Start: Toichi bus stop (taxi) Finish: Yamanashi-shi Station (JR Chuo Main Line) Difficulty: ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ❹ Map: […] The post Mt. Obinayama 帯那山 appeared first on RIDGELINEIMAGES.com .
Hiked on Apr 25, 2026 . Mt. Odake 王岳 – Mt. Kagikake 鍵掛 – Mt. Settogatake 雪頭ヶ岳 Duration: 6 hours Distance: 10.4 km Elevation change: 828 metres Highest point: 1738 metres Start: Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba bus stop Finish: Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba bus stop Difficulty: ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ❹ […] The post Mt. Odake 王岳 to Mt. Onigatake 鬼ヶ岳 appeared first on RIDGELINEIMAGES.com .
The Best Headlamp for Most Hikers Of all the items in your pack, few carry higher stakes than a headlamp. A sleeping pad that fails means sleeping on the ground; a headlamp that fails at the wrong moment can be genuinely dangerous. On a dark descent, rummaging around camp at night, or walking out later […] The post Black Diamond Spot 400 Headlamp Review appeared first on RIDGELINEIMAGES.com .
The Actual Costs, and What a Blog Like This Earns Around 450 posts, roughly 19,000 page views a month, and a question I get surprisingly often: “What does it cost to run the blog and does it make any money?” This post attempts to answer that transparently. To be perfectly honest it’s not something I’ve […] The post What It Costs to Run My Blog in 2026 – And How Much It Earns appeared first on…
My Personal Top Fuji-View Hikes in Japan After 13 years of hiking and writing about the trails of Kanto and beyond, I’ve put together this guide to the best hikes in Japan for Mt. Fuji views – twenty-one personal favourites spanning prefectures from Tokyo to Yamanashi. Choosing a single “ultimate” spot is nearly impossible – […] The post The 21 Best Hikes in Japan for Views of Mt. Fuji appeared…
Hiked on Mar 14, 2026 . Onnazaka-toge 女坂峠 – Shoji-toge 精進峠 – Panorami-dai パノラマ台 Duration: 5 hours Distance: 8.5 km Elevation change: 512 metres Highest point: 1422 metres Start: Shoji bus stop Finish: Panorama-dai-shita bus stop Difficulty: ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ❸ Map: Yama to Kogen Chizu 山と高原地図 ［No.34 […] The post Mt. Sanpobun 三方分山 appeared first on RIDGELINEIMAGES.com .
History, Belief, and the Making of Japan’s Most Enduring Symbol Living in Tokyo gives me the somewhat rare privilege of seeing Mount Fuji from my balcony on clear days – a view that renders the peak as a serene, distant icon. Yet, having climbed the mountain in the summer of 2000, I also know it […] The post Review: Fuji: A Mountain in the Making appeared first on RIDGELINEIMAGES.com .