Hiking Japan

[theurbansuburban]

I'll be traveling to Japan for work for a month, and will have quite a few days off to explore. Any hikers here ever hike/camp in Japan? I'll be living in Tokyo, but was thinking that the Shinkansen (High Speed Rail) might be able to take me up to the mountains.
Hopefully I can find at least one person here to give me a place to start looking.

[Mountain Wildman]

I just spent the weekend camping and the guy at the site next to mine was just back from Japan and his girlfriend is from the Phillipines, Didn't think to ask him about the hiking scene, I'm not really planning on going there, Sorry. He was there on a work related issue. Since a good portion of the lightweight gear is from Japan, I wonder if it's a lot cheaper there?

[Tailwinder]

A not-to-be-missed experience if you're in Tokyo is to climb Mt Fuji. It's such a unique and totally Japanese experience (especially if you hike up at night so you can watch the sunrise from the top!). You shouldn't have any trouble reaching the fifth stage (level) where most people begin using trains and local buses. At the summit of Fuji, you can enjoy ramen soup and beer in addition to the beauty of the volcano and vistas.

[fiddlehead]

Yes, I agree, Mt Fuji is a good one.
It is very seasonal as most people do it July and August.
I would not want to do it then because so many do and they even have restaurants along the way.
There is camping in the area at the base.
Watching Japan people camp is sort of funny.
They are in the mindset: "He who has the most toys wins" and they try to outdo each other with the quantity of stuff they can pack into their cars to make camping as luxurious as possible.
Good luck.
Japanese people are very traditional and it would be wise to learn what's right and wrong when in their prescience.

[theurbansuburban]

Wow, I was looking into it, and Mt Fuji looks pretty straight forward to climb. It sounds like I'll be there during peak season, but I'd almost prefer that safety wise. Can't wait to have the bragging rights to say I climbed Mt Fuji (My highest peak now is Mt Washington).
I think I might also try to check out Nikko National Park, looks like a good combination of natural surroundings and historic temples.

[skinewmexico]

There is a guy named Miguel Arboleda on BPL who lives in Japan, and is a frequent poster and hiker. You should check there. He's been know to pick things up for guys at the Montbell store in Tokyo and ship here, so I'm sure he'll be glad to help you out.

[Wolf - 23000]

All you see are short people running around!!! It is scary!!!:eek:

Wolf