About two-thirds of Japan is forested mountain, and its trails are well marked, well kept and rarely far from a train station.
You can walk old roads between post towns in a morning, follow pilgrim paths for days staying in inns, or climb into the high Alps with mountain huts above 2,500 metres.
When to goMay to November in the mountains. Mt. Fuji is open from early July to early September.
Where to go
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Kumano KodoWakayama · 和歌山Forest pilgrim trails between ancient shrines, with inns along the way. -
NakasendoGifu · 岐阜The Magome to Tsumago walk between two preserved post towns. -
KamikochiNagano · 長野A flat valley walk with views of the Northern Alps. -
Mt. FujiYamanashi · 山梨The overnight climb to see sunrise from the top. -
DaisetsuzanHokkaido · 北海道Japan's largest national park, wild and volcanic. -
YakushimaKagoshima · 鹿児島Moss forests and cedar trees thousands of years old.
Good to know
- Send your big bag ahead with luggage forwarding and walk with a day pack.
- Some areas have bears; carry a bell and check local advice.
- Mountain weather changes fast; pack a rain layer even in summer.