Mount Haku (白山, Hakusan) is one of Japan's Three Holy Mountains (三霊山) along with Mount Tate and Mount Fuji (what that means, I have no idea). The mountain is on the border of Gifu (岐阜), Fukui (福井), and Ishikawa (石川) prefectures in Japan's Hokuriku Region (北陸地方). Ishikawa is home to the most
Why You Should Never Climb Mount Fuji
Even if you know nothing about Japan, I would wager you've heard of Mount Fuji (or tentacle porn). Contrary to what you may assume about a country's highest mountain, the 12,389 ft / 3,776 m Mount Fuji (富士山), among the three dozen most prominent on Earth, is one of the most accessible peaks in
25 Things Japan Should Have Proofread
This isn't the first time I have had the urge to comment on the - creative - English waiting to be discovered across Japan, but after over a year in the country I have more to share. Like I said in my earlier post, for some reason I did not expect this from Japan. Much in the same way I didn't
Hiking Okuhotakadake (奥穂高岳) in Japan
Mount Okuhotaka (奥穂高岳, Okuhotakadake) is the third highest peak in Japan behind Mount Fuji (富士山, Fujisan) and Mount Kita (北岳, Kitadake). Okuhotakadake, located in the Kita Alps, stands at one end of the famed Nishihotakadake (西穂高岳) - Okuhotakadake traverse (according to the internets this
Hiking Tateyama (立山) in Japan
Name: Mount TateJapanese name: 立山 (Tateyama)Location: Tateyama, Toyama (富山県立山町)Summit elevation: 9,892 ft / 3,015 mElevation change: 2,017 ft / 615 mRound-trip distance from trailhead: 3.5 mi / 5.6 kmRound-trip time from trailhead*: 3 hours 30 minutes (from Murodō)Difficulty: ModerateWater on trail:
Hiking Mount Tsurugi (剱岳) in Japan
Mount Tsurugi (剱岳, Tsurugidake) is one of the many prize peaks of the Kita Alps (北アルプス), and is also one of Japan's 100 Famous Mountains. The trailhead described here is a bit remote and if you don't have your own transportation, then you're out of luck unless you want to take an expensive taxi
15 Things To Know Before Hiking In Japan
Hiking in Japan can be a lot like hiking elsewhere in the world; except that sometimes it's not. My experience hiking in Japan has taught me a lot about the country and what can be expected when hitting the trail or climbing one of its many famous mountains. Some of what can be found hiking in
Big In Japan – How I Got Featured In A Japanese Newspaper
Long story short, I'm hugely famous in Japan now and will probably never be returning to the America (or even leaving this volcano filled island). Here's how it happened: I've just spent three hours dragging myself through 4,000 vertical feet (1,200 m) of boulder field to the saddle beneath