My traverse of the Japanese Alps began at the eastern edge of Toyama Bay (富山湾) in Niigata Prefecture (新潟県). From the coast, my hiking party of two Kiwis and I headed up the northernmost ridgeline in the Kita Alps (北アルプス) - aka the Northern Alps. The trip began with nearly a week of nonstop rain as
Japan Alps Spreadsheet: Peaks, Huts, & Distances
I don't know that I would say I love data, but I do love being organized and data is one of those things that can be organized nicely. Maybe it's because of that that I spent way too long creating a spreadsheet listing all of the peaks, passes, huts, and trailheads of my Japan Alps Traverse (this
Japan Alps Traverse Map, Itinerary, and GPS Track
The route I would take through across the Japanese Alps was unsure at best before starting this traverse, but I managed to stick to my original plan (if you could call it that) fairly closely. Having now completed the traverse, I am sharing my day-by-day itinerary, statistics, and maps to help those
Japanese Alps Traverse Gear List
Rain for a week straight, multiple typhoons, stupid levels of humidity, Japanese giant hornets, and a record-setting heat wave all made my 425 mi / 684 km traverse of the Japanese Alps quite interesting (but mostly just justified all the ramen I ate). Hiking in Japan is different, and
Interview With Jotaro Yoshida of LOCUS GEAR
Prior to beginning my traverse of the Japanese Alps this year, I had the chance to visit Jotaro Yoshida, founder of LOCUS GEAR at their headquarters in Japan's Kanagawa Prefecture, just outside of Tokyo. LOCUS GEAR is a small gear manufacturer, based in Japan, that specializes in lightweight
Japan Alps Traverse: Route Expectations
The start of my Japanese Alps Traverse is less than a week away and I have been looking into the route a bit more since, you know, I should probably know where I'm going. My starting point will be Ichiburi Station (市振駅), a train station) in the south of Niigata Prefecture (新潟県). This station is
Thru-hiking The Japanese Alps
A lot of my hiking endeavors began with me thinking to myself, "Hmm, that thing would be cool to do," and last November, I thought to myself, "Hmm, traversing the entire Japanese Alps would be cool." I got super into planning a traverse of Japan's Alps for exactly two days before I gave up,
Japan’s Most Dangerous Hike: The Okuhotakadake – Nishihotakadake Traverse
The most dangerous thing you will encounter on most hikes in Japan is probably dehydration or perhaps one of the giant Japanese hornets if you're unlucky enough to catch one on bad day. However, the number one killer of hikers and people in the outdoors is not bears, snakes, ax-murderers, or even
Hiking Yarigatake (槍ヶ岳) in Japan
Yarigatake (槍ヶ岳) is perhaps one of the most recognizable peaks in Japan. Located in the center of the Kita Alps, it's a must for anyone serious about peak bagging in the Land of the Rising Sun. It can be accessed via numerous trailheads and is possible to conquer in a day (a very tough day). I