Map key
Overview map
Introduction
Preparations and practicalities
When to go
Getting to Japan
Getting around Japan
Rail passes
Accommodation
Mountain huts and camping
Food and drink
Hot springs
Money
Communications
Language
Tourist information offices
What to take
Luggage forwarding
Maps and GPS
Waymarking
The typical hiking day
Mountain etiquette
Health and safety
Emergencies
Using this guide
All about the Japan Alps and Mt Fuji
Location and climate
Geology and landscape
Plants and wildlife
History of hiking in Japan
The North (Kita) Alps
Hakuba Area
Walk 1 Mt Shirouma-dake
Trek 1 Mt Shirouma-dake and Hakuba-Yari Onsen
Tateyama Area
Walk 2 Mt Tateyama
Walk 3 Mt Oku-dainichi-dake
Trek 2 Mt Tsurugi-dake
Trek 3 North Alps traverse
Hotaka Area
Walk 4 Mt Yake-dake
Walk 5 Mt Nishiho-Doppyō
Trek 4 Mt Oku-Hotaka-dake and Karasawa Cirque
Trek 5 Mt Yari-ga-take
Trek 6 Mt Chō-ga-take and Mt Jōnen-dake
Trek 7 Mt Kasa-ga-take
Norikura Area
Walk 6 Mt Norikura-dake
The Central (Chūō) Alps
Walk 7 Mt Kiso-koma-ga-take
Trek 8 Central Alps traverse
The South (Minami) Alps
North Area
Walk 8 Mt Kai-koma-ga-take
Walk 9 Mt Senjō-ga-take
Trek 9 Mt Kita-dake
Trek 10 Mt Hō-ō
South Area
Trek 11 Mt Arakawa-Higashidake (Mt Warusawa) and Mt Akaishi-dake
Trek 12 Mt Kamikōchi-dake and Mt Hijiri-dake
Trek 13 South Alps traverse
Mt Fuji
Walk 10 Mt Fuji – Yoshida route
Walk 11 Mt Fuji – Subashiri route
Walk 12 Mt Fuji – Gotemba route
Walk 13 Mt Fuji – Fujinomiya route
Walk 14 Mt Kuro-dake
Appendix A Route summary table – walks
Appendix B Route summary table – treks
Appendix C Mountain huts
Appendix D Glossary
Appendix E Useful contacts and further resources
Appendix F Further reading
Essential reading
If you have any intention of heading to Japan for some on foot adventures then this Cicerone guidebook is aimed at you. Written by Tom Fay and Wes Lang, the book contains 27 route descriptions spanning from the North, Central and South Alps, all the way to the summit of Mount Fuji. In fact you'll find details of four different routes to the top of Japan's highest peak, making this essential reading if you've got your eyes set on this lofty goal. As you would expect from a Cicerone guide the book also delves into the practical information surrounding hiking in this fascinating country and gives a valuable insight to what you might expect on a visit.
Adventure Travel magazine
The level of detail and clarity [is] excellent
I find the level of detail and clarity in its presentation excellent. It is organised it a logical way. Tom Fay and Wes Lang have filled it with information that will be of immense value to us Westerners. I look forward to availing of their experience with walking and trekking in Japan when I visit.
Simon, by email
All the information you will need to plan a successful walking or trekking holiday
This pocket-sized, clear and detailed guide describes nine day-walks and thirteen treks of two to eight days covering the North, Central and South Alps, as well as the four main routes up Mount Fuji and a further route on neighbouring Mount Kurodake. The routes visit many of the region’s key summits. They are graded according to difficulty, although several entail steep ascents and difficult terrain and a few include scrambling and exposure, calling for a sure foot and a good head for heights. Comprehensive step-by-step route descriptions are accompanied by clear mapping.
The Japan Alps and Mount Fuji boast a well-developed walking infrastructure, and the routes make use of the many mountain huts and campgrounds, full details of which are given in the guide. Some also include the opportunity to visit a traditional hot-spring bath for a refreshing soak after your hike. You will find all the information you will need to plan a successful walking or trekking holiday, with a wealth of advice on travel, bases, accommodation and facilities. There are additional notes on plants and wildlife, the history of hiking in Japan and safety in the mountains, as well as full mountain-hut listings and a helpful glossary. Inspirational colour photography completes the package, offering a taste of the breathtaking mountain vistas to whet your appetite.
Westend Magazine
http://www.westendmagazine.com/book-hiking-and-trekking-in-japan/