A guidebook to 13 short treks and 14 day walks in the Japan Alps and on Mount Fuji. Routes are graded by difficulty and range from relatively short walks on easy terrain to strenuous mountain excursions, sometimes involving scrambling, aided sections and considerable exposure.

The routes cover the North , Central and South Alps, with each chapter offering information on local bases and public transport access. Also included are the four main ascent routes on Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain. The treks range from 2–8 days and the day walks from 4 to 20km (3–15 hours).

• 1:50,000 mapping provided for each route
• GPX files available to download
• All you need to know about visiting the Japan Alps and Mount Fuji
• Comprehensive information on the region’s excellent facilities, which include mountain huts and hot-spring baths
• Japanese glossary

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
 

Seasons

Mostly summer and autumn routes (from July until late October), with a handful of spring and year-round walks.

Centres

Hakuba, Murodō and Kamikōchi (North Alps), Komagane (Central Alps), Hirogawara and Sawarajima (South Alps), Kawaguchiko and Mt Fuji area

Difficulty

Routes range from short and easy walks to long, tough treks and committing, steep scrambles. No specialist equipment is required, although crampons are recommended for snow fields.

Must See

Yari-ga-take, Shirouma, Hotaka, Tateyama, Norikura, Kita-dake and the iconic Mt. Fuji; the alpine hubs of Kamikōchi and Murodō

November 2019

Route updates included in 2020 reprint

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