My random image of the day seems to be pulling from my Tanzawa hike very frequently recently. Here is another photo from that hike near Tokyo.

Posted on May 8th, 2012 under Japan. Tags: hiking, waterfalls. Comments: 1

On my Tanzawa hike, not far from Tokyo and the most heavily populated metropolis in the world, I saw this sign which says something like, “Danger! Do not ever enter”. Really? Are lions back there? I wanted to enter just to see what was so dangerous in this country which has been so completely controlled and tamed.

For some reason fear is a big factor when people are hiking in Japan. I’ve seen bears, snakes, and other potentially dangerous wildlife on hikes in Oregon, but in Japan the biggest threat, in my experience, are the black crows. Even so, most Japanese hikers head out with bells ringing to scare away the (non-existent) beasts.

Posted on May 1st, 2012 under Japan. Tags: hiking, signs. Comments: 1

Even though I have loads of hiking opportunities now that I’m back home in Oregon, I miss hikes like this one near Tokyo. There is something special about leaving the center of the ultimate metropolis of Tokyo by train in the morning and arriving at scenery like this on the trail up Mt. Mitake just a short time later.

Posted on February 13th, 2012 under Japan. Tags: hiking, mt. mitake. Comments: 1

Momijiya shop on Mt. Takao

One thing about Japan that is very different from anywhere else in the world I’ve hiked is that you frequently don’t have to be very careful with your provisioning. That said, the Japanese themselves usually go way overboard on their own provisioning while hiking. It isn’t uncommon to see someone out for a day hike of a few hours with enough in their backpack to last them for a week.

For instance, if you were to climb Mt. Takao (高尾山), Mt. Mitake, or even Mt. Fuji (all fairly close to Tokyo) you will find shops along the hiking route (and at the top!) selling various food stuffs, water, souvenirs, etc. On your way down a different route it’s the same thing. I guess that isn’t too surprising given how convenient everything is in Japan’s cities. You can’t walk more than about 50 steps in most of Tokyo without passing at least one convenience store.

Today’s photo is of one such shop I encountered on my way down Mt. Takao. Momiji means Japanese Maple so I’m guessing this place looks great right about now and for the past couple weeks with the fall foliage. This photo was taken in January though. January is a great time to hike up Mt. Takao as the crowds aren’t so bad and the odds of a great view of Mt. Fuji from the top are much better in winter.

Some items I can see in this picture that you could possible consume are oden, dango, and nikuman. Maybe you aren’t hungry, but you want something to drink? Well, there are at least three vending machines in the far left of this image loaded with Pocari Sweat (ポカリスエット) along with other beverages. How many mountains in the USA (or anywhere else in the world outside of Japan) do you know of that have vending machines on or near the top?

Posted on December 13th, 2011 under Japan. Tags: hiking, Mt. Takao. Comments Off on Momijiya (もみじや) on Mt. Takao

Autumn in Japan

If you are currently in Japan, October and November are excellent months to go hiking. The weather is generally good, the fall foliage is beautiful (although the fall colors generally don’t hit their peak near Tokyo until late November), and the crowds (especially on weekdays) are slim to none.

Today’s photo was taken in late November on our way up Mt. Mitake.

Posted on October 2nd, 2011 under Japan. Tags: autumn, ellie, hiking, mt. mitake, ryan, 紅葉. Comments Off on Fall Japanese scene