Table of Contents

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

About the Author

Tom Fay is a British writer and teacher based in Osaka, and has been living in Japan for well over a decade. He writes about travel and the outdoors for a variety of publications and media outlets, and has hiked and climbed extensively throughout Japan.
Wes Lang has been exploring Japan's mountains since relocating to the country in 2001. In 2008 he became the first American (and one of only a handful of foreigners) to climb the Hyakumeizan, Japan's 100 Famous Mountains.