Land of the Rising Sun
In recent years I’ve discovered the joys of hiking in Japan, where all levels of experience are catered for with well-maintained trails and some of the best mountain huts in the world. Up until this January, I’d never ventured out during the winter and, as this trip proved, I was missing out! Read more
A gloriously bright morning greeted me on Day 5, the Kumano-gawa River acting as a perfect mirror to the mountains and sky above. Leaving the ryokan just before 8 am, I walked back to the Hatenashi-toge pass trailhead by way of Yanagimoto-bashi bridge. Read more
It rained hard overnight and the valley was shrouded in mist when I awoke at 5 am to the sound of breakfast cooking in the adjacent kitchen. I dozed off till breakfast at 7 am, another feast of local ingredients. Read more
After a fitful nights sleep, I awoke early on Day 3 and had a healthy breakfast of fish, rice and salad before heading out the door at 8.30am. My legs were starting to feel the strain but I was in high spirits. Read more
After a good nights sleep at Sekisho-in temple, I got up early to attend the 7 am morning prayer service. It was cold to the bone in the main hall which I was surprised to find packed to overflowing with adherents and curious bystanders like myself. I sat next to a mother with her disabled son who had a special prayer said for him. Read more
On my return trip to Shikoku in late October, I alluded to an upcoming expedition. I spent six days walking the Kohechi route of the Kumano Kodō pilgrimage and now, as 2016 comes to a close, I’ve managed to pull together a full report. Read more
Nagatoro (長瀞町) is a small town in Chichibu (秩父郡), about two hours north-west of Tokyo by train. It’s known for the Arakawa River (荒川), with its white-water rapids and beautiful spring/autumn foliage on the trees which line its banks. Read more
On my way back from Todoroki Kujūku-taki I stopped at Jōuman-ji (城満寺) temple, the oldest Zen temple in Shikoku, having been founded in 1575. The temple sits on a slope, surrounded by hills on three sides, giving it a commanding seat overlooking Kaiyō (海陽町) and the sea beyond. Read more
Back during my recent trip to Tokushima in Shikuku, I had the chance to head inland and hike up a series of waterfalls known as Todoroki Kujūku-taki (轟九十九滝) or Ninety-nine waterfalls near the town of Kaiyo-cho (海陽町). Read more