Walking in Japan
To be on the trail in Japan is a wonderful thing. You’ll walk through pristine and at times awe-inspiring natural scenery: sacred mountain peaks dotted with historic shrines; paddy fields shrouded in the morning mist; forests that blaze with colour at the turn of the season; serene fishing villages, monasteries and timber-clad postal towns. In the evenings you’ll relax in traditional ryokans, soothing tired limbs in onsen hot spring baths and you can follow routes that link thrilling metropolises, getting to and from the trailhead using Japan’s superb shinkansen trains. It’s a completely different side to the country, a galaxy apart from the teeming streets and constant noise of Tokyo or Osaka.
When you think of walking in Japan, perhaps your thoughts turn first to the snow-capped, volcanic Mount Fuji. But while mountain worship is a big deal here, Fuji is just a fraction of the options available to you. And of course as Ruth Hubbard from our specialist holiday operator InsideJapan explains, “You can only climb Mount Fuji in July and September due to snow at other times of year. Every night, there are thousands of people on the slopes during these months. But don’t forget that 70% of the country is mountainous, so there are many more peaks to climb, such as in the Kamikochi Alps.” Perhaps follow in the footsteps of Samurai warriors on the ancient Nakasendo Trail instead, join a procession of modern-day pilgrims on the Kumano Kodo Trail, or discover one of the tallest waterfalls in Japan and the historic spa town of Yumoto in Nikko National Park, just two hours north of Tokyo.
Our Japan Holidays
Japan self guided walking holiday, Nakasendo Trail
Self-guided walking along Japan’s ancient Nakasendo trail
Honshu hiking holiday in Japan
A challenging walking and hiking holiday in Japan.
Kumano Kodo walking holiday, Japan
Village to village walking in the sacred Kii Peninsula
Nakasendo Trail walking tour, Japan
Village-to-village walking on the historic Nakasendo trail
Kumano Kodo trail self guided walking holiday, Japan
Self guided walking on the Kumano Kodo Trail
Nakasendo self guided walking tour
The Nakasendo Trail and Kamikochi -or extend to Nikko
Shikoku Pilgrimage self guided walking tour, Japan
Shikoku 88 Pilgimage route self-guided walking
Nikko and Yumoto Onsen walking tour, Japan
Explore Nikko and hike in the beautiful Oku Nikko plains.
Japan walking tour of Shikoku
Beautiful Shikoku Island and the 88 Pilgrimage trail
Japan ancient capitals self guided walking tour
Ancient Capitals, historic trails and cultural treasures.
Japan walking holiday, North from Tokyo
A walking journey, rich in spirituality and tradition
Nakasendo Trail winter tour, Japan
The tranquil magic of winter on the Nakasendo trail
Japan Guided Tour, Eastern Hokkaido
Explore the untamed wilderness of Hokkaido
Kumano Kodo trail walking holiday in Japan
1200-year-old Kumano Kodo walk, major pilgrimage destination
Japan Alps winter walking holiday
Self-guided winter holiday in Nagano and Gifu
Walking holiday in Japan
An ideal introduction to the delights of Japan
Japan walking and culture tour, Nakasendo & Kiso Valley
Guided tour of the highlights along the old Edo road
Dewa Sanzan
Pilgrimage walks
Japan has a number of superb long-distance pilgrimage walks that will take you through some truly ravishing and pristine scenery. As Jeremy Spencer from our specialist tour operator Oku Japan puts it, “When I first walked the Kumano Kodo trail, I was amazed that something so remote-feeling, beautiful and undeveloped still existed on the main island of Honshu. I was utterly blown away by the experience the Kumano Kodo offered, and the fact that you have the whole overlay of the pilgrimage and religious angle is a terrific addition to the experience.” The Kumano Kodo wends its way through the forest-covered Kii Mountains near Kyoto, passing three grand shrines, as well as many smaller ones, known as oji. The Shikoku Pilgrimage follows a loop around Japan’s smallest major island from Mount Koya, the spiritual centre of Shingon Buddhism. It takes between 30 and 60 days to complete so is rarely attempted in one go. Pilgrimage walks are ideal for tackling in stages, and another favourite is the Nakasendo Trail, a 500km journey between Kyoto and Tokyo, stopping at charming old post towns along the way.Nikko and Yumoto Onsen
Mt. Fuji
Due to its iconic status and a short climbing season, Mt. Fuji (140km west of Tokyo) is always a busy walk. Night time ascents are common in order to be at the top in time for dawn. Some trips meander through the less taxing foothills instead, and of course this is such a mountainous country that there are many alternatives that will give you equally attractive views and far clearer trails.Our top Japan Holiday
Japan self guided walking holiday, Nakasendo Trail
Self-guided walking along Japan’s ancient Nakasendo trail
This trip can be tailormade at a time to suit you and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary
Practicalities
You can walk either as part of a guided small group, or on a tailor made itinerary, self-guided. The latter should not be daunting in the slightest – Japan’s public transport network getting you to and from the trailhead each day is amazingly efficient, and if you’re on a well-established route you will have no difficulties finding your way, just follow everyone else. Yet there is much to be said for a guided trip – walking with a local who can explain the history, the culture, the nature of the area you’re passing through makes it so much more enjoyable and rewarding. They also help with understanding customs and etiquette that are helpful to know when visiting temples, shrines or onsen.Accommodation and food stops are plentiful, with the chance to stay in beautiful old inns, usually family-owned and operated, serving home-cooked meals, a major highlight. On the Nakasendo Trail you may even be able to stay overnight at a spartan but welcoming monastery. For the most part, walking in Japan is point to point, or ‘nomadic’ – your luggage will be transferred between accommodations for you. In terms of difficulty, all of these routes cover quite mountainous terrain so a good degree of physical fitness is required, but daily walks are realistic and factor in plenty of downtime too. Expect to be walking for between two and six hours each day.
When to go
However, it’s inarguable that the best (and correspondingly busiest) time for walking in Japan is spring or autumn: spring for the chance to see the delicately beauty of the cherry blossom, autumn to watch as the vegetation turns dramatic shades of yellow, orange and red.