U.L. SLEEPING SETUP I dozed off shortly after dinner, sometime past 8 p.m. In general I'm a cold sleeper, so I went into the evening expecting it to be a lon...

PLAN A More than a month ago I was contacted by two-time Trans Japan Alps Race (TJAR) finisher Otokozawa-san, who I first became acquainted with last Septemb...

This week I had the privilege of guiding a fellow American I met on the slopes of Tsugaike last month, up to the summit of 2,696m Mt. Karamatsu in neighborin...

Trail running has really taken off in Japan in the last few years, and the number and variety of races on offer across the country, as well as the average nu...

We recently came back from a day-hike up to the summit of one of central Japan's most active volcanoes, whose name literally and appropriately translates to ...

We initially set out on an ambitious 3-day blitz of the Southern Alps, but midway through a tough day 1 doubts about the viability of our plan began to worm ...

I recently came back from a brutally tough, but rewarding fastpacking trip with friends through some of the less-traveled trails at the northern end of Japa...

OVERNIGHT I had a hard time getting to bed initially, due mostly to the cacophonous chorus of snores emanating in full surround sound from the densely packed...

This past weekend I had the exciting opportunity to join the official training camp held by the organizing committee of the Trans Japan Alps Race (TJAR). The...

Continued from Part 2 HOW TO PACK FOR AN 8-DAY MOUNTAIN RACE REQUIRED GEAR Because TJAR is completely self-supported and covers a vast distance, including fu...

Continued from Part 1 THE RACE ITSELF: HISTORY, CONCEPT, STATS & ENTRY HISTORY The idea for the Trans Japan Alps Race (TJAR) was first conceived by Mikio Iwa...

THE BACKSTORY: ADVENTURES IN HIKING, TREKKING & MARATHONING My love for the mountains began early in life, first indirectly through reading tales of adventur...

Continued from Part 3 After thoroughly enjoying my full course meal for dinner, I continued my winning streak by hitting the sack early, sinking into my top ...

Continued from Part 2 My first night practicing an emergency bivy was an eventful one with heavy rains pounding my non-waterproof shelter for the entire even...

Continued from Part 1 In an instant the skies opened up, and heavy rain and small hail began to rain down on me hard. I knew the weather was turning, I could...

I recently came back from a tough but fantastic 3-day trek in the Northern Alps, starting and ending in Ogisawa, which is just a short 1-hour drive from Otar...

One of the most accessible and most popular peaks in the Hakuba area is Mt. Karamatsu. Most hikers utilize the Happo-One gondola followed by two quad lifts t...

Haku-san is a 2,702 m / 8,865 ft dormant volcano that straddles the borders of Gifu and Ishikawa prefectures in north-central Japan. Haku-san, along with Mt...

After my first backcountry snowboarding experience in Otari since moving to the village in June, I was blown away by the scenery, snow quality and slopes - a...

The Nakaya Snow Festival (中谷雪まつり) is a small community festival held each winter on the grounds of the Yamatsubaki Tourism and Community Center located in t...