Our run up and down Mt. Kurohime on Friday was just a warm-up for the bigger, bolder adventure we had lined up over the next two days. T...

Shinetsu (信越) refers to the region of central Japan comprised of Nagano and Niigata prefectures. The term is derived from a combination o...

The name raicho (雷鳥) literally translates to "thunder bird," and refers to members of the population of Japanese Rock Ptarmigan that mig...

If you've been following along with our series on fastpacking gear, you'll know that so far we've gone through 10 pieces of kit and 7 ite...

Over the last two posts we've introduced the 10 major pieces of our trusted fastpacking kit. This time we'll continue to showcase more it...

In the first blog post of this series we introduced 5 major pieces of fastpacking kit; pack, shelter, bivvy, mat & poles. This time we'll...

Maybe we need to start off by first answering the question, "What is fastpacking?" REI's excellent article on the subject calls it: "Dist...

Amongst the numerous climbing routes in the Hakuba Valley, one in particular has achieved almost legendary status - the 'Daisekkei.'

Spring is an amazing time to explore the mountains in Japan, with fresh greenery, lingering snowfields, good weather and far less crowds.

In a village blessed with nature, history and culture, there is no better way to experience them all than on a hike along the Salt Road.

I believe it was 2013 when I first heard of the insane idea... to climb from the ocean to the top of Japan's iconic Mt. Fuji.

Hike and Bike Japan's base of operation, the small rural village of Otari, is a culturally-rich and naturally-blessed area that we take p...

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 expe...

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 acquaint...

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. Kar...

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 we...

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 appropri...

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...

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

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