Guides
Guides to hiking and camping in Japan for visitors: Mt. Fuji, the Alps, huts, transport, costs and rules.
- Hiking in JapanClimbing Mt. Fuji: the rules, the fees, the four trails and a timeline that worksWhat the 2026 season rules were on both the Yamanashi and Shizuoka sides (¥4,000 fee, 4,000-a-day cap, 14:00 gate, FUJI NAVI), how the four trails compare in hours and elevation, what a hut night costs, and an hour-by-hour plan for seeing sunrise without a bullet climb.
- Hiking in JapanGetting to the trailhead in Japan: transport, costs and the mistakes that eat a dayHow to reach the mountains most visitors want (Takao, Fuji, Kamikochi, Tateyama, Yatsugatake, Nikko) by train and bus, what a day and a multi-day trip cost in 2026, which passes are worth it, the last-bus problem, luggage, gear rental, and where to buy gas canisters and maps.
- Safety and rulesHiking in Japan: the rules, the etiquette and the safety habits locals assume you knowThe climbing plan (tozan-todoke) and how to file it in English, who to call and what rescue costs, the course-time and 15:00 culture, bears and where they are, trail etiquette (uphill priority, greetings, no music), toilets and rubbish, typhoon and snow seasons, and insurance that actually covers mountain rescue.
- Mountains and campsitesKumano Kodo Nakahechi: stage-by-stage distances, hours, where to sleep and how to move your bagThe Imperial Route from Takijiri to Hongu and on to Nachi, with each stage's distance, elevation and realistic hours, where the villages and minshuku are, how the luggage shuttle works, how to get to the trailhead from Osaka, and the two places people get lost.
- Mountains and campsitesHow Japanese mountain huts work: booking, prices, meals and the unwritten rulesYamagoya explained for first-time visitors: what ¥10,000–15,000 buys, how to book when the hut only takes phone calls in Japanese, the 15:00 arrival rule, lights-out, what to do with your boots, tent sites, toilets, and the huts that take online bookings in English.