Trails in Japan

I notice that Tom, from the wonderful Two-Heel Drive has introduced my site to hikers around the world, so I thought it might be nice to share what I find interesting about trails in Japan.

First off, one must understand that hiking is big business here, with 10 million people "partaking in hiking" last year - this is more than golf (9.7 mil); Ski and Snowboard (7.6 mil); and, suprisingly, baseball (6 mil). Sadly, however, the number of visitors to Tokyo Disneyland last year blows these away with 25 million. What's more, with the majority of hikers being well-monied retirees, often trails (many originally created long ago by monks who wanted to meditate closer to the mountain gods) are wide, well cared for, and equiped with aids to allow access to as many people as possible.

For one thing, the fully-equipped luxury huts every few hours mean that one can enter the mountains for extended trips with just day-packs, leaving the tent and food at home. Although this may also encourage people to enter unprepared, as was seen when several hikers died in a snow storm in October on Shirouma, (just two weeks after Tomoe and I had climbed it). Were it not for such huts, many people would not be able to.

The thing that amazes me most, however, is that the difficult areas of the trail - areas that I would not have climbed alone this week - are made accessible by the addition of permanantly fixed ropes, chains, and even ladders.

Note the chains in these two photos below, taking the hiker up almost completely verticle trails.

Where a chain or rope hand-rail is still too difficult, ladders are often provided.

And where one ladder is not enough...