Highly revered in the Shugendo tradition of asceticism, the arduous trek to the top of Mount Mitoku in Tottori has been followed by pilgrims for centuries. Rewarded by the sight of the stunning Nagereido temple, hewn into the rockface and perched on stilts, they also seek to purify the six roots of perception, a process known as Rokkon Shojo. Training the ears, eyes,...
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Mountainous Kumano is the holy ground of Japan and pilgrims have been trekking there for centuries. Shrines, mist, forests and waterfalls combine to create an entrancing hike. Kumano is the traditional name for the southern part of Japan’s Kii peninsula. It contains pilgrimage routes dating back more than a millennium. The first pilgrims were adherents of Shinto who...
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An exceptional country, in its own and in others’ view, Japan has throughout history been isolated, an island nation out on the periphery of Asia. Heavily influenced by China for centuries, it withdrew from the world from the 16th to the mid 19th Centuries, its ports closed to (almost all) foreigners. This isolation has produced a unique and fascinating culture and an...
Learn MoreA thick forest thrives on hardened lava that once flowed down Mount Fuji’s northwestern flank into lakes that reflect the volcano’s snow-capped cone like rippling mirrors. Within it, the roots of hemlock and cypress trees snake out over the ground through a blanket of moss, and trails lead to deep caverns filled with ice. The Aokigahara forest, as this tangle of woods is...
Learn MoreStraddling the cities of Nishinomiya and Takarazuka, the long-deserted Japanese National Railways rail line of the abandoned Fukuchiyama Line will reopen in October 2016 as a public hiking trail. Stretching 4.7 kilometers along the Mukogawa river, the railway tracks were abandoned in 1986 after the opening of a nearby tunnel. The rails were removed, but the wooden ties,...
Learn MoreTravel almost anywhere in Japan and you’re bound to find yourself at a shrine or two. They’re everywhere, from massive ones like the Meiji shrine in Tokyo to tiny ones in small-town parks. But there’s a part of the country where visiting shrines is as much about the journey as the destination. The Kumano Kodo is Japan’s answer to Spain’s Camino de Santiago. It’s a...
Learn MoreJapan offers hikers a wide array of trails, from routes up active volcanoes to vibrant treks to historic temples. Japan’s vast terrain provides trail enthusiasts with hikes up the nation’s tallest mountain to short trails around scenic, small towns. This article reveals some of the top trails and hikes that draw outdoor tourists to Japan. From epic climbs up...
Learn MoreJapan’s major cities offer just about everything, but did you know that includes great nature trails? From forests and waterfalls to ancient temples and shrines, many of Japan’s best hiking trails are literally just a step off the bullet train. If you have a Japan Rail Pass, you’ll find it even harder to resist these hikes near Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Hiroshima and...
Learn MoreRescue teams searched Sunday for dozens of climbers who were caught by the sudden eruption of a volcano in central Japan a day earlier. Mount Ontake unleashed a huge cloud of ash on Saturday morning that billowed down the mountainside and engulfed hikers in its path. Forty-five people remained trapped in several cottages on the mountain, and at least 23 other people are...
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I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
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