Sanuk Canadian

I've been living in Japan for over 10+ years and have never climbed Fuji. I thought it was tacky and unnecessary; Fuji is best viewed from below to see it's iconic symmetrical, upside-down V. On the final day of the official climbing season, I was dragged along by a Fuji-loving-climber, and surprisingly, enjoyed the hike immensely. This post will focus on the start of the route, how you can prepare for the climb, and secret tips from insiders. Sept. 10, 2016 ~ A perfect day for climbing! First, for the ascent, my hiking partner and I took the Fujinomiya route . It's the shortest, taking 5~6 hours up and 3 hours down. It's also quite steep, and should be attempted by more experienced hikers as there are tough sections where you have to climb up large boulders using all four limbs. Info pertaining to the Fujinomiya route is HERE and a detailed map is HERE (courtesy of Mt.Fuji Explorer & MTG) . Photos at Fujinomiya 5th station,  the starting point: ...

How does one spend X-mas in Japan? Sadly, I cannot afford a plane ticket home, nor do I have much time off for the holidays, so I did what I love most -- headed to the mountains for a climb! Mount Kintoki has been featured on this blog before (see HERE   &   HERE ); I gave it another go and enjoyed a special, yet very nontraditional Christmas dinner at the summit. Please come hiking with me....! Kintokiyama is located in Hakone area and is famous for its view of Mt. Fuji on a clear day. The hiking route chosen started in a parking lot, just off the main road where a map informed hikers of the routes available.  Photos: The start of the trail is marked with Kintaro's axe.  Mt. Kintoki is thought to be the setting of a legendary folk tale in Japan. A boy of great strength named ' Kintaro ' (lit. 'Golden Boy') befriended numerous animals in (supposedly) this area and later, slayed a demon (wiki page with more info is HERE ) who terrorized those ...

Yugawara a small resort town in western Kanagawa prefecture approximately 2.5 hours outside of Tokyo (Shinjuku) by express train (info HERE ; map HERE ). Famous for its hot springs and traditional craft shops, it is a popular destination for Tokyo-ites to spend the weekend at an inn. I had the pleasure of visiting this charming town last fall; while there, I did a little of everything: hiking, autumn leaves viewing, and testing the hot springs. Let's take a look at Yugawara! Photos: waterfall & flowing river                   This hiking trail was actually on the way to the foot baths park, called 'Manyo Hot Water Park' (site HERE -- translation software activated). It's an easy walking trail, paved for the most part and appeared to be wheelchair accessible.  Photo: Pink filter Photo: Completely Zen Hiking here to enjoy the leaves was wonderful. It's not well known, even among Japanese locals, so this ar...

Mt. Fuji is the iconic image of Japan. While most travelers know of the mountain itself, perhaps some don't know that the area is dotted with five lakes -- each unique in its own way. I visited one of the lesser traveled lakes -- Motosuko -- which is most famous for its viewpoint of Mt. Fuji (on a clear day). Let's take a look! Photos: Fuji touches the clouds Lake Motosuko is much quieter than its noisier cousins: Lake Kawaguchi ( HERE ) and Lake Yamanako ( HERE ), where the majority of tourists go as there are restaurants and things to do aplenty. Two other less developed (meaning, quiet) lakes in the Fuji area are: Lake Saiko ( HERE ) and Lake Shojiko ( HERE ). Both are good sites for camping or hiking.  Lake Motosuko is the most difficult to access as there is limited transportation to the area. You'll need to hire a taxi for a few hours, rent a car, or take a bus which only departs every 1 ~ 2 hours from Kawaguchi station (info HERE ).  Photos: Fuji...

Happy New Year everyone! Last year, I spent a Saturday at a university festival in my prefecture. In Japan, every November, universities across the country host school festivals to showcase students' work, attract new students and, by selling some foods or other small items, student groups earn money to support their club activities (such as a cheer leading team, for example). The university I visited is a well-established one: Tokyo University of Agriculture. This school is famous for training students to become farmers, bio-engineers, genetic experts, and chemists. Let's take a look around and see the elements of a typical school festival in Japan. School sign / Food stalls: Graphics added for privacy. The main reason most attend a school festival is for the cheap food. Students obtain licenses from the government to open a shop, prepare food and sell to customers over the span of 3 or 4 days. Most students choose simple, yet favorite items: yakisoba (fried no...