Hiking in Japan

Hiking in Japan is about far more than just the scenery, it’s an immersion into history, spirituality, and everyday culture. Ancient pilgrimage routes like the Kumano Kodo wind through the cedar-clad mountains of the Kii Peninsula, linking sacred shrines where travellers have prayed for over a thousand years. Trails such as the Nakasendō, once a vital road between Tokyo and Kyoto, carry you through beautifully preserved post towns like Magome and Tsumago, where wooden inns, cobbled streets, and tea houses offer a glimpse of Edo-period life. Along the way, hikers are welcomed into traditional ryokan and minshuku, complete with tatami rooms, onsen baths, and regional meals that showcase local flavours.

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  Mount Fuji Yoshida Trail – Climbing Japan’s Highest Peak at (3,776m) from Yamanashi, the North Side.
  The Yoshida Trail is the most popular route up Mount Fuji, starting from the 5th Station at around 2,300m and climbing to the summit at 3,776m. It’s busy, especially during the official climbing season (July–early September), but the infrastructure of huts, signposts, and safety patrols make it the most accessible way to reach the top. The reward: standing above the clouds to watch the sunrise from Japan’s highest point.
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  Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage (Temples 1–6, Tokushima): Starting at Ryozen-ji passing shrines, farm lanes and quiet suburban streets to reach Anraku-ji, Shikoku, Japan.
  This featured day walk covers Temples 1–6 of the Shikoku pilgrimage, starting at Ryozen-ji and passing village shrines, farm lanes and quiet suburban streets to reach Anraku-ji. It’s a perfect first taste of the henro way, as you have easy gradients, good signage, and lots of small experiences like bell rings, incense, and the first temple stamps in your nōkyōchō. You can keep going further (Temples 7–10), or return to Tokushima for the night.
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  Nakasendō Trail (Kiso Valley), Magome to Tsumago – One of Edo-period Japan’s great highways with mountain passes between Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo).
  The Nakasendō was one of Edo-period Japan’s great highways, threading mountain passes between Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo). Its Kiso Valley section — especially Magome → Tsumago — is the most beloved day walk: 8–9 km of cobbles, forest lanes, tea houses and rice terraces, with an optional continuation to Nagiso for a longer day. It’s living history underfoot, and one of Japan’s most photogenic rambles.
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  Kōyasan Choishi-michi Trail from Kudoyama (Jison-in) to Kōyasan – Sacred Pilgrimage via Mount Kōya, Japan
  The Choishi-michi is the classic pilgrim approach to Kōyasan. Beginning at Jison-in in Kudoyama, it follows stone waymarkers (the choishi) as it climbs into cedar forests and along old mountain lanes to the bright vermilion Daimon Gate on Kōyasan’s ridge. At roughly 21 km, it’s a full day on the feet — but the rhythm of shrines, statues, and tea-stop hamlets turns the climb into a meditative journey.
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  Kohechi Route, Kii Mountains from Kōyasan to Hongu, crossing 1,000m-class passes and dropping into remote river valleys – Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trail, Japan
  The Kohechi cuts straight through the heart of the Kii Mountains from Kōyasan to Hongu, crossing multiple 1,000m-class passes and dropping into remote river valleys. It’s shorter than Nakahechi (roughly 65–70 km) but typically feels tougher: steep ascents, equally steep descents, and long, quiet stretches between tiny settlements. This is the pilgrimage route for hikers who like solitude, big climbs, and the reward of onsen towns at day’s end. Recommended for experienced walkers.
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  Hiking the Nakahechi Trail, Kumano Kodo, a UNESCO World Heritage Pilgrimage Route Guide – The Kii Peninsula (Wakayama), Japan.
  The Nakahechi is the most popular section of the Kumano Kodo, one of only two UNESCO World Heritage pilgrimage networks in the world (the other being the Camino de Santiago in Spain). This sacred trail winds through the misty mountains of the Kii Peninsula, taking pilgrims from Tanabe inland through quiet cedar forests, tiny mountain hamlets, and ancient stone paths to the Grand Shrines of Kumano.
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  Hiking in Japan: Sumimasen, read my Travel Tips, Trail ideas, and How to Get Started Walking in Japan, arigatou!
  Japan has been a very trendy destination in the last couple of years, connectivity is a important matter in this country specially because of the language barrier, so it is important that you consider how to have internet connection while visiting this country, this is highly important because most likely you will need to use Google Maps to move around the streets of Tokyo and don’t get lost in Shinjuku station, also to translate menus and make reservations at different restaurants and of course stay connected to be able to communicate with your family and friends.