The best hiking trails are the ones burnt to memory forever. This list shows the 5 best hiking trails in Japan that I’ve ventured on (so far).
1. Mt. Moiwa (Sapporo)
When it comes to quality hikes with an end reward of the highest caliber, you simply cannot look past Mt. Moiwa. Located in Sapporo, the capital city of Hokkaido, this is a rather strenuous hike of about 2–3 hours with lots of incline. However, the view at the top features a full-fledged observatory deck with facilities including a cafe, souvenir store, and public toilets.
2. Mt. Hiei (Kyoto)
For a hike of similar difficulty but with more cultural sites along the way, Mt. Hiei is the way to go! Located in the northeast part of Kyoto and borderline with Shiga prefecture, the peak offers stunning scenery of mountains and forests with no buildings or roads in sight. On the way to the top, you will walk through Enryaku-ji Temple, a famous UNESCO heritage site in Kyoto.
3. Mt. Komonji (Kitakyushu)
In the south part of Japan is a town in Fukuoka prefecture called Kitakyushu, home to the iconic Mt. Komonji hike. It’s truly one of the more difficult hikes in my catalog, and I’ll always remember it as the steepest climb I’ve done in Japan so far. However, given its geographical location next to the Sea of Japan, the views are truly spectacular with scenery of the vast blue waters that run toward Korea.
4. Mt. Takao (Tokyo)
A hike that I haven’t talked about enough on my blog (mostly due to lack of good photos) but was certainly one of the most memorable was the journey up Mt. Takao. In the city of Hachioji in Tokyo prefecture, Mt. Takao stands at a height of 599 meters (seriously, couldn’t they round it up to 600?). It’s a super easy family-friendly hike that takes less than an hour of walking up a gradual incline. The best part is the view at the top of Mt. Takao where you can actually see the snowy cap of Mt. Fuji‘s peak.
5. Matsushima Bay (Matsushima)
It wouldn’t be a complete list without mentioning one of the Nihon Sankai or “Three Views of Japan.” Matsushima Bay offers scenic walks across a stunning blue bay that is home to thousands of islands big and small. There are no mountainous inclines so it’s quite an easy hike across the long red bridge and through the tropical islands surrounding the water.
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