Planning a Japan Adventure

Finally I've got my future settled this week, I am moving on to a new job in mid November and will finished with my current company after this month. That gave Martina and I about a week to go on holiday before rushing back to do the Trailwalker. We've chosen to go to Japan this time, I've not been to Japan despite my adventures all over the world. I have been a third world countries travel specialist for all these years and Japan just doesn't quite fit into my profile. But with only a week to spare, it was a rush to some of my projects in store.Though it has been an amazing discovery to find out what adventure can be done in Japan. I have learn that there is a strip of mountain called the Japan Alps in the mid north of country in the Nagano Perfecturewhere there are some beautiful alpine scenery. There is a 6 days traverse across the alpine ridges and finsihed in a moutian resort town called Kamikochi. The beauty is you don't have to carry too much as you can stayed in moutain huts at above 2000m high, with food and bedding served to you.

Though unfortunately as I though I have found the highlight of the year, the local hostel, Nishiitoya Mountain Lodge, told me it was a too late the time of the year to get some reasonable hike, snow is due by November. May be something for the next Freeyasoul Adventure.

Now I am planning to do something less ambitious and explore the Odaigahara plateau in the Mie Perfecture near Osaka and Kyoto. This time I am hoping to do a 2 days route from Osugidani to Odaigahara, it would be up a gorge with steel chains bolted on the cliff side for us to pull on, 8 waterfalls and river crossing by traditional boats along the path. Though a local hiker from IOC Kansai has informed me that due to a typhoo 2 years ago, the route was still a closed. So right now, I am a bit stuck, but reading throught the walking guide of Japan by Lonely Planet, there are tones of day hike around the Kyoto region.