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Exploring Hiwasa
What?Hiwasa (日和佐) is a quaint town along the southeast coastline of Shikoku. Despite its small size it has a number of attractions, like the Yakuoji temple (薬王寺), temple nr.23 on the pilgrim route, the...
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Winter Mount Kongo
What?Mount Kongo (金剛山) is a very accessible 1125m high mountain in the Kansai region. While the highest point of Osaka Prefecture (大阪府) is located at the top ropeway station, the actual peak is located...
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Northern Okinawa - Three Times Near Nago
What? The northern part of the subtropical island Okinawa (沖縄) consists of the city of Nago (名護市) and the Kunigami District (国頭郡). Like most parts of Okinawa it has some great beaches and...
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Mount Daimonjiyama Without the "dai"
What?Daimonjiyama (大文字山) is a 466m high mountain to the northeast of Kyoto (京都). Its easy accessibility combined with the sweeping views over central Kyoto make it a popular hiking route for both...
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The Mount Fuji of Hachijojima
What?Hachijojima (八丈島) is one of the volcanic Izu Islands (伊豆諸島) located south of Tokyo (東京). The island is shaped like a bra well filled, with the beautiful conical Mount Hachijo-fuji (八丈富士) to the...
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Aogashima – Matryoshka Crater Island
What?Aogashima (青ヶ島) is part of the Izu Islands (伊豆諸島), and while it is inhabited, it is strangely enough not counted among the Izu 7. Maybe it's because there are only 160 residents left and the...
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Hachijojima - Cows & Turtles
What?Hachijojima (八丈島) is one of the volcanic Izu Islands (伊豆諸島) located south of Tokyo (東京). The island is shaped like a bra well filled, with the beautiful conical Mount Hachijo-fuji (八丈富士) to the...
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Cycling Southern Hachijojima
What?Hachijojima (八丈島) is one of the volcanic Izu Islands (伊豆諸島) located south of Tokyo (東京). The island is shaped like a bra well filled, with the beautiful conical Mount Hachijo-fuji (八丈富士) to the...
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Hopping and Dangling through Kamakura Valley to Hyakujoiwa
What? The Kamakura Valley (鎌倉峡) was cut out from the surrounding landscape by the Funasaka River (船坂川). While there is no clear path, it’s possible to follow the river downstream, walking, hopping and...
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Utsukushigahara Highland
What?Utsukushigahara Highland (美ヶ原高原) is a flat area 2000 meters above sea level. It has a few easy to reach mountain peaks like Mount Ougatou and Mount Ushibuse. More famous though are the grazing...
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Mt. Kokuzo - Sauna & spiderwebs
What?Mount Kokuzo or Kokuzosan (虚空蔵) is 596m tall mountain in central Hyogo Prefecture (兵庫県). There is an easy to reach hiking path that takes you along the mountain ridge between two neighboring train...
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Taking the Rough Trail on Mount Ishizuchi
What?Mount Ishizuchi (石鎚山) is a 1982m high mountain, making it the tallest point in western Japan. It is listed as one of Japan’s 100 famous mountains, as well as one of Japan’s Seven Holy Mountains....
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A Drive in Ehime Prefecture
What?Izumidani (泉谷) is a tiny village which only claim to fame are its rice terraces that are perched on a steep mountain slope. Be aware that the harvesting season begins in September.Shikoku Karst...
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Short Stop in Imabari
What? The Imabari Castle (今治城) is a concrete replica of a castle built by Todo Takatora, a famous Japanese builder of castles. It’s location on a large plot of land surrounded by a wide moat, making it...
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Little Hira Wetplant Hike
What? Little Hira (リトル比良) is an area part of the Hira Mountain range. With a range of 500 to 700m, it doesn’t have any high peaks, but if you’re looking for a getaway in nature - be it camping,...
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Oiwagadake - Pretty Nice
What? It’s hard to call Oiwagadake (大岩岳) a peak, so let’s just say it tops at 384 meters. The area is covered with sandstone slabs and small marshes (which were bone-dray in this day). There are some...
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Hiking in Osaka's Backyard
What?Hirakata (枚方市) is most famous for its amusement park, but it can also serve as a getaway from the big city. It shares a range of hills with neighboring Kyoto (京都府) and Nara (奈良県) Prefectures, some...
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Watching Pandas in Adventure World
What?Adventure World is a zoo-slash-theme-park with as the main attraction a handful of giant panda’s. Equally famous are the safari zone and the dolphin show. The zoo tries to emphasize interaction...
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Wakayama Coast – Hashigui Rocks & Engetsu Island
What? The coastline of Wakayama Prefecture (和歌山県) is dotted with impressive cliffs, enigmatic caves, mysterious rock formations and the odd sand beach. It makes for a perfect and relaxing drive. Most...
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Thrills and Relaxation in Kawara
What?Kyushu Olle (九州オルレ) is an organization that has put together around 20 walking courses in Kyushu (九州), based on a similar initiative on the Korean island of Jeju. While there are various degrees...
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