coming to japan in june want to hike minami alps, looking for some insite

[timmy96815]

Hi, I am not new at all to Japan so I allready have the basic stuff down. I would like to travel to minami alps national park or some similiar nature destination from Osaka where I will be staying. I was thinking of going for a week or less to the park. So has anybody else done this. is there a cheap clean place to stay. I may bring my wife so some chick friendly places would be helpful. IF I go by myself I can sleep at a hostel or something like that. I don't really want to bring camping stuff because that would be crappy to travel with. Any creative critisizms or ideas.
thanks
Jeff

[cucashopboy]

Hi, I am not new at all to Japan so I allready have the basic stuff down. I would like to travel to minami alps national park or some similiar nature destination from Osaka where I will be staying. I was thinking of going for a week or less to the park. So has anybody else done this. is there a cheap clean place to stay. I may bring my wife so some chick friendly places would be helpful. IF I go by myself I can sleep at a hostel or something like that. I don't really want to bring camping stuff because that would be crappy to travel with. Any creative critisizms or ideas.
thanks
Jeff

It's going to depend on what you want to do there. If you want to climb the 3000m peaks, you might be a bit early in the year unless you really know what you are doing.
If you want to climb the big peaks, your accommodation is going to be mountain lodges, which tend to be about 8000 yen for a night and two meals. I'm not sure how many will be open in June. A Lonely Planet Hiking in Japan book came out about 10 years ago, which will give you some idea of possible routes but the information on accommodation may be dated. According to the book, 'the best time to hike is between early July and late October'.

[kurogane]

Are you looking for a virtual hiking sort of gig? Any hostel type place I have stayed at lately had a good, reliable internet connection, so the hookup logistics shouldn't be much of a problem. I can't imagine you will find much of that in Japan, as most Japanese that like to hike actually do it outside, not insite. That's not a critisizms or anything, but it might be a limiting factor on finding anything insite.

Sounds like the sort of thing those Hiki-komori (shut in) kids might get into, so you might try some of their dedikeighted websights.

As far as creeightive critisizmz go, I would suggest you actually try hiking the Minami Alps themselves: they are lovely, accessible, and the facilities are well appointed, though not nesessarily cheep.


In particular, the Kurobay route in Toeyama is well known, well marked, and well appointed.

Also, the overland route from the backside of Kanazowa to Shirakowa-Go would be a funky and doable overnight or 2 night trip.

Depending on which direction you go in, you will find accommodation and all that insite at either end.


Also, depending on the snow lode this year, higher mountain passes mite not open until later June (July is the traditional opening of the mounting season)

[timmy96815]

thanks for the replies everybody. My plan is changing so it looks like my son (6 yrs old) is coming. The alps hiking is out. Any other kid friendly nature spots that anybody could recommend. He likes fishing and bike riding. Also does the rail pass go to shikoku and kyushuu?
thanks
Jeff

[cucashopboy]

I stayed at a place called Camp Pica about 10 years ago, which is on the shore of Lake Saiko, one of the smaller lakes to the north of Mt Fuji. It's about 45 mins by bus from Kawaguchi-ko, which has a good bus service to and from Tokyo. It's very pretty, you can catch trout there, and I didn't read it in detail but saw MTB on their website, so I guess you can hire them.

At Kawaguchi-ko, you've got FujiQ Highland park with rollercoaster rides etc, as well as Thomas (the Tank Engine) land, as well as cable cars going up hills, boats on the lake, and a few interesting other attractions like ice caves. There's also Mt Fuji of course. I wouldn't recommend tackling it in June with a six year old, but you can catch a bus most of the way up (to about 2300m) and do some easy hikes in the area.

http://saiko.pica-village.jp/

Trains in Kyushu and Shikoku are mainly run by JR, so a rail pass will be valid.

[timmy96815]

thanks cacashopboy, I am learning alot just reading your replies. I asked the wife about fuji area (sounded awesome to me) she is afraid of the radiation if we go north of Osaka so that is out. But I might extend my rail pass and go by myself if I have enough money. I know how expensive everything can get over there. I will post up when we come up with a place to go. She just said fukuoka.

So is there any cool nature stuff over there. I know she is going to want to eat the fukuoka ryori, which should be easy to find anywhere. i will ask my friend tomorrow, she is from there.

[cucashopboy]

thanks cacashopboy, I am learning alot just reading your replies. I asked the wife about fuji area (sounded awesome to me) she is afraid of the radiation if we go north of Osaka so that is out. But I might extend my rail pass and go by myself if I have enough money. I know how expensive everything can get over there. I will post up when we come up with a place to go. She just said fukuoka.

So is there any cool nature stuff over there. I know she is going to want to eat the fukuoka ryori, which should be easy to find anywhere. i will ask my friend tomorrow, she is from there.

I suppose it would be impossible to persuade your wife that she's talking out of her **** when it comes to radiation? Try the Safecast maps for starters.

http://blog.safecast.org/2011/08/drive-report-august-7/

Nobody in Japan, apart from possibly a few lunatic conspiracy theorists, is claiming that radiation is high in the Mount Fuji area.

[spacetiger]

thanks for the replies everybody. My plan is changing so it looks like my son (6 yrs old) is coming. The alps hiking is out. Any other kid friendly nature spots that anybody could recommend. He likes fishing and bike riding. Also does the rail pass go to shikoku and kyushuu?
thanks
Jeff

Ikoma san. There's an amusement park on top of the mountain, with a cutsey cable car to take you up there. Once you get to the top, follow the signs that lead you through the car park, then down a kind of alleyway with a chain-link fence seperating you from the park & rollercoaster tracks going overhead to get out the back end to the nature spot. I've only done it when the park was shut. If it's open for business it must be even more surreal. Once you're through, you're at the top of one of the loveliest walks I've ever done in Japan. Having said that - I'm a city boy & I don't do dormitories. Anyway, it an easy downhill walk & half way down there's a shrine that is like something out of the start of Spirited Away. It's the real deal Japanese forest with undergrouth & everything, not just a cedar plantation. Once you get out of the forest you follow a street winding down through a nighbourhood of classy homes overlooking a distant vista of the highrises of downtown Osaka which eventually turns into a shotengai leading down to a temple near the station. Also, there's a waterwheel, a traditional Chinese-style medicine factory which smells like cinnamon & some sort of funny little railway built for the monks or shrine monkeys or whatever they're called maybe in the ealry 20th century & now rusting away & adding to the general sense of otherworldliness.

There. See? I gave someone some good advice. So how about now someone reads my thread about cycling from Minami Senju tyo Shimokitazawa & confirms or denies my expectations or karma will get you. If you're read this far then you're cursed. This is like a chain letter that will burst into flames in your hands.

[kurogane]

There. See? I gave someone some good advice. So how about now someone reads my thread about cycling from Minami Senju tyo Shimokitazawa & confirms or denies my expectations or karma will get you. If you're read this far then you're cursed. This is like a chain letter that will burst into flames in your hands.

Dood!!!!!!!!!!!

Yo name be Spacetiger!

Dat be the coolest name in the history of Gaijinpoop.

You are Spacetiger! Yo!


aNYWAYS, I like this idea of your bike trip. The way you spell prepositions be whack (!!), but you are Spacetiger!

So, anyways...........isn't Minami Senju in Osaka???

Sounds whack, dood.

I once rode from Marutamachi in Kyoto to Senri in northern Osaka. I was moving my free work bike from here to there.

That was way cool. It took me about 3 hours. My co-workers, etc. thought I was out of my mind.

Have I ever mentioned I grew up in the most naturally hilly city in the history of English speaking urbanity????

It was a dead easy plod.

And you're Spacetiger (!!) so it's bound to be cool.

PS ride naked but for under pants. There's places to stay on the way.

[spacetiger]

Yo name be Spacetiger!
...So, anyways...........isn't Minami Senju in Osaka???
...There's places to stay on the way.

Yeah, yeah - I know Spacetiger sounds like the name of a cafe in Amemura. I made it up at work one day in 2004 & since I've never been banned I haven't had any reason to change it.

There may be a Minami Senju in Osaka, but I'm not familiar with it. I once biked from Awaza out past USJ & across a high bridge to that island at the mouth of the Yodogawa where the trippy looking garbage incinerators are & then up the river to Umeda & back. That was quite a long ride.

I guess you've right about my prepositions. The r key isn't that near the v key, so I have no excuse.

[timmy96815]

I suppose it would be impossible to persuade your wife that she's talking out of her **** when it comes to radiation? Try the Safecast maps for starters.

http://blog.safecast.org/2011/08/drive-report-august-7/

Nobody in Japan, apart from possibly a few lunatic conspiracy theorists, is claiming that radiation is high in the Mount Fuji area.

haha, yes it would be completely impossible to convince about the radiation. I am all good to go north, but If you are married you would understand. Fuji is still out.

thanks anyways, and keep the ideas coming!!!!!! Looking at seto naikai on the maps, maybe hiroshima and the inland sea somehow.