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Japan in February-HELP?

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 Jones_88 02 Feb 2016
I will be in japan from the 10th of Feb until the 22nd.
I have booked my flights and nothing more at all, has anybody got any fun ideas of places to see and things to do that are preferably in an outdoor environment.

I have flights to Tokyo but I have been considering flying up to Hokkaido to wander around Daisetsuzan national park.

I'm not 100% fit for a weeks skiing or full on hard winter climbing after some surgery but I'm more than capable of a days walking or wandering up the equivalent of a grade 1 winter ridge without any concern for panic.
( a long soggy weekend in Scotland proved that last week )

I've left it a bit late and am more than happy to wander around city's and be a tourist but it would be a shame not to see some hills and I'm struggling for ideas as I literally know nothing about Japan.

Cost isn't really a problem just inspiration.


Thanks

 dgbryan 03 Feb 2016
In reply to Jones_88:

A lot to do. Yatsugatake is off the Chuo line, a bus ride + hike to the hut & a very nice ridge circuit comfortably doable in a winter day. Plenty of ice climbing too if you are up for it, but potentially lots of snow & the weather can be full-on. Someone's story at : http://www.outdoorjapan.com/magazine/story_details/242
Asahidake Onsen in Hokkaido. Very nice, excellent (short & steep) ice but maybe not the best if you just want a wander around.
One day Fuji ascent? Not done it in winter, but definitely one to consider.
You could also look up ice solo, who posts up here occasionally - try iceclimbingjapan.com
Damian
 Jack.H.92 03 Feb 2016
In reply to Jones_88:

If you're interested in rock climbing, winter is the season in Japan.

Send me a message if your interested in more info, we were mostly doing sport trad and a little bouldering.

Went in September so had mainly good weather. I would imagine weather might dictate where you can actually get to.

Jack

 TonyG 03 Feb 2016
In reply to Jones_88:

Hi Jones_88

I just replied to your email, but I'll post full info here, in case it's of interest to anyone else too.

There's a lot to do over here in the winter, but here's a selection of winter trips that I think would suit your purposes if you're not able to do harder climbing at the moment:

1. Yatsugatake ridge traverse - a circular hike over Akadake (2899m), Yokodake and Iodake at the southern end of the Yatsugatake range, with a fantastic hut at the bottom.
http://climbjapan.blogspot.jp/2010/03/yatsugatake-winter-ridge-hike.html

2. Kuroto ridge of Kaikomagatake - one of the finest ridge hikes in Japan in the winter, involving about 2000m of height gain up to the summit of Mt Kaikoma (2967m).
http://climbjapan.blogspot.jp/2011/01/winter-on-kuroto-ridge.html

3. Mt Oku-Shirane - a beautiful snow hike up a 2578m dormant volcano near Nikko.
http://climbjapan.blogspot.jp/2011/03/winter-hike-of-mt-oku-shirane.html

4. Mt Asama - a winter ascent of an iconic active volcano in Nagano.
http://climbjapan.blogspot.jp/2014/05/winter-on-mt-asama.html

If you're interested in seeing some of the great alpine climbing that Japan has to offer, either just for interest or to plan a future trip, here's a guide to ten of the finest alpine climbs of the Japan Alps:
http://amzn.to/23DKFpN

I hope that's useful! Give me a shout if you have any other questions, and I'll be very happy to help

Tony
 gali 03 Feb 2016
In reply to Jones_88:

Hokkaido POW
 JuneBob 03 Feb 2016
In reply to Jones_88:

Gali is the only one that talks sense. Hokkaido has the best pow on the planet. Go ski it, it is the best thing anyone can do. Ever.
 Postmanpat 03 Feb 2016
In reply to Jones_88:

For a very easy and convenient day trip and hike Mt.Tsukuba is worthwhile. One or two variations and easily accessible.
Great views back to Tokyo, unlikely to be much snow.
Some of the other suggestions, although v good, can get quite serious quite quickly in winter.

https://japanhike.wordpress.com/2008/04/19/mt-tsukuba/
Removed User 03 Feb 2016
In reply to gali:

> Hokkaido POW

Abundantly so. I went to Hokkaido a few years ago at about the time you're planning with the intention of walking around in some of the parks, without fully appreciating the amount of snow there'd be. Had to re-think things quite drastically; I'd advise snow-shoes!
 duchessofmalfi 03 Feb 2016
In reply to Removed UserBwox:

Hokkaido and go skiing - there aren't many places you can go from the centre of a major city at sea level to being on the piste in 30mins - you go to the train station, pick up a magazine from the main station ticket office containing a daily deal for travel, ski hire, and lift pass which you buy in the ticket office and off you go - its easy and you can do it day, on day off no problem. PS a handy tip is trains and buses leave and arrive at the time stated - this is often the only way you can tell you are on the the right one (or find the right platform).

Winter climbing is possible but the infrastructure isn't amenable to not being superfit for long days and needs local knowledge. Last time I was there there was <lots> of snow so walking probably needs snowshoes. Once the season changes the snow goes in about 10 days, it is quite dramatic.

OP Jones_88 04 Feb 2016
In reply to TonyG:

Hi

Thank you so much this is really useful information.

Are the huts open this time of year and if so do you have to bring your own food/gas or are they manned?
I guess I would stay in Tokyo for a day or two and try organise the logistics for getting to these places with some Japanese speaking people in the hostels that could help me with booking the huts and or finding maps for the areas so I don't have to struggle with a print out off the internet and getting lost/dying out there by being a punter with no map.
Is it advisable to stay over night in the mountain in hostels/huts/hotels so I am not rushed or to get up early and commute from Tokyo?
I'm not much of a city person so it could be nice to see the less busy places but can appreciate how doing things from Tokyo may make life easier

Has your book got detailed descriptions of some of these routes?
Can I buy maps from any specific shops in Tokyo or is it best to get them from the areas I was thinking of heading?

Do I take my Nepals for warmth or my B2 boots that I use for the alps and Scrambling at home that aren't any where near as warm but are a lot comfier for long walks on hard ground?

Hope that wasn't too many questions.

Thanks


 TonyG 04 Feb 2016
In reply to Jones_88:

I think you should go for the Yatsugatake ridge hike first, for a number of reasons... That one is the simplest logistically, and you're going to be alone and with no Japanese language. It's also the one that will see the most traffic through the winter, so will have the best trace of all them. You'll need to give 2 days to it, the first day to travel from Tokyo to Chino in Yamanashi prefecture by train, then take a bus to Minotoguchi, then walk in to the Akadake-kosen hut. The second day you'll be able to do the hike with an early start, and then walk back down to the bus and reverse your journey back to Tokyo. The Akadake-kosen hut is open all year round, and if you're there mid-week you won't even need to phone in advance. They have staff who speak enough English to understand and to tell you what you need to know about dinner etc...

You'll need to buy map number 32 in the Yama-to-kougen-chizu map series, available for about 1000 yen from any largish bookshop in Tokyo. Once you've got the map, I'd advise you to refer to the article on my site to get the place names in Japanese kanji and then cross-reference them on the map to figure out exactly where you need to go. UKC forums don't seem to support kanji, so I can't type any of them here for you. To get you started, the bus stop at the Minotoguchi trailhead, from where you'll start the walk-in, is in the top left corner of square 7D on the map.

You can check train times in English on www.hyperdia.com, and for weather forecasts take a look at www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Mount-Aka-Yatsugatake/forecasts/2899. Consider not going if the wind speed is yellow, orange or red. Green should be fine. Expect a lot of snow at the moment, and dress for very cold temperatures, with a wind chill well below -20C up on the ridge. Regarding boots, you'll certainly want your Nepals to keep your feet warm. Gear-wise you should be fine with a single walking axe and crampons on this route, with a walking pole with a snow bail on it, although be aware that there are quite a few steep and exposed sections with chains on them along the way, which could be iced up. Given your recent surgery, it might be prudent to wear a harness and take a sling and a locker to clip into the chain if you need a rest or need to think.

My book doesn't cover snow hikes, it's a selection of what I regard as ten of the most classic alpine climbs in the Japanese high mountains. So it won't help you directly for this trip, but may be of interest for a future trip, or to give you a flavour of the Japanese high country.

Several people recommended skiing in Hokkaido. You didn't mention skiing in your post, so they probably didn't read it properly and are just posting their own holiday experience... But if you do ski, it's a good recommendation, and you'll find what's regarded as the best powder snow in the world. They've been getting serious amounts of snow up there this winter, so it could be great! Likewise for the same reason, if you decide to go hiking on Daisetsuzan, you'd probably better take a pair of snowshoes with you

Feel free to get in touch while you're in Tokyo if you have any other questions. I'm based in Tokyo myself, and will be happy to help.

Tony
OP Jones_88 04 Feb 2016
In reply to TonyG:

Re surgery. It was my back but I'm awaiting arm surgery too so My arms are pretty safe for holding on to things at the moment they just hurt a bit so I shouldn't need a harness
I will probably give Hokkaido a miss for now as I'm not sure if I could manage more than 2 days worth of skiing as I get a bit carried away with myself and could just end up causing myself a silly injury so its best left for a proper trip another time to make the most of what sounds like an amazing place.
( I'm more than capable of undertaking multiple days walking on the hill though so ridges with a bag and axe aren't a problem)

I don't want to go all of the way up to Hokkaido and just end up skiing or snow shoeing if it's heavy snow everywhere so ill probably stick to your recommendation's and spend the rest of the time travelling around being a tourist and probably a day or two on the piste somewhere on the main island.
Does anywhere spring to mind for 2 days piste skiing that isn't horrifically busy or is that not possible?

I'm there for 11 days so was going to get a 7 day JR ticket and buy the rest of tickets separately as its a lot more money to get a 14 day JR. Does that sound wise or is it safer to just get a 14 day one so I don't have to worry about expensive train prices 7 day =£165 14 =£265

In the uk you could spend £100 on one journey so it would be well worth the extra over here for the 4 days extra travel.

Advice on cold weather has been noted and my Nepals will be getting a good once over along with all of my other cold weather gear.

Thanks so much this is all brilliant advice.






 Postmanpat 04 Feb 2016
In reply to Jones_88:

For skiing on Honshu there are lots of choices but I'd recommend Nozawa or Shiga Kogen. Bullet train to Nagano and then bus to each of them (Nozawa is a shorter bus trip). Nozawa is a lovely traditional style town with onsens. Shiga has more extensive skiing. If you go midweek (check no national holidays) they shouldn't be crowded (well, they never used to be). Weekends can be a nightmare. I once saw a 4 hour lift queue on an bank holiday weekend at Nozawa!! A long lunch ensued!!

Can't really advise on the JR pass except to say that if you are planning multiple trips you are unlikely to do them all in one 7 day period.
 damowilk 05 Feb 2016
In reply to Jones_88:

Get the 14 day pass: unless things have changed, you'd save the money with about 2 long distance tickets.
 TonyG 05 Feb 2016
In reply to Jones_88:

By the way, Win... There's a strong chance that I'll be at the Akadake-kosen hut myself on the night of Saturday 13th Feb, so if you see three British guys sitting around, come over and have a drink with us.

Tony
 paul mitchell 05 Feb 2016
In reply to Jones_88:

Go to Hokkaido.Contact Richard Siddle at Hokkaido University.Speaks fluent Japanese and has a lot of local contacts.Likes skiing and hills.
OP Jones_88 06 Feb 2016
to
Hi Tony

Thanks for all of your help its been very useful.
After chilling out around Tokyo and getting some maps/sushi I'll probably be in the Akadake-kosen on the Saturday 13th night myself so if you happen to be there I'll definitely say hello.

Do you have website or a contact number/email that I could have so I can book myself into the hut if the weather forecast looks good as I don't seem to be able to find anything online.
Or do you just turn up ?

Does the hut have any cooking or sleeping facilities or would it be wise for me to bring my cooker and sleeping bag for this hut and other ones mentioned in your list?

Thanks
 TonyG 07 Feb 2016
In reply to Jones_88:

Hi Win

I've replied directly to your email. I was out climbing this weekend and just read it, so apologies if my reply is too late and you've already left the UK. Hope to see you at the hut next Saturday!

Tony

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