Companion website of the book "30 Day Hikes Near Tokyo"

Content

Book sample
Book pages on Amazon (for purchasing)
General resources (maps, links...)
Resources for each hike (photos, maps, additional links...)
Contact

Book sample

Download a PDF with 5 hikes from the book

Book pages on Amazon

General resources

Online maps

Online, the most useful map for hiking in Japan is probably the one from GSI (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan).

It can be accessed at maps.gsi.go.jp.

Some introductory instructions are available on this page. The full PDF manual is here.

By default, a topographic map with labels in Japanese (淡色地図) is shown but it can be changed to other background layers by clicking the button on the top left :

Then you can switch to an English map (but it doesn't zoom in very low) or an aerial photo view (写真). There are also plenty of other data to display.

It is also possible to add the KMLs for each hike (that you can download below). To do that, follow those steps:

Click on the tool icon in the top right.

Then in the popup on the right, click on the annotation/file icon.

Open the KML selection dialog by clicking on the folder icon in the top left of the new popup.

Choose your KML files (multiple selection possible) then click on the OK button.

The new files will be listed on the top right and will be displayed on the map. You will have to zoom in yourself though. With the ..._steps.kml KML file (corresponding to the numbered steps in the Course paragraphs of the book), the icons on the map can be clicked on and the step numbers will be displayed.
To remove a KML, click the Delete button in the list. Note that simply reloading the page will remove all the KMLs at once.

It is also possible to print (including the KML, if it has been added), although a sufficiently detailed map will probably take more than a single A4 page. To do that, click on the Print button (印刷) in the menu on the upper right corner of the screen. You can choose the paper format (landscape or portrait, A4 or A3) and also adjust the extent of the map. Then click on the 印刷 button: Depending on the OS, you can save the map as PDF instead of printing. Finally, click on the 元の画面に戻る button to go back to the interactive map.

Outside the GSI map, you can also use:

OpenStreetMap: A community map
OpenTopoMap: OpenStreetMap data (not updated as often as the main OSM site) but with elevation on top and GPX import
Google Maps: For satellite images and 3D and for looking up transportation details
Google Earth: For 3D and importing KML

Paper maps

You can find a discussion on what paper map to purchase from this page (on the Ridgeline Images blog). Basically, there are 2 main choices of paper maps: GSI (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan) or Yama to Kogen Chizu.

Websites with hiking guides

You can find many more hikes as well as more info on some of the hikes featured in the book on the following websites:

Ridgeline Images: This is a blog in English that is regularly updated. There are plenty of detailed hiking itineraries around Tokyo, which are listed on this page. Most of the hikes are single day but there are also longer trails. Pretty much all of them are accessible with public transport. There are also interesting resources regarding maps, equipment and advice on hiking in Japan. Here are some pages that might be of interest:
- The Outdoor Guide to Tokyo & 25 Things I’ve Learned Hiking in Japan
- 20 Top Day Trips From Tokyo & The Best Day Hikes Around Tokyo
- Hiking Kanji Cheat Sheet: Downloadable PDF of Japanese hiking terms that you are likely to come across on the trails
- Reading Japanese Hiking Maps & Reading "Yama to Kogen Chizu" Topographic Maps
- On the Trail - Japan Hiking Guidebooks: For other books regarding hiking in Japan
- Hiking in Japan: Why Insurance Matters and Japan’s Hiking Insurance Providers Compared: For insurance, in case your travel insurance doesn't cover you (check first)
Hiking around Tokyo: This is another blog in English, also regularly updated. The site contains mostly hiking guides / reports, with most of the hikes accessible using public transport (sometimes a taxi). This page has useful advice:
- 6 Tips for Planning Your Hike
Yamareco: A community website in Japanese for hiking guides and reports. Usually, the guides and reports are quite detailed with a map and a lot of photos (including the signs). The trail descriptions also include the waypoints (blue squares on the maps or listed in the hike descriptions), with a link to more photos and additional hikes that go through them. Yamareco can be useful to check out recent hike reports to learn about the trail condition (for example, snow in early spring). However, it is only in Japanese, including searching: You will have to copy paste the kanji versions of the summits or landmarks to find anything. You will also have to disable your ad blocker to access the hikes and for some of the hike reports, you will have to create an account just to view (however, the links to Yamareco on this page should work fine withoug logging in). There are mostly hiking (walking) guides but also sometimes running: The walking guides are indicated with a ハイキング label
My blog in English (no longer updated when it comes to Tokyo hikes)

Transportation

Nishi Tokyo Bus navi in English for Okutama or Hinohara (also includes Keio Bus)
- How to ride the Nishi Tokyo Bus
Kanachu Bus navi (bus in Kanagawa Prefecture)
Oshima Bus (bus on Izu Oshima)
Fujikyu Bus
Fujikyu Express Bus
Kantetsu Bus
Tokai Kisen ferries (to the Izu Islands)
Tokyo-Wan Ferry (boat in Tokyo Bay)
Hakone Sightseeing Cruise
Takaotozan Railway (funicular and chairlift of Mount Takao)
Mitake Tozan Cable Car (funicular of Mount Mitake)
Mount Nokogiri Ropeway
Komagatake Ropeway
Mount Fuji Panoramic Ropeway (at Lake Kawaguchi)
Akechidaira Ropeway (in Nikko)
Mount Tsukuba Cable Car & Ropeway

Kanji cheat sheet

From the Ridgeline Images blog (see above), Hiking Kanji Cheat Sheet, a downloadable PDF of Japanese hiking terms that can be useful on the trails.

Hikes

For each hike, I have included:

A link to the GSI map centered on the hike. To see all the details, including smaller trails and all the contour lines, you will have to zoom in a little. To visualize the actual course featured in the book, you will need to upload the KMLs yourselves since it is not possible for me to upload them then share the map with you.
Links to Google Maps with a search for direction. I have set the starting and returning points to Shinjuku, but depending on where you stay, you can easily change that in the UI. You will also have to change the time (correct day + change the hour to some time in the morning for the "Getting there" and in the evening for "Coming back"). When the transportation needs a boat, unfortunately, Google Maps does not support it: I have included the Google Maps direction search to the bus stop or train station nearest to the boat terminal then included a link to the schedule of the boat company.
KML and GPX files. They can be imported in the GSI map viewer or Google Earth or a dedicated hiking mobile app. For more advanced use, they can also be imported in a GIS software like QGIS or ArcGIS (for example if you want to do your own map and annotate).
Links to alternative descriptions for the trail. Sometimes, the links describe the same trail as the book but with different details, sometimes they describe a different itinerary (like the Alternate section in the book), for example a shorter or longer version or with a different endpoint / starting point or in reverse.
Links to photos taken on the trail. Sometimes, it is the exact same course, but sometimes it is in the reverse direction or from another hike that overlaps.
A PDF with just the text of the hike as featured in the book. It can be useful for copy pasting the kanji for searching in Google or Yamareco or to bring with you on the trail so you have a reference withouth having to take the book with you.
Other useful links (like a link to the bus or boat company).

If something is missing, let me know.

Download the KML, GPX and course PDF for all the hikes (single ZIP).