Spring is an amazing time to explore the mountains in Japan, with fresh greenery, lingering snowfields, good weather and far less crowds.

Hike and Bike Japan's base of operation, the small rural village of Otari, is a culturally-rich and naturally-blessed area that we take...

U.L. SLEEPING SETUP I dozed off shortly after dinner, sometime past 8 p.m. In general I'm a cold sleeper, so I went into the evening...

PLAN A More than a month ago I was contacted by two-time Trans Japan Alps Race (TJAR) finisher Otokozawa-san, who I first became...

This week I had the privilege of guiding a fellow American I met on the slopes of Tsugaike last month, up to the summit of 2,696m Mt....

The village of Otari is not only a 豪雪地帯, or "heavily snowed area" as mentioned in our last blog post, but its land area is more than 80%...

The Oami Fire Ceremony (大網火祭り) is one of the most fascinating annual events held here in the village of Otari. Taking place each year on...