Hiking and Outdoor Recreation

After a year in Japan, from my experience there isn’t a ton of information, at least for English speakers, on hiking in Japan (this is in comparison with my home in Oregon, USA). This is by no means an exhaustive list, or really anything that comes close. The aim is to help you get started,and to help create a community for those of us interested in getting outside. The focus is on hiking, but eventually, ideally this will be a resource for all kinds of outdoor recreation.

General advice: Hiking in Kyushu can be done year-round, but some hikes get snowy and all the hikes can get quite wet depending on the season. I recommend hiking in the fall for the best weather, but have enjoyed excursions in every season. I try to be over-prepared because things never go exactly according to plan. Keeping the car well gassed and stocked with extra food, water, first aid is recommended. Give yourself extra time for every step of the trip. The availability of information on a trail can vary a good deal, from a sign every 100 meters to an absolute absence. Furthermore, English signage, online resources, etc. is limited. Ask your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and other ALTs about hikes they recommend.

What to bring:

What to bring varies on the difficulty of the hike and of course how long you are going for (e.g. 20 minutes, 5 hours, or 3 days). This list will focus on day hikes.

Shoes (running shoes, trekking shoes, or hiking boots. Personally I prefer running shoes with ankle guards, but I often end up with soggy socks on wetter hikes)

Water(always bring at least a 1 liter, check ahead of time for refills on the hike)

Food(even for short hikes a snack is good in case of emergency. A lunch at the peak is often especially delicious and part of the Japanese hiking culture)

Hiking Pole(at least one. Good for slippery hikes and steep hikes. Especially for weaker knees)

Plastic Bag(good for packing out trash and keeping things dry. Also dirty clothes after the hike.)

Hat(a hat is good for rain and sun protection. Don’t forget it at the summit)

Rain Gear(unless you’re 100% sure, bring a rain jacket. Rain pants are a good investment too)

Phone(service is often available on a lot of hikes, don’t count on it though. Maps can be downloaded beforehand. Doubles as a watch, dictionary, and camera! Mke sure you can keep it dry)

First Aid(Something for ankles, bee stings, and allergies. Bug spray and Sunblock are good too—to keep the pack light apply beforehand. For an all encompassing first aid list please inquire)

Watch(I always bring a watch, it’s great for keeping track of the hike, your pace etc)

Dictionary(dependent on your level of Japanese. Learning hiking specific kanji is helpful. See the Fukuoka Hiking page below)

Clothes (dependent on temperature, weather etc. More coverage is usually best, even for hot days. Avoid cotton. Bring some long sleeves just incase)

Resources

Here are a few online resources I have found helpful

  1. An excellent resource for hiking in Fukuoka out together by Fukuoka JET. While the hikes featured focus on the Fukuoka region there is a lot of general hiking info that’s great:
  2. Here is a good resource for Japan Hikes in English, although some info is a bit outdated:
  3. Here is the Japan-Guide. A good place for finding hikes, but not necessarily the most detailed information:
  4. This is a list of good swim spots put together by Kumamoto JET Chris Ott
  5. Here are some places to get started thinking about first aid and

Place to Start:

There are of course many more excellent hikes to be done in the area. This is a list of hikes I or a friend have done, and would recommend. Some are farther away depending on your placement.

  1. Nakadake (Aso)
  2. Kaimondake (Kagoshima)
  3. Ichifusa Mountain (Kumamoto/Miyazaki)
  4. Kirishima Mountains (Kagoshima/Miyazaki)
  5. Kikuchi Gorge (Kumamoto)

KumaJET Outdoor Community:

We will be starting a Kumamoto JET website for outdoor recreation. The website has a few goals. One will be to create a growing bank of information on hikes, campgrounds, swimming holes etc. Contributions can be made by anyone; from the people for the people. Another aim of the site will be to help organize outdoor outings. Lastly, and this overlaps with the other two objectives, the site will foster an outdoor rec community in Kumamoto. URL HERE