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Impressions of Japan

■The Mountains of Japan

　Whether it’s the world’s busiest crosswalk at Shibuya or scenes of railway attendants using wooden bars to pack passengers onto the morning trains, many images of Japan focus on the urban frenzy of Tokyo or other cities. One of the biggest surprises awaiting many travelers to Japan, then, will be its countryside.

　Despite the extreme density of population in Japan’s cities, somewhere between 70 and 80 percent of the country is forested mountainside . Each of the major islands has mountain ranges. In Honshu, mountains traverse virtually the entire length the island like a spine, shot through with thousands of valleys. If you’re not especially drawn to cities, or simply want to balance your trip to Tokyo with a look at the Japan’s rural side, there are countless opportunities for travel through some truly spectacular natural areas of the country.

　Nagano prefecture in central Honshu and the northern Tohoku region are especially famous for their mountains. The mountains of Honshu are generally 1,500 to 3,000 meters (about five to ten thousand feet) high. In central Honshu, most notably in Nagano, several ranges come together to form the rugged Japanese Alps.

　Some of these peaks stand at more than 3,000 meters. Farther north, the breathtaking scenery of Tohoku includes some of the countries most beautiful national parks and the Three Mountains of Dewa in Yamagata prefecture, sacred to Shinto as well as several Buddhist sects, and a popular pilgrimage site or centuries. The famous poet Basho recorded his own journey through the region in his best-loved work, The Narrow Road to Oku.

　Of course, Japan’s most famous mountain is also its highest. The 3,776 meter (12,388 feet) cone of Mt. Fuji (in Japanese not Fujiyama, as its sometimes mistakenly called, but Fujisan) is almost certainly the most instantly recognizable mountain in the world. Each year more than 200,000 people, as many as 30% of them from outside Japan, wind their way up one of four main routes to the summit of this active volcano.

　For travelers interested in exploring this side of Japan, almost any part of the country can afford access to mountain scenery. A number of specialty books can help you plan the trip, including Lonely Planet’s excellent “Hiking in Japan.”

Shooting Location: HACHIRO'S BAR

>>Access
Takata Bld. 2F,5-15 Nakamachi, Nakaku, Hiroshima
TEL: 082-246-3086

Bus
Hiroshima Station====(Hiroden bus (green bus No. 3, 4, or 6), 20min.)====Fukuromachi===(on foot, 5 min.)===HACHIRO's BAR

Streetcar
Hiroshima Station====(Streetcar No.1, 25 min.)====Fukuromachi===(on foot, 5 min.)===HACHIRO's BAR

>>Open Hours
6:00 p.m. - 3:00 a.m.

>>Holidays
Sunday

>>Map
Hiroshima Downtown Map>>>Click here to view

-Matt Mangham