Nature and hikes in Elsewhere in Japan

4 itineraries and trails with a verified description

1 of 2

14 km · Easy

Oirase Gorge Stream Walk

A stream that flows out of Lake Towada in Aomori Prefecture, with a gentle forest trail of about 14 km along it from Nenokuchi on the lake to Yakeyama, about five hours of walking. Get there by JR bus: from Hachinohe Station about an hour and a half to the stream museum (Oirase Keiryukan), and from Aomori about two hours. The bus runs along the stream and stops at several places, so you can walk just a section and board at the next stop. Autumn colors peak at the end of October and the beginning of November, but until 17 November you must reserve a seat in advance on the bus from Hachinohe (¥300 per seat), and from 12 November 2026 to 31 March 2027 the bus from Aomori goes only as far as Sukayu Onsen and not to the stream. The trail is free, and the bus is paid.

FreeMaps Source

Price checked October 2026

Photo: OKJaguar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

1 of 2

1.7 km · Easy

Asahidake and the Sugatami Pond loop

A ropeway of about 10 minutes rises from Asahidake Onsen to Sugatami Station at 1,600 meters in Daisetsuzan National Park in Hokkaido, about an hour and ten minutes by car from JR Asahikawa Station, and there is also a bus. From the station a loop trail of about 1.7 km circles Sugatami Pond, about an hour of walking. The trail is open from June to mid-October, and alpine flowers bloom from early June to mid-August; the first snow this year fell on 2 October. The ropeway costs ¥3,500 round trip until 31 October and ¥2,800 from 1 November, and it is closed for maintenance from 16 November to 10 December 2026. The trail is free, but the ropeway operator warns that the weather there changes fast, so wear hiking shoes and bring a rain and wind jacket.

FreeMaps Source

Price checked October 2026

Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)

1 of 2

3 km · Easy

Shiretoko Five Lakes

Five lakes in the forest of the Shiretoko Peninsula in northeastern Hokkaido, about 14 km (about 20 minutes by car) from the town of Utoro. An elevated wooden boardwalk of 800 meters each way, about 40 minutes round trip, free, protected from bears by an electric fence and reaching the first lake. The ground trail reaches all five lakes (the large loop takes about an hour and a half on your own): from 10 May to 31 July only on a paid guided tour, and from 1 August to the end of the season you can go alone after a 10-minute lecture, ¥450 per adult. The area is open from mid-April to mid-November, as long as the road is open, and the ground trail closes when bears are seen. You may not bring food that is not hermetically sealed, including candy and gum, nor sweetened drinks.

¥450 · ≈ $3Maps Source

Price checked October 2026

Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)

1 of 2

Up to 4 hours · Moderate

Shiratani Unsuikyo, Yakushima

A forest of Yakusugi cedars and moss on Yakushima island, south of Kyushu, about 35 minutes by bus from Miyanoura port. There are several routes: the Yayoi cedar course about an hour, the Bugyo cedar course about three hours, and a round trip to Taiko-iwa Rock about four hours. The site is open all year and closes only when there is a weather warning, and the island gets a lot of rain and the weather turns fast. There are leeches all year, especially in summer, and sandals are dangerous there: hiking shoes only. Entry is ¥500 per person (a forest conservation contribution), and the bus is paid.

¥500 · ≈ $3Maps Source

Price checked October 2026

Photo: Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)