In this episode of The Books on Asia Podcast host Amy Chavez talks with author Wes Lang about his guidebook Hiking and Trekking the Japan Alps and Mount Fuji: Northern, Central and Southern Alps. Wes also recounts his adventures bagging all 100 peaks in the hyakumeizan (Japan’s 100 Mountains).
Show Notes:
This episode starts out with Amy asking Wes for some tips on using mountain huts while hiking: What time to arrive, whether you should book meals, if you need reservations, and how mountain huts on Mount Fuji differ from other mountain hut accommodations.
They also talk about hot springs (onsen) at mountain huts, or near the hiking trails. Some onsen have mixed bathing (men and women together) and they discuss some tips on when to cover up with a swim suit (or not). Amy talks about her embarrassing moment in a mixed bathing hot spring, and Wes talks about an awkward time having to wear a special robe to cover up for the gods. They also discuss tattoos in the hot springs, the real reason behind the “no-tattoos” rule, and what to do if you have inked skin and want to take a hot spring bath during your trip in the mountains.
Since your hiking trip is bound to involve trains to get to places, Wes gives tips on riding crowded trains when using the Japan Rail Pass.
Wes gives some must-see hikes in Japan as well as a couple favorites off the beaten path. Amy, a trail runner, asks which trails highlighted in his guidebook would be good for fast-packing.
The author gives details about Hiking and Trekking the Japan Alps and Mount Fuji, including the book’s physical properties: full-color gloss pages, full color maps and a water-proof jacket cover. He and co-author Tom Fay wanted the guide to appeal to long-term Japan residents as well as visitors, so they insisted on bilingual maps, transport information, and the inclusion of kanji character names to help decipher sign-posts.
Lastly, Wes recounts the history behind the hyakumeizan, “Japan’s 100 mountains,” which he started climbing in 2002 over a series of holidays and weekends, and completed in 2008. This challenge, on many a Japan climber’s bucket list, was inadvertently created by Fukada Kyūya in 1964 when his book Nihon Hyakumeizan (Japan’s 100 Mountains) became popular.
Later, the book was translated into English by Martin Hood for University of Hawaii Press.
See Wes’s “Hiking in Japan” website for an online guide to hiking the hyakumeizan.
The Books on Asia Podcast is sponsored by Stone Bridge Press, publisher of fine books on Asia for over 30 years. Subscribe to the podcast here.
