Lonely Planet Hiking in Japan (Walking) [Paperback]

David Joll (Author), Craig McLachlan (Author), Richard Ryall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2009 | Series: Walking

Sunrise atop Fuji-san, steaming volcanoes, natural hot springs, ancient temples and pilgrim trails, wild subtropical jungles, spectacular gorges, unique wildlife and nature's seasonal shows - explore the wonders of Japan with this meticulously researched guide.

• detailed trail notes with kanji for more than 70 day and multi-day hikes
• 70 detailed, custom-drawn contour maps with kanji

• accommodation options from gateway cities to remote camp sites

• tips on transport to and from the trailheads

• practical advice on local culture, responsible hiking and pre-hike preparation

• quick reference language section, glossary and gazetteer with kanji

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

For sheer global reach and dogged research, attention must be paid to Lonely Planet…' --Los Angeles Times, February 2, 2003
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

A valuable guide for both beginning and advanced hikers, "Hiking in Japan" is filled with practical information on predeparture recommendations, suggested hiking itineraries including temple and pilgrim trails, camping gear, responsible hiking, cultural and historical facts and handy translations with kanji. "Hiking in Japan" is also an excellent reference for travelers interested in Japan’s national parks, flora and fauna, and wildlife. For those who want a ‘truly Japanese’ experience - hike Japan!

• detailed trail notes with kanji for more than 70 day and multi-day hikes • 70 detailed, custom-drawn contour maps with kanji • accommodation options from gateway cities to remote camp sites • tips on transport to and from the trailheads • practical advice on local culture, responsible hiking and pre-hike preparation • quick reference language section, glossary and gazetteer with kanji --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 2 edition (August 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1741040728
• ISBN-13: 978-1741040722
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.8 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #288,550 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good starting point - but complement with the map August 16, 2009

By Jackal

Format:Paperback

If you don't speak Japanese this is a pretty good starting point to identify interesting hikes in Japan. I wouldn't say that all the facts in the book are accurate. Many other reviewers have commented on this. Still without this book I wouldn't be able to know where I would do the hike. I've done three hikes using the book and the information has been accurate for me.

Some information is easy to double check. However, Japan Rail has an excellent website in English giving all the train schedules you need. You must also omplement with the 1:50,000 hiking maps. These are only availabe in Japanese but shouldn't create a problem as long as you are proficient with maps. You can buy them on amazon's Japanese site through the Enlish interface, but it is a bit hard to know which maps you need, but it certainly is possible even if you don't speak any Japanese. When you have the maps you will see the whole system of trails so you might decide to change the route. The maps come in a new edition every year so they will be fully updated.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars You'd Think They Would Try to Update a New Edition September 20, 2009

By Eric-Jay

Format:Paperback

I was looking forward to the updated edition for some time but when I picked it up today I was very disappointed to see that very little was changed from the last edition. Most troubling was that information which was long out of date was still included in the guide. For example, the Kumotori hike which is described in the Tokyo section recommends taking a cable car up to the starting point for the hike. Unfortunately, the cable car stopped running several years ago and so anyone following this guide book will have a much longer hike on their hands than the one they may have planned (an extra 800 meters of climbing to get where the actual hike in the guide book begins). It is a useful book for those new to Japan but I am very disappointed that LP did not make the effort to make sure the information in this new edition was still accurate.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Lacks motivation for selecting hikes July 11, 2010

By W. Snyder

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This guide is unfortunately exactly average for a hiking guide.

The hike descriptions often only have one sentence discussing why you would choose a particular hike. You can read through the trail descriptions and front highlights to find more hints, this is often limited to quick phrases: "great ridge views". And, only a small percentage of the hikes have any photographs. If you don't know which hikes to choose, this book is unlikely to be much assistance. (IHMO "Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies" is a good example of the right way to do it.)

When it comes to the technical hike details, the description of how to get to the trail and hike seems acceptable, however the maps are generally quite small and missing elevation lines, making them nearly useless for all but travel planning. And, the trail descriptions lack the detail that one would expect from say a Cicerone guide. (Cicerone's excellent trail descriptions almost make up for their typically not describing which hikes to choose.)