The Tohoku region (North-Eastern Japan) is the dream destination for hiking lovers. The calm, the untouched nature, the mountains, the ancient shrines scattered across the forests... There are so many wonders waiting for adventurers in Yamagata Prefecture.
Not to be outdone, Tsuruoka City has many trekking trails with several difficulty levels that will satisfy any hiker. Have a look at our trails:
Mt. Haguro's stairway
Hagurosan Ishidan 羽黒山石段
Hiking season:
May - Early December
Even though the whole climbing experience is tough, small children and seniors often do the trip to the top! Count around 1 hour (1 hour and 45 min. if you want to take your time) to go up, and 45 min. (1h10) to go down.
Difficulty:
Take part in our guided hikes
Guided Rokujurigoekaido hiking tour
Guided snowshoe trekking
Guided Yamabushi tours
Beware of the bears!
When you take a stroll in the mountains of Japan's forests, you need to be cautious about the Japanese black bear. Though they are not aggressive by nature and normally fear humans, they will attack if they are surprised. To let them know about your presence, we highly recommend you to attach a bear bell to your gear when walking inside a forest. The sound of the bell will alert the bears of your presence, letting them know they better back off, thus avoiding the risk of an attack caused by surprise. You can also sing, laugh, talk loudly to make sure the bears hear you.
If you happen to encounter a bear, always face him. Slowly step back, don't scream, don't run.
Even if it's true baby bears are the cutest things ever, NEVER touch a cub or come close to them. Momma bear is never very far, and she is extremely aggressive.
You can also buy a "bear pepper spray" in Japanese drugstores; it will give you enough time to escape.