Japanese alpine plants threatened by invasion of dwarf bamboo species
Alpine plants have come under threat of extinction from the sudden expansion of a species of dwarf bamboo in mountainous regions of Japan. Due to the effects of global warming, snow is melting faster and the soil is drying up in these regions, and the ...
Nagano police issue compact tip cards to mountain climbers as accidents rise
The Nagano Prefectural Police have created tip cards for climbing each of 50 major mountains in the sprawling prefecture. The police have been distributing them to climbers to make them aware of risky locations on the trails and to help them choose mountains that more ...
The number of people who got lost in mountains in Japan in 2019 stood at 2,937, with elderly people accounting for more than half of them, data from the National Police Agency (NPA) showed Thursday. Of the total, 299 were confirmed dead or missing. The ...
Mount Fuji to be closed to climbers this summer due to virus
For the first time it at least 60 years, Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures opt to not open all four trails to the top of the iconic mountain.
Japan mountaineering groups ask climbers to stay away during pandemic
Four associations in Japan involved in mountain activities have released a joint statement asking people to refrain from climbing until the threat of COVID-19 subsides. They issued the appeal to climbers in a statement dated April 20, ahead of the Golden Week holidays that begin ...
Defying virus warnings, crowds take to Japan's beaches and mountains
Some leisure spots near Tokyo have seen crowds of visitors recently despite government instructions to stay home amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, prompting local residents and municipalities to voice concerns about further potential spread of the virus. Although it was a weekday, a beach near ...
Find solitude on Mount Kuju, central Kyushu’s highest peak
Part of Aso-Kuju National Park, Mount Kuju comprises a number of lofty peaks. But at 1,791 meters, Nakadake is the highest, and a worthwhile spot for any hiking enthusiast. It is also a must for those seeking the unusual and the unique.
Two people, including a British man, were killed separately on Saturday as two avalanches struck mountains in Japan, local officials and media said. The 34-year-old Briton was caught in an avalanche in Hokkaido while skiing with two other people, a local official said. "He was sent ...
A French national caught in an avalanche near a ski resort in Hokkaido has been confirmed dead, police said Friday. The 38-year-old man, identified as Sylvain Rene Nicolas Lethier, had been skiing with seven friends off-piste in the Tomamu resort area in the village of ...
Eight backcountry skiers caught in Hokkaido avalanche; French man unconscious
Eight people were caught in an avalanche Thursday while backcountry skiing near a resort in Hokkaido, with a French man found unconscious, according to local fire authorities and some Japanese media reports. One of the eight who managed to get out of the avalanche descended ...
Veteran climbers skeptical proposed rules for Mount Everest will stop deaths
Veteran climbers of Mount Everest are skeptical that proposed new regulations by the Nepalese government to tighten the permit process for adventurers will address the root causes of this year's heavy death toll on the world's tallest peak. American mountaineers Ed Viesturs and Alan Arnette ...
Closed typhoon-hit trails in Japan put damper on rush to view autumn leaves
November typically sees a surge in hikers seeking to enjoy autumn leaves, but several trails in Kamakura, Hakone and other destinations across Kanagawa Prefecture — and elsewhere in the Kanto region — remain closed indefinitely after two powerful typhoons tore through the country in ...
