Golden Week will be upon us before you know it. Is anyone else other than myself in the planning stages?

Looks like I'll be climbing Aizu-komagatake and Hiuchi-ga-take, and maybe Mt. Sukai if I've got enough energy left.

We're planning on going to Lake Kanayama in central Hokkaido. Does anyone know if there are any hiking trails going out of the campgrounds there?
... David

I am in the planning stage of hiking in Golden Week. Hopefully the weather is going to be perfect for it though. Anyone who can suggest where to go hiking other than Mt. Takao near Tokyo? I have been there more than once and it is too crowded, which I do not like that much. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Hanalyn,

There are a lot of places to go hiking near Tokyo besides Mt. Takao. It really depends on how much you want to spend on train fare and how far you'd really like to go.

Do you have crampons? If so, then you could consider doing some higher elevation peaks.

Golden Week is the official start of the hiking season in Japan, so you're bound to run into crowds no matter where you go.

If I were you, I'd try to check out some of the peaks in Chichibu-Tama-Kai national park. You have a variety to choose from, including Mt. Kumotori, Mt. Mizugaki, Mt. Kobushi, and Mt. Ryokami. Most of these require an overnight stay on the mountain, due to the time it takes to access the trailhead, but are worth the time and effort required to get there.

check out the 'kanto hikes' section of the
Hiking in Japan website for ideas
www.hikinginjapan.com

Hi Wes,

Thanks so much for your tips! After I posted this, the beginning of my Golden Week was occupied with BBQ parties ( since the weather was awesome) and 3 days into the holidays, I ended up touring through Noto Peninsula and other mountain areas under a lot of sunshine. And now towards the end of this long break, I am considering going up to Mt. Hinode or Mt.Kuboshi. I will check out the site you referred to. Thanks a bunch!