Research
Articles
Getting to the Japanese Alps — Shinkansen, Azusa express, and the JR Pass that just got expensive
Tokyo to the trailhead in 4 hours. Shinjuku to Matsumoto on the Azusa express (2.5 hours), then a bus to Kamikōchi. Tokyo to Toyama on the Hokuriku Shinkansen (2 hours), then the Alpine Route to Murodo. No rental car needed. The JR Pass had a 69% price increase in October 2023 and another 6–7% coming in October 2026.
Mountain hut culture that makes the Dolomites look sparse — and bears that tripled in a decade
A hundred years of staffed mountain huts serving communal dinner at 5 PM. Bears that tripled from 15,000 to 44,000 in a decade. A weak yen that makes Swiss huts look like luxury hotels. The Japanese Alps are the best-value major mountain range in the developed world in 2026, and most English-language trekking content still treats them as an exotic footnote.
Sansō — the mountain hut system that serves dinner at 5 PM and charges ¥10,000 with meals
Tools
Plan Your Trek
The jtreks research digest
Get the Japanese Alps research before you book anything.
One email every couple of weeks with new articles, price updates, permit changes, and the stuff agencies won't tell you. Every claim sourced.
Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.