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outdoors (Page 6)

The conditions are just right to surround Takeda Castle with a sea of clouds.

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We visit Japan’s “cave of death,” said to end the life of those who dream of it

Will this be Mr. Sato’s last adventure?

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Mr. Sato visits the mystical atmosphere of Japan’s Yabuzuka Quarry Ruins

Our reporter ventures deep into the heartlands of Japan to find this hidden landmark.

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Airbnb listing in Japan reveals travel destination with exclusive use of huge private island

Sleep in a traditional Japanese house while surrounded by rice paddies, beaches, tree-houses, zip lines and a lighthouse on your very own private island.

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Japan’s “Gap Tent” for solo campers fits just about anywhere, weighs almost nothing

Clever design even takes into account how to keep you entertained during those long, lonely nights.

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Cool Japanese X-shaped four-person tent lets you and your friends camp together, sleep separately

Single-person sleeping areas connected by a common space give you a living room in the great outdoors.

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Cool, super-absorbent handkerchief maps keeping Japanese hikers dry and on-course

There are a few things you’ll want to make sure you have before setting out on a long hike. Proper footwear is a must, for example, as is a sufficient supply of water.

Especially if you’re heading into the mountains of Japan during the summer months, a hand towel is something else you’ll definitely want to have with you. The high humidity means you’ll be working up quite a sweat, and having something to wipe yourself off will go a long way towards making your day outdoors more enjoyable.

Of course, even more so than being drenched in sweat, getting lost is an easy way to ruin your day out. Thankfully there’s now a way to prevent both of those problems with a towel that doubles as a map.

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It’s no secret that Japan is a hard-working society. Thankfully, there are a few times each year when more or less the whole country goes on vacation for a few days. There’s the string of holidays collectively known as Golden Week in early May, plus o-bon in August where people traditionally head back to their home towns, spend time with their relatives, and pay a visit to the graves of their ancestors.

However, there’s not much to stem the flow of work or school responsibilities between those two blissful periods, except for the oasis of Umi no Hi, or Marine/Sea Day, on the third Monday in July, which encourages people to take a trip to the beach and splash about in the sea.

Of course, this leaves June without a holiday of its own. And while Marine Day is great for people living in the coastal regions of Japan, residents of the country’s eight landlocked prefectures feel understandably left out. Thankfully, a group in mountainous Tochigi Prefecture has a solution to both problems.

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