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katakanadian
Mon Jan 04, 2010 8:06 pm

Re: Hiking in Japan [E]
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Hi! I tried to look at your Tozai Trek website and it was extremely slow loading (i.e. several minutes) so you might want to look at what is making it slow. I'm using Safari 4.0.2.

I've only done a few day hikes in Japan myself but I have traveled pretty extensively by train, bus, car, and bicycle. Virtually no where would I say the mountains and forest appear "almost virgin". As I understand almost the entire country was logged within the last 150 years. Isn't the Shirakami region the only virgin forest left? The main reason (AFAIK) there is so much forested space now is that it's cheaper to import wood (and cause ecological damage elsewhere) than to cut Japanese trees which also leads to the enormous allergy problems in Japan during pollen season.

I remember during a tour in New Zealand that some of my fellow passengers were exclaiming that the forest looked like a place where Elves would live (i.e. it looked pure and ancient to them). I said it appeared to be a tree farm which was confirmed by the tour leader. They were simply a bunch of Americans who had never seen a real forest.

On my next trip to Japan I plan to spend more time in Touhoku and Hokkaidou and do more hiking but I have few expectations for wilderness that appears untouched. That's OK. I'm beyond romanticizing Japan. It will still be enjoyable.