I don’t have a full-length article for you today, but I do have a recommended article I’m certain you will enjoy, and a photo essay from spring for you.
First up: Read this and thank me later.
While you’re at it, go pre-order the upcoming book (I already have)!
Photo Essay: Autumn is by far the best season for hiking in Japan.
But spring is a close second.
Summer is great if you can escape the heat by getting to the higher mountains. Winter is of course its own type of fun.
In autumn you have the changing leaves to enjoy, as well as the milder weather.
Spring has the mild weather too. However, with spring, not all of the mountains are open due to lingering snow. That’s the main downside of hiking in Spring, you may have to wait a bit to even be able to get to your choice of mountain. And that’s why autumn is better.
One of the things I like about hiking in Spring is the specific pale green hues on the trees. It is especially beautiful when contrasted with the pink of the mountain cherry blossoms.
Like this:
Here are some photos of spring in Yamagata for you






Daily Yamabushi for The Week
Daily yamabushi posts for the week of May 23 to 29, 2025.
Read Daily Yamabushi at timbunting.com/blog. Everything I make is free of charge if you know where to find it. I’d start here.
Absolutely gorgeous photos, thank you for sharing. And I can't wait for Hiroko's book to be released. I must pre-order it too.
Beautiful, beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing. I don't know if I could follow you on those trails, though. Getting old...