From tearing up the slopes in Hokkaido to snorkelling with schools of tropical fish in Okinawa, Japan is packed with adventure from head to toe.
Japan may not be the first country that comes to mind when it comes to adventure, but make no mistake about it: the Land of the Rising Sun could just as easily be called the Land of the Adventure.
Read on and you’ll think so too…
Here are nine adventures that will get your blood pumping in Japan.
1. Go bungy jumping!
Image Credit: Bungy Japan
Face your fear of heights in Japan and take a 62-metre plunge into a verdant valley in Sarugakyo Onsen.
If the highest bungee jump in the country is too high for you, make a beeline to nearby Tone-yawa at Minakami instead, where you can step off a 42-metre-high bridge into the waiting abyss.
2. Go skiing and snowboarding!
Tear up the slopes in Japan’s ski meccas in the country’s north and experience the country’s legendary powder snow and thrilling off-piste terrain. Or just stick to the groomed runs.
Whatever you choose, action and adrenaline are guaranteed!
3. Go canyoning!
Situated inside Nametoko Valley on southern Shikoku island, Forest Canyon has been attracting thrill-seekers for years, keen on zooming down a 40-metre natural water slide, abseiling down a roaring waterfall, and an amazing canyoning experience.
Join them!
4. Go scuba diving and snorkelling!
Head south to Okinawa and immerse yourself in Japan’s tropical waters teeming with colourful fish and historic WWII wreckage. Whether you don your scuba suit or snorkel set, an incredible underwater adventure awaits.
Or fly into Tokyo and head to the Ogasawara Islands, instead. Sure, they’re still a 25-hour boat ride away from the Japanese capital, but they’re UNESCO World Heritage-listed and prized by scuba divers all around the world.
5. Climb Mount Fuji!
Make a thigh-burning pilgrimage up Japan’s tallest and most revered mountain between July and early September and see the sunrise atop Mount Fuji.
Reachable in under three hours from Tokyo, summiting this symbol of national identity isn’t easy, but it sure is adventurous!
6. Go hiking!
Put on your boots and hike along one of Japan’s hundreds of stunning trails, such as through the remote mountains of UNESCO World Heritage-listed Shirakami Sanchi in Aomori and Akita, and the Kamikochi highlands in Nagano.
Along the way, you’ll be hiking past ancient temples and gushing streams under colourful Japanese maples.
7. Go cycling over islands!
Cycle over nine bridges linking six islands in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea and have a long-distance cycling adventure that will make all your mates insanely jealous back home.
Spanning 70-kilometres in total, the Shimanami Kaido road links Onomichi in Hiroshima on Honshu island to Imabari in Shikoku. apan’s Seto Inland SeaThe entire route can be done in a day or over multiple nights, staying in traditional inns (or ryokans) along the way.
8. Mountain bike on Mount Fuji!
Japan’s sacred mountain isn’t just a pretty face. At the base of this active volcano are several MTB trails that attract have attracted both local and foreign mountain bikers for decades.
Wear your helmet and race down these trails before cycling through the spectacular Five Lakes region that surrounds Fuji-san.
9. Go camping!
Spend a night in Japan’s great outdoors in a tent and get in touch with its incredible nature. There are over 3,000 campsites spread out through the country where you can go hiking through forests, kayaking on a lake, read a book under a blooming cherry blossom or just admire Japan’s incredible natural beauty.
The Higashi-Onuma camping site in Hokkaido is one of the most popular spots in the country, as is Wakasu Seaside Park site down in Kanto.
For more inspiration adventurous ideas to experience in Japan, visit the website here.
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