Camping high up in Japan’s Southern Alps, not a bad view to wake up to #japan #hiking #mtfuji #landscapes

A big bend on the 196km-long Shimanto-gawa in Kochi Prefecture, Japan’s longest river with no major dams

Found a juvenile aodaisho (Japanese rat snake) curled up in the persimmon tree today, a good place to escape the rain #japan #wildlifephotography #nature

Feeling reflective at Taisho-ike, one of the most scenic spots along the Azusa River at Kamikochi #japan #mountains #outdoors #landscapes

I used to consider myself a 晴れ男 (guy who brings sunny weather), but the heavy rain has followed me from Shikoku back to Kyoto. The local river is completely overflowing this morning

The view from my hotel room in Shikoku is distracting me from the important task of watching the World Cup

The tiny alpine resort of Kamikochi in the Japan Alps has become a tourist hotspot in recent years, but few visitors see the valley from high vantage points such as this

Capturing the shadow from the summit of Mt. Fuji (3776m) #japan #hiking #mountains

There is talk of introducing entry fees for visitors to Kamikochi, the tiny and picturesque mountain resort in the Japan Alps. I don’t mind that much, but I do wish hut & camping prices would return to pre-Covid levels - ¥4000 to camp and ¥16,000 for a night in a hut is a joke

Sunrise from high on ridge in Japan’s North Alps

Ideally I’d spend most of the Japanese summer high up in the alpine zone at around 3000 metres…

The front garden is suddenly looking a bit wild, need to tidy it up a bit this weekend #japan #garden

Climb any big mountain in central Honshu and there’s a good chance that Mt Fuji will be visible somewhere in the distance… #japan #mountains #nature #hiking

Hikers gather below the spear-like summit of Mt. Yarigatake (3180m), arguably the most iconic peak of the Japan Alps

The highest mountain in Japan (Mt Fuji, 3776m) looms behind the 4th highest mountain in Japan (Mt Aino, 3190m) at sunrise

Mt Fuji from high up in Japan’s Southern Alps

Mountain hut high above Hakuba, in the North Japan Alps

Traipsing up Japan’s most famous permanent snow patch, the Daisekkei, on Mt. Shirouma (2,932m) which towers above the popular ski-town of Hakuba

June in Japan is the month of frogs, fireflies and leeches - if you plan to do any hiking in this season (especially in damp areas near streams) be especially careful of the latter

High up in the tea fields above the matcha-producing town of Wazuka, southern Kyoto

If you ever wondered how to dispose of an old skip

Nice evening for a wander through the local rice fields

A ‘one-man’ train trundles through the rice fields of rural southern Kyoto

Hello again Matsumoto Castle. Nicknamed the ‘crow castle’, this is one of only 12 castles in Japan with its original feudal-era tenshu (castle keep) still intact.

Flat lands and mountains in rural Shiga

A few snaps from around the garden while trying to avoid melting in the heat today #birdwatching

After a long and tiring day in the city, it’s always nice to come back home to the countryside

Early morning high in the mountains of Niigata

It’s May and summer is not that far away, but some fairly large swathes of Hokkaido have seen a bit of snowfall today and this evening (red on map) #japan

Biggest earthquake I’ve felt in three years of living in this old house just now; rocked and creaked like an old wooden ship at sea, but she’s still sailing

Some of the wildlife I’ve spotted around, and in the case of the Japanese macaque, on my house this week

Spring scenes in rural Kyoto

It’s a beautiful and warm spring day in rural Kyoto. Plan to spend a few hours in the forest, where the bamboo shoots have just started to emerge

Back in Japan just in time to catch the last of the (falling) cherry blossom at the local shrine…

Getting ready for spring - preparing some beds for planting, harvesting the shiitake mushrooms (before the monkeys get to them) and organising my remaining firewood

After a bizarrely mild weekend with loads of snow melt, it thankfully feels a little bit more wintery in Hokkaido today

Nice day up on this great little peak between Otaru/Yoichi. Crazy temperatures for February though, feels more like the end of spring!

I love how in Japan there can often be a stark difference in microclimates from one valley to the next. The snow has already melted in my area of Kyoto, but took the bus 20mins to the next valley over and it’s still like a winter wonderland.

Leave Otaru for a couple of weeks and come back to a half buried house

At the summit of Asahi-dake, Hokkaido’s highest peak, in mid-winter

A safe winter refuge in Daisetsuzan, the roof of Hokkaido

Back in frosty and chilly rural Kyoto - much less snow than Hokkaido, but morning temperatures are often not so different!

Spent new year in Otaru, mostly shoveling snow

Otaru looking picture perfect

Spending the festive season up at my place in snowy Otaru, enjoying the snow life

My favourite Kyoto autumn leaf spot, a lovely little bridge near my house where I never see anyone - the best autumn spots are not usually the crowded popular ones

Cold but sunny start to the three-day weekend at home in countryside Kyoto, have a good one everyone!

Glorious day for yard work in rural Kyoto. Also had a surprise harvest of shiitake mushrooms!

Chance of seeing the aurora if you’re in Hokkaido tonight or tomorrow

My persimmon trees are in overdrive this year, after a rather barren spell last year