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December 2009
It's 23 December, a national holiday in Japan. The Emperor's Birthday. The black trucks of the nationalists are out polluting the streets of Tokyo with their noisy exhortations. Yesterday the Christians were out in force with their van and loudspeakers in the Ginza. What's the world coming to? Rest assured that at least Hike Japan plods quietly on, giving those who join our tours insights into the quieter, more attractive sides of life here.
It's been a good year for Hike Japan and for me personally as, in between tours, I've been busy translating a book. Miracle Apples ( Kiseki no Ringo in Japanese) is about Akinori Kimura, a farmer living in Aomori Prefecture, and his life and death struggle to grow apples organically. He eventually succeeded, against all the odds. I tasted one of his apples the other day. The flesh was firm and it had a more intense flavour than most apples you get here.
One of the sadder memories of 2009 will be the disaster on Tomoraushi Peak on Daisetsuzan in Hokkaido in July. A total of ten people, mostly on a guided hike organized by the Japanese travel company with the unlikely name Amuse Travel, died from hypothermia after a severe cold front swept in and vicious winds blasted the plateau. I've spoken to the government Tourism Bureau and many guides here. Lessons must be learned, and action taken in Japan, with a view to improving mountain training and standards generally.
The strong yen has had an impact on inbound tourism this year. The government remains remarkably upbeat about its targets, which must surely be based on an anticipated invasion by Chinese tourists.
Meanwhile Hike Japan quietly takes one step at a time on its quest to explore Japan and increase accessibility to what makes it such a special place, from the sacred forests to the highest peaks and most remote islands and headlands.
All our groups this year were, for the first time, composed of friends who knew each other well, families, or couples.
In 2010 we are introducing two new itineraries, Slow Trains to Kyoto , which features gentle walking and fine accommodation in a little visited but extraordinarily beautiful region of Japan, and Wildlife Japan- Hokkaido . The latter will be led by wildlife photographer and researcher Tomonobu Akiyama (currently in Hunza, Pakistan, searching for snow leopard).
The May Imperial Pilgrimage Route tour is fully booked, but the autumn tour has spaces available. I am adapting the itinerary in 2010 to take advantage of a kind invitation from a Shugendo mountain priest, a good personal friend and a star on our tours, to lead us on local walks exploring the area around his village and to spend longer at his home. Others who have done the tour always remark on these days as a being one of the highlights. The closing of the temple accommodation at Nachi Falls has also made me rethink and improve this bit of the IPR itinerary.
We have also been asked to research a tour for someone with a disability which means he has to travel using a wheelchair. Careful planning is being done and I hope the tour will take place in spring 2011.
After six years of leading most of the tours myself, I am now using more English-speaking Japanese guides. Hike Japan has a good relationship with some of the best guides in the country and will continue to run innovative and enjoyable tours.
Bob Heffill, Principal, Hike Japan
Where have we come from?
The first Hike Japan tour - the Imperial Pilgrimage Route - was in November 2003. Then we had a SARS epidemic and the Gulf War. Not a great time to start a travel business! Step by step we have grown, though, and I'm happy to say celebrated five years in business with the West Japan Explorer tour in November 2008. At the end of 2008 there was a global financial crisis. This has resulted in a strong yen and what could be a challenging year for operators in the inbound travel market in 2009. We've climbed all the obstacles in our path so far, however, and with new developments around the corner for Hike Japan, I am sure we will continue to maintain our position as the leading adventure walking company in Japan.
2008 was Hike Japan's best year so far. We kicked off the year in March with a fundraising trek event for the Dublin-based charity Fighting Blindness. Surviving happily in Japan is something of a challenge in itself, but the natural hot springs along the 60 kilometre mountain route helped relax tired muscles. Liam, one of the trekkers, wrote
Japan is located on the Pacific ring of fire, at the juncture of three of the worlds moving tectonic plates. Earthquakes and tsunami occur regularly but it 's not all doom and gloom. So do natural hot springs. They say a good idea stretches the mind such that it never fully returns to its original shape. Relaxing in a volcanic hot spring can be mind altering.
There was a wide range of abilities on the charity trek, but the strongest walkers in the group - as often seems to be the case - proved to be the keenest drinkers. We drank the small village of Chikatsuyu dry! The Shugendo priest and the fire ceremony - where invocations were made to the mountain gods - might well have had something to do with it, but everyone succeeded and had a brilliant time. With over twenty members in the group, I understand that a good amount was raised to support research into intractable eye diseases.
All the other tours in 2008 ran successfully, including the tailor-made Mountains of Central Japan tour for 11 Ukrainians in July. I'm also happy to report that we had a good number of children along with the grown-ups on tours in 2008.
Having a branch office in Tokyo has proved invaluable. Opened two years ago, the Hike Japan office was a stepping stone to Japan. Being based in the UK for the three years prior to having a local base meant constantly having to fly between London and Tokyo. Organizing and running tours has been much easier during the last two years as we are now in-country. Building on the knowledge and skills we have acquired, the next step is to establish a Japanese company.
Where are we going?
As well as continuing to run a wider range of walking tours for overseas groups, the new business aims to introduce a new range of tours and other consulting services to the Japanese market. Essential to our success will be the integrity and quality Hike Japan has always maintained.
We succeed because we employ professional guides of the highest standard, use carefully selected accommodation - from family-run inns to five star hotels, offer far better value than our competitors, ensuring that local, often rural, communities, we visit, benefit directly from the business we bring. We make an effort to meet and spend time with as many local people on our tours as possible. We must be doing things right as clients often return. Some have travelled with us three times.
The mountains and network of mountain huts in Japan provide limitless opportunities for some of the best mountain walking in the world. There is also great potential for gentler walks in rural areas and in the cities. Walks in these areas, staying in traditional accommodation with natural hot springs, enjoying delicious local food, is a winning formula for great tours. Our groups have always been from overseas, but we are now looking forward to having non-Japanese living and working here, as well Japanese clients, in our groups. Mixing Japanese and overseas clients could mean more dynamic and memorable experiences for everyone.