The Shinetsu Trail
The Shinetsu Trail was orginally a 80km, eight day hike that goes across the mountains from Nagano into Niigata, that now ends in Naeba. The entire trail is now around 110km long. It is one of the few long uninterrupted trails that can be hiked in Japan. You can do the whole trail, or just choose certain sections of the trail at your leisure.
The Shinetsu Trail runs over the ridges of the Sekida Mountains at about 1,000m above sea level, forming the boundary between Nagano and Niigata Prefectures. It is long and undulating with few really steep areas, which make it perfect for beginner to intermediate hikers. The trail is dotted with lodges and places to eat so that there is no need to hike with tents and heavy equipment. It takes 9 days and 8 nights to hike all courses with accommodation, but can take as little as 5 days if your style is to go fast with a tent.
The Sekida Mountains are blessed with a rich ecosystem marked by Japanese beech-tree forests. Historically, there were 16 passages connecting Nagano with Niigata (traditionally called Shinano and Echigo) through the mountains, and these trails were used for carrying salt and sea-products from Niigata, and Uchiyama paper and mustard seed oil from Nagano.
The famous Niigata warlord Kenshin Uesugi is said to have led tens of thousands of his men through these passages to fight the epic Battles of Kawanakajima against the great Nagano warlord Takeda Shingen. These battles are legendary in Japan.
The Shinetsu Trail runs over the ridges of the Sekida Mountains at about 1,000m above sea level, forming the boundary between Nagano and Niigata Prefectures. It is long and undulating with few really steep areas, which make it perfect for beginner to intermediate hikers. The trail is dotted with lodges and places to eat so that there is no need to hike with tents and heavy equipment. It takes 9 days and 8 nights to hike all courses with accommodation, but can take as little as 5 days if your style is to go fast with a tent.
The Sekida Mountains are blessed with a rich ecosystem marked by Japanese beech-tree forests. Historically, there were 16 passages connecting Nagano with Niigata (traditionally called Shinano and Echigo) through the mountains, and these trails were used for carrying salt and sea-products from Niigata, and Uchiyama paper and mustard seed oil from Nagano.
The famous Niigata warlord Kenshin Uesugi is said to have led tens of thousands of his men through these passages to fight the epic Battles of Kawanakajima against the great Nagano warlord Takeda Shingen. These battles are legendary in Japan.
