Hiking the tough Daisetsuzan Grand Traverse (Daisetsuzan National Park, Hokkaido, Japan)
September 11th 2008 (Day 160 on the road)I finally had the hiking experience I had been looking for for such a long time - the Daisetsuzan Grand Traverse, from Asahi-dake onsen to Shirogane onsen. Up north in Japan on Hokkaido island, in the remote national park of Daisetsuzan, I spent five full days hiking of and camping in almost complete solitude. The trek is challenging and long, and temperatures dropped t
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In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure its power. For 250 years this policy enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Fol... ... read more 
