Hiking in Japan? Yes, you can

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Japan's Shin-etsu Trail - easily accessible from Iiyama station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo - runs for 80 kilometres along the Sekida Mountain ridge, which makes up part of the border between Nagano and Niigata Prefectures on the main island of Honshu.

Abundant with earthy, elevated delights this trail offers hikers inspirational scenery and a heightened sense of awareness of the world around them.

The mountain range is cloaked by a sprawling forest of ancient beech trees and the hard-packed soil underfoot makes for easy walking. There are views of mountain streams and waterfalls, banks of snow left behind after winter, and colourful camellia trees blooming reddish flowers. Hikers seeking plentiful nature will be delighted by the Shin-etsu Trail as its forest is best known for its beech trees, the most ancient of which are over 400 years old. These tall, well-shaped trees alongside the path act as a virtual "green dam" that stores vast quantities of water and protects the mountains from erosion and landslides.

Hiking can be an almost mystical experience, and mountains and forests especially are often associated with spirits and considered to be places of enlightenment.

This hike is a modern example of Japanese mountain asceticism, known as shugendo, whose followers stress physical endurance as the path to enlightenment – including sitting or standing under icy mountain waterfalls or in deep snow. They also set up wood or stone markers along mountain trails, and along the trail there's a stone monument called Taishoujin-ato showing that in the 16th century a warlord called Kenshin led his men through the area on his way to the Battle of Kawanakajima.

Not every hike has to be a wilderness experience; the people you meet along the way can be as enriching as the nature. Although you can camp along the Shin-etsu Trail, a more rewarding experience may be staying in a local minshuku down in the Iiyama Valley. (Minshuku are family-operated, Japanese-style bed and breakfasts that offer trekkers the opportunity to meet local families and experience the traditional lifestyle.)

Many hiking misfortunes are the result of walkers pushing themselves too far and too hard so it's important to walk within your limits. Shin-etsu offers treks for beginners and seasoned walkers at various levels of fitness. And the minshuku owners will often be happy to drive you to and from the appropriate trail heads, which means you can also make day trips up to the trail.