Overview of climbing areas

Guidebooks

• フリークライミング 日本100岩場" (Free climbing japan, 100 rocks) - 4 volumes:
  • [フリークライミング日本100岩場1 北海道・東北 増補改訂版](フリークライミング日本100岩場1 北海道・東北 増補改訂版): Volume 1, covering all of Tohoku area and Hokkaido (Yamadera, Misaki, Samuraihama, Hyoutan Cave, etc).
  • フリークライミング日本100岩場 2 関東: Volume 2 covering the Kanto area (Kogashiyama, Shiobara boulder, Shimonita boulder, Kasama, etc)
  • フリークライミング　日本100岩場 3 伊豆・甲信 : Volume 3 covering the Izu/Koshin area (Ogawayama, Jogasaki, etc)
  • フリークライミング 日本100岩場 4 東海・関西: Volume 4 covers the Tokai/Kansai area (South Japan)
• Mizugaki Climbing Guidebook - English Edition: This is the most well-made guidebook I've ever seen, it has it all. From stunning professional pictures, well-drawn access maps complemented with pictures of key landmarks and accurate descriptions, history of climbing in Mizugaki well placed in the context of climbing developments around the world, and most importantly, a great selections of routes that can keep you busy for a lifetime! The Japanese version has two volumes and covers more routes and crags, but the selection here is excellent and won't let you down.
• Mizugaki Bouldering Area Guide (Japanese and English): Excellent bouldering guidebook with high quality pictures and easy to understand access maps.
• Ogawayama Bouldering Area Guide

General guidelines

• Best season is typically spring and autumn. Summer is far too warm and humid (your best bet is Mizugaki/Ogawayama due to their high elevation), and in winter is usually too cold and snowy (ice climbing is great though).
• Toproping on fixed gear is usually not acceptable. Build your own anchor for toprope.
• Anchors are of various quality: from the omnipresent american death triangle on a bunch of slings from the last millenia to bomber chained anchors on glue-in bolts. In most areas there will be two carabiners that you can clip for lowering, but sometimes rings are used instead.
• Bolts vary in quality. You can find anything from old ringbolts, rusty 6mm bolts, to bomber 12mm expansion bolts or glue-ins. Sometimes all within the same area.
• Be respectful, leave no trace, replace fixed gear when damaged, respect the local rules (notably on parking)
• Bouldering: You can generally use other's crashpad if they're already placed on a boulder you want to climb (just ask).

Mizugaki (みずがき山)

• Prefecture: Yamanashi
• Access: Mizugakiyamashizen Koen Camping Ground
• Accomodation: Campground or you can sleep in your car in the free parking lot in front
• Access fee: Free
• Style: Trad multipich, sport multipitch, trad and sport single pitch, bouldering
• Rock type: Granite
• Guidebook: The Mizugaki guidebook is excellent, please refer to it for futher inspiration and all the information you will ever need for climbing in Mizugaki!
• Best period: Spring and Autumn. However due to its high elevation above 1600m, it is one of the best areas to survive climbing during the hot summer months. Winter is tricky, as temperatures are cold, and the access road to the main parking area is closed due to snow, which adds about a kilometer of walking.

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Ogawayama (小川山)

• Prefecture: Yamanashi/Nagano border
• Access: Mawarimedaira Camping Ground
• Accomodation: Campground (website). No need for reservation there is more than enough space for everyone. You can arrive at anytime, simply take a ticket at the automated gate, set up your tent and go pay the next morning with your ticket. Be careful that if you wish to leave the campground and come back (for a supermarket run for instance), you'll need to get the staff at the hut to validate your ticket so that you can get out. If for some reason you need to leave during the night, be sure you've asked them beforehand or you'll be stuck inside!
• Access fee: 500yen/day/person to be paid at the Hut at the entrance (you can use the basic campground facilities such as water).
• Style: Single-pitch sport and trad, multipitch, bouldering
• Rock type: Granite
• Guidebook: Unfortunately there is no dedicated guidebook to Ogawayama's sport climbing yet, although one is rumored to be under development. Refer to the "free climbing japan vol 2" or ogawayama.online. For bouldering: Ogawayama Bouldering Area Guide
• Best period: Same as Mizugaki. In the winter the campground is closed and the road is proabably inaccessible (at least from the lower campground gate).

Campfire at Mawarimedaira Camping Ground

Francesco trying hard in a 5.13b in Godzilla Iwa

Mara Budgen on a classic 5.12a in Godzilla Iwa

Helicopter rescue in Maraiwa

Nap time in Mara-iwa

The classic Ogawayama Layback

Futagoyama (二子山)

• Prefecture: Yamanashi
• Access: Futagoyama Parking Lot. Walk up the hiking trail until you reach a small col, the climbing areas are a few hundred meters down on the other side of that col. Going down on the left is the main overhanging wall for which Futagoyama is famous, on the right is other areas such as Candle Rock and the Central Arete.
• Accomodation: It is not recommended to stay in the Futagoyama parking lot at the trailhead. You can stay at a michi no eki down the road (here) or one of the nearby campgrounds.
• Access fee: Free
• Style: Mostly hard limestone sport climbing. Some multipitch.
• Rock type: Limestone
• Guidebook: "free climbing japan vol 2", althought it is missing a lot of the recently developed routes.
• Best period: Spring and Autumn. Also suitable for rainy days.

Candle Rock - Futagoyama

Candle Rock - Futagoyama

Candle Rock - Futagoyama

Candle Rock - Futagoyama

Misty Day in the overhangs at Futagoyama

Yamadera

• Prefecture: Yamagata
• Access: Take the forest road on the left here and drive up the dirt road until you cross a small bridge and reach a large parking area (about here). Park, the trailhead is on the other side of the bridge on your left. Take the path going to the right until you reach a ridge with a clear view of the rock face on your left. Follow the trail up to it.
• Accomodation:
  • Yamadera parking lot (remote, no internet, no facilities, river water not recommended for drinking)
  • 駐車場: Large free parking lot behind the 道の駅 寒河江 (Road Station Sagae Cherry Land). Next to the river, no lights, quiet.
• Crag GPS: 38°17'39.4"N 140°28'23.1"E
• Access fee: Free
• Style: Sport
• Guidebook: "free climbing japan vol 1"
• Best period: Spring and Autumn. Inacessible in winter due to snow (the long logging road is not cleared)

Misaki (三崎公)

• Prefecture: Akita/Yamagata border
• Access: Parking. Walk along the coast path until you reach the small lighthouse. A few meters further down, there is a small climbers path leading down to the right towards the cliff edge through the vegetation (pay attention, it's barely noticeable). About a dozen meter down the path you'll find fixed ropes that will lead you all the way to the bottom of the cliffs.
• Accomodation: Campground or you can sleep in your car in the free parking lot in front
• Access fee: Free
• Style: Seaside climbing with mostly sport single pitch, some trad.
• Difficulty: Mostly 5.11 and above. A few easier routes.
• Rock type: Basalt (Volcanic)
• Guidebook: "free climbing japan vol 1"
• Best period: Spring and Autumn. During the rainy season and summer months it is far too humid for climbing (great for swimming though). In winter rough sea typically prevents access.

Evening light over Misaki area

Waves crashing on the shoreline right next to the cliffs!

Lighthouse watching over Misaki

Hakucho - 11a

Nap time!

Overview of the cliff

Overview of the cliff

Overview of the cliff

Overview of the cliff

Samuraihama (侍浜)

• Prefecture: Iwate
• Access: There is no official parking lot, but you can park around here on the side of the road. Follow the path leading to the Yokonuma Observatory. There is a crag directly under the observatory. The other main area is about a hundred meters further to the left (40°15'45.3"N 141°49'11.5"E).
• Accomodation:
  • Campground 北侍浜野営場 (Kitasamuraihama Camp Field). There is a free parking lot in front of it that you can use for car camping (with access to water and restrooms).
• Access fee: Free
• Style: Seaside climbing. Single pitch sport and trad climbing
• Difficulty: All levels
• Guidebook: "free climbing japan vol 1"
• Best period: Spring and Autumn. Less humid than Misaki. In winter rough sea typically prevents access.

Hyoutan Cave (ひょうたんケイブ)

• Prefecture: Iwate
• Access: Park here. A dozen meter down the road, there is a faint trail on the left side, just after a road miror. Follow it, cross the river and keep following it until you reach the cave (39°51'24.0"N 141°48'53.5"E.
• Accomodation:
  • Ryusendo Seishonen Ryokomura Campground or the free parking lot in front
  • Ryusendo Onsen Hotel
• Access fee: Free
• Style: Hard limestone climbing in a giant cave.
• Difficulty: Mostly 5.11c and above. A few easier routes for warm up but much less interesting.
• Guidebook: "free climbing japan vol 1"
• Best period: Spring and Autumn. Suitable for rainy days, although water will eventually sip through the roof.

Hyoutan Cave

5.12b

Kameya - 5.11c

5.11d

Kuroiwa

• Prefecture: Gunma, close to Lake Haruna.
• Access: Park in the small parking lot next to a big hairpin curve of the road (here). Walk up the slope at the apex of the hairpin towards the visible cliff.
• Accomodation: I highly recommend the nearby "Climber's Chalet" of the Kokusai Climbing Club (location) managed by my good friend and rock climbing guide James Miller.
• Best period: Spring and Autumn. Accessible but cold in winter.
• Style: Mostly sport climbing, some trad, possibility of multipitch (although currently poorly developped).

Suzuri-iwa

• Prefecture: Gunma, close to Lake Haruna and Kuroiwa crag.
• Access: Park at the 無料駐車場 parking lot. The trailhead is about 50m further up the road on the left. Follow the path for about 200-300m to reach the top of the cliff. If you cut accross the slope to the right just before the wooden steps of the final climb, you'll reach the bottom of the cliff instead.
• Accomodation: Same as for Kuroiwa
• Best period: Spring and Autumn. Accessible but cold in winter.
• Style: This crag hasn't seen much activity for quite a long while, and being in the woods, it is generally quite mossy/dirty. Still there are some interesting lines to be done, in particular some enjoyable trad crack climbs, such as Close the Door (5.10b), see for yourself:

Shiobara Boulder

• Prefecture: Tochigi
• Access: Park at the 観光無料駐車場 parking lot. Walk past the ENEOS gas station and find a way down to the left above the road barriers before the highball with a bridge.
• Accomodation: You can sleep in your car in the parking lot. Restroom available.
• Access fee: Free
• Style: Face climbing
• Guidebook: "free climbing japan vol 2"
• Best period: Spring and Autumn. Accessible but cold in winter.

Shimonita boulder

• Prefecture: Gunma
• Access: Park here. As there is limited amount of parking space, it is recommended to car-share. You can leave extra cars at the nearby 道の駅 しもにた. Walk down to the river side.
• Style: Easy to hard limestone bouldering with good flat landing.
• Guidebook: "free climbing japan vol 2". You can find more information and an online topo here (Japanese only)

Maruyama (Toaru)

• Prefecture: Ibaraki
• Access: The main crag is located here: 36°17'24.6"N 140°09'18.3"E, just after wind turbines and a small shrine. There are boulders along the road leading up to it. If you go there on weekends it is likely that you'll find people there.
• Guidebook: None. There is a private facebook group that you can join to get information from the locals. If you're interested in climbing there contact me, and I'll introduce you (this was my local crag for over a year).
• Style: Short sport routes and bouldering
• Rock type: Granite
• Best period: Spring, Autumn, Winter. Too warm and humid in the summer, and mosquitoes are annoying.

Kasama Boulder

• Prefecture: Ibaraki
• Access: Park at 千人溜駐車場
• Guidebook: There is a great online guidebook. Alternatively you can try using "free climbing japan vol 2" (good luck).
• Best period: Spring, Autumn, Winter. Too warm and humid in the summer, and mosquitoes/spiders are annoying.

Other interesting areas

• Kogashiyama (Tochigi): Main sport climbing crag in Tochigi
• Saku (Nagano): Sport and trad climbing
• Jogasaki coastline (Izu): Sport and trad climbing on volcanic rock along the seaside
• Makuiwa (Kanagawa): Closest crag to Tokyo, some boulder and sport climbing