Finding Her Own Path - JET Alum Celebrates Mountain Day
JET alum Sarah Wada (Niigata 2017-2020) reminisces on her time hiking the mountains of Japan and explains how she began the hiking group Niigata Hikers.
August 11th is Mountain Day in Japan. It is the third holiday celebrating nature and is Japan’s newest holiday—fitting for a country in which mountains occupy about 70% of the landmass and with over 12,955 named mountains (about 60 of which are active volcanoes).
The addition of Mountain Day brought the total number of public holidays in Japan to 16—more than any other member of the G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US). The holiday was made official largely due to lobbying by conservationists and hiking groups.
According to a study by the Statistics Bureau of Japan, nearly 10% of the population in Japan participates in hiking or mountain climbing. And with many JETs located in mountainous areas of the country, it comes as no surprise that hiking is a popular activity in the JET community as well, with some prefectures even creating their own hiking groups.
One such example is Niigata Hikers. Embodying the adage of “friends that sweat together stay together,” Niigata Hikers is a group dedicated to forging friendships while exploring the mountains of Echigo.
Members of Niigata Hikers enjoy a sunset on top of Mt. Yahiko.
Photo: Ryuto Ito
JET alum Sarah Wada (Niigata 2017-2020) formed the group during her time as an ALT in Tsubame, Niigata mostly out of her own desire to explore the beautiful mountains she looked up at every day with friends. Initially, she was primarily focused on inviting other JETs on her hikes, but as time went on the group grew. Soon friends of JETs and some JTEs started attending hikes as well. Today, the group has grown to over 150 members and is made up of JETs, JTEs, exchange students, other foreign residents of Niigata, and many local Japanese citizens.
Hiking on smaller mountains sometimes leads to unexpected obstacles.
Photo: Valerie Spreeman
In her time post-JET, Sarah has continued to hike—admitting that hiking played a considerable role in helping her deal with all the stresses of moving back home, especially amid a turbulent job market and a worldwide pandemic. But she has noticed some differences between hiking cultures in the US and Japan.
“In the US, I find many people are focused on hiking for speed or as a form of exercise, and the trails—while well maintained—tend to be super busy with no parking. But in Japan, I found people hike more for relaxation and to appreciate the outdoors. I remember always being amazed by the amount of elderly people on the trails just out for a stroll.”
Sarah stated that hiking in Japan gave her more of an appreciation for nature and has helped her focus on staying in the moment while on the trail—as opposed to counting steps or logging trails onto Strava. And she highly encourages all new JETs or JET alumni heading back to Japan for a visit to get out and explore some of the lesser-known mountains.
“Hiking is a great way to travel, see the country, and take it slow. The historical and touristy spots are great, but I have found that you get to appreciate Japan's geography and natural beauty so much more on the mountains. Plus, local residents are often super excited to see foreigners on the mountains.”
More often than not fellow hikers would strike up a conversation with members of Niigata Hikers and were curious about who they were and why they were in Niigata of all places. There have been multiple instances where other hikers have shared trail tips, onsen recommendations, and even their bento with members of Niigata Hikers.
Sarah Wada (far left) and other members on Niigata Hikers on the group’s first hike.
Photo: Sarah Wada
Since finding trail information in English on smaller and lesser-known mountains can be difficult, Niigata Hikers has developed an online trail map. The map has coordinates to trailheads as well as information about the difficulty, estimated hiking time, parking availability, and whether or not the mountain has restrooms—important information for those unfamiliar with the area.
As Niigata Hikers continues to grow, the group has plans to enter into orienteering competitions and cross prefectural borders to hike Mt. Fuji. But as for Sarah Wada, if given the opportunity to return to Japan, she plans to stick to the less famous mountains of Echigo and Tohoku.
