The easiest hikes in Japan, by the numbers
Of the 46 trails in Japan in our dataset, 9 (20 percent) rate easiest on the gain-and-distance scale we use, run 1 to 6 miles and climb 500 ft or less; all 9 are listed here, lowest rating first.
Senjogahara Trail has the lowest rating: 55 ft of gain over 1.5 miles, 37 ft per mile.
Across the 9, gain runs from 54 to 423 ft and distance from 1.1 miles to 5.7 miles; the median gain is 167 ft and the median distance 4 miles.
8 of the 9 are out-and-back routes; the rest are loop (1).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Senjogahara TrailNikkō NP | 1.5 | 55 | 37 | 8% | 4,573 to 4,688 | 12.8 | |
| 2 | Philosopher's Walk | 1.1 | 127 | 115 | 2% | 240 to 292 | 16.7 | |
| 3 | KFT - K5 - Inamuragasaki iso zutai no michi | 3.9 | 54 | 14 | 8% | 4 to 72 | 20.5 | |
| 4 | Shikoku Pilgrimage 33rd Sekkei-ji - 34th Tanema-ji | 4 | 78 | 20 | 6% | -3 to 105 | 25 | |
| 5 | Shikoku Pilgrimage 29th Tosa Kokubun-ji - 30th Zenraku-ji | 4.4 | 167 | 38 | 10% | 16 to 207 | 38.3 | |
| 6 | Mount Zao | 2.4 | 423 | 176 | 35% | 5,463 to 6,030 | 45.1 | |
| 7 | Kamikochi TrailNagano Prefecture Kamikochi | 4.4 | 236 | 54 | 13% | 4,946 to 5,082 | 45.6 | |
| 8 | Shikoku Pilgrimage 32nd Zenjibu-ji - 33rd Sekkei-ji | 5.1 | 213 | 42 | 19% | -4 to 256 | 46.6 | |
| 9 | Shikoku Pilgrimage 28th Dainichi-ji - 29th Tosa Kokubun-ji | 5.7 | 194 | 34 | 21% | 33 to 262 | 47 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band easiest (under 50), 1 to 6 miles, no more than 500 ft of gain, ordered by rating asc, miles asc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "Japan" here means the 46 trails in Japan in our dataset, not every trail in Japan.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Senjogahara Trail.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other countries in our dataset.