Sam Godin
Kodak Portra, 400, Kodak Ektachrome 100
these huts can be booked by hikers ahead of time
to ensure comfortable passage through the mountains
These mountain lodges have a range of accommodations from private rooms to sleeping shoulder to shoulder with fellow hikers. Some are open all year round while others close once the snow gets too deep
Some of the huts are pricey—costing as much as ¥17,000 (roughly $124 at the time of writing)—but many have tent spots that are a fraction of the price
One thing that all of these mountain huts have in common: they're the ideal way to visit some of Japan's most remarkable locations
Read on for a breakdown of 12 prominent mountain huts we recently visited
complete with original photography shot on 35mm film
Opened in 1921 and sitting on one of the most remarkable ridgelines in the Northern Japanese Alps
Enzan-so is one of the most well-known and popular lodges in the mountains of Japan
The lodge is situated at 2,700 meters (8,500 feet)
making it somewhat baffling to imagine people 100 years ago bringing up all the supplies to build it
Staying on the ridgeline allows for sunset views of Mount Yari across the valley
a peak that's known as "Japan’s Matterhorn.” There's ample tent space if you decide you want to camp instead of sleeping indoors
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In the remote and sparsely populated Japanese Alps, Mitsumata Lodge is considered to be in one of the region's "last frontiers.” The lodge is right between the prefectures of Nagano and Toyama and was constructed in 1926. They make a mean cup of coffee here to give you the push needed to climb Mount Washiba
There's also an area a short walk from the lodge where you can set up a tent
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the Miune Hut is an unmanned hut—which means there's no one to greet you when you arrive here aside from fellow hikers
The hut is not tended by staff and is purely open for use by those that need a place to stay at the top of the mountain
Stopping here puts you near the peak of Mount Miune
a mountain that is on the border of Japan’s Kochi and Tokushima Prefectures on the island of Shikoku
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You need to approach from either the Mount Goryu side or the Mount Kashimayari side
but either way there will be a lot of ups and downs before you can rest your feet here
a large gash in the ridge and the namesake for this hut—Kirreto means "cut" or "divot" in Japanese
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Komaho Hut is in the central portion of the Japanese Alps and sits at 2,800 meters (9,200 feet) just below the summit of Mount Utsugi
The hut was built in 1969 after increasing hiking traffic to Utsugi’s peak meant people needed a place to stay
Komaho has a great little terrace that can make for a spectacular breakfast location at sunrise
Tent locations are few and far between in this region of the alps
and Komaho Hut is no exception—so plan accordingly
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Unlike most of the other huts on this list
Miyama Lodge is placed directly on the peak of the mountain it is associated with—Mount Tanzawa
which lies in the Tanzawa Mountain Range in the Kanagawa Prefecture
The peak and the lodge offer fantastic views of Mt
If you opt to pay for the meal at the lodge you get an amazing dinner menu with yakiniku
which is a very rare find in Japanese mountain huts
The hut was reconstructed in 2004 and is relatively easy to access from Tokyo by either train or bus
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Goryu Lodge is located on the same ridgeline as the Kirreto Hut in the Northern Alps
The five-to-seven-hour hike to the hut starts at the famous Hakuba ski area
The hut was constructed in 1951 and has enough space for 250 people to spend the night inside
The name of the mountain and hut means “five dragons.” While there are spots to set up tents
they're located precariously on the side of the mountain outside
but if you have a fear of falling in your sleep
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One of the lower elevation huts on the list, the Toden Hut is not so much on a mountain as in a lowland swamp area that is part of Oze National Park
Two of Japan’s famous 100 mountains—known as the Hyakkumeisan—sit on either side of the hut
Toden Hut was built in 1927 by the Kanto Water Company to originally house workers checking the water power plants in the area
but now it's a refuge for any tired hikers in the area
The hut is connected to many more huts in the park by a web of wooden boardwalks
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Shimagare Lodge is another one of the huts on the list that isn’t incredibly difficult to get to but is located in a beautiful part of Japan
The lodge is located in the Yatsugatake Mountain Range
and offers a variety of mountain activities from mountain biking to telemark skiing and winter climbing
The easy access comes from an aerial tram that's located 20 minutes away
The hut was built back in the 1950s and is an excellent place to rest up before a hike through the Yatsugatake area
you’ll have to hike a bit further into the mountains to find one
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The Hinokio Mountain Shelter is not quite as luxurious as the rest of the huts on this list
but it is located in just as beautiful of a location in the Central Alps between Mount Utsugi and Mount Kiso
The hut was built for the purpose of dodging the unpredictable weather that comes with hiking a ridgeline that's at the crux of two weather systems
This is just one of the hundreds of unmanned bunkers that can be found throughout Japan
and no one is certain when it was first constructed
The shelter was recently renovated in 2022
making space for tents so camping is an option
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Established more than 100 years ago in 1919
Jonen Hut joins Enzan-so as being one of the oldest mountain huts on the Omote Ginza ridgeline in Japan’s Northern Alps
The phrase Omote Ginza is typically used to describe the main street or busiest area of a city
Connecting Mount Jonen with Mount Tsubakuro makes for an excellent two-to-three day hike itinerary
There are plenty of spaces for tents outside of the hut here
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The only hut on this list that is placed in the Southern Japanese Alps
Norori Hut is located between two famous mountains
These two peaks along with Mount Kita make up the Shirane Sanzan
the “three white peaks” of the southern Alps
Notori Hut is an excellent spot to spend the night if you need a break while trekking the ridgeline
The caretaker of the hut has garnered quite the reputation as either someone you like or someone you really can’t stand
there are plenty of spaces to set up tents outside
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For more hiking shelters, check out our guide to the best lean-tos on the Appalachian Trail
All three of these combatants have been regarded as lower mid-tier fighters
and so the inclusion of secondary V-Skills presents a very important opportunity for developers to give characters like these a proper boost so as to encourage more players to use them
which is a lingering projectile that she can use to further control and manipulate opponents during neutral play
We don't yet have all the details hammered down
but we do know that this is a move that can be stored (similar to three of her other attacks) and that it has a brief charge up animation
Juri uses this after scoring a knockdown to set up a tricky wake up situation for her foe
She uses her flip kick to rapidly move to the other side of M
putting him in a tricky situation in terms of which way he'll need to block to avoid getting hit
Cody's Crime Sway is a dodge that leads into a strike
meaning he'll likely have to predict whether or not his opponent is attacking above or below the waist
This should help the Mayor of Metro City better deal with poking opponents that are giving him a hard time about getting close
Poison's Cartwheel is a fairly quick maneuver that can cause her to pass through her opponent and recover on the other side of them
She can cancel Cartwheel into a launching kick
which makes this Skill feel like something of a hybrid between the other two mentioned here
Today's print edition
Home Delivery
It seemed like a good idea at the time: With a four-day vacation over New Year's
why not head off to the North Alps in search of ptarmigans
Japan's quintessential birds of its loftiest heights
Over the last 10 years or more — as my free time has evolved into an odyssey of two-day hikes in the North
Central and South Alps from late spring until late fall — I've spent many solitary hours happily wandering the trails among Jonen
in hopes of meeting members of this species.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); });
on beautiful summer days or frigid late-autumn ones
through fantastic sunrises and awesome sunsets
have succeeded in seeing these astonishing
grouselike birds that somehow manage to live year-round above about 2,750 meters
and some days' sightings have reached double figures
is 30 in as many hours around "holy" 3,015-meter Mount Tate in the Hida Mountains of Toyama Prefecture at the northern limit of their range in Japan
as my New Year's jaunt to remote reaches of Nagano Prefecture approached
I became ever more mindful of my very limited experience of winter hiking at altitude — and of the risk of an accident
such as when I slid and tumbled down a steep mountainside in 2011
the kit I put together included new 10-point crampons
a windproof and waterproof jacket and overpants
an additional lightweight down jacket and snow pants — and fleece sweaters
everything I could think of to stay safe while keeping the warmth in and the cold out
And cold it would likely be on Mount Tsubakuro
my 2,763-meter goal in the North Alps beyond the city of Matsumoto
An online site was predicting heavy snow and temperatures down to a bone-chilling minus-25 degrees — even without the chill factor from 70-kph winds gusting to 90 kph
Several times I considered chickening out; but it was my goal to climb high in search of Rock Ptarmigans (Lagopus muta japonica)
as I'd only ever seen them once before in their clean
a 30-minute train ride to Hotaka Station and then a taxi for the final few kilometers to the gates across the closed road to Nakafusa Onsen
The nonstop 14-km hike along the winding, snow- and ice-covered mountain road to the onsen, which is the trailhead for Mount Tsubakuro, took exactly three hours. After a well-earned rest, I readied myself for the long, slow climb up to Enzan-so (Japanese only)
the only mountain hut open in the Japan Alps at that time of year
after hiking more than 5 km in driving snow and gale-force winds
I arrived there to a warm welcome from the staff
As Enzan-so is the only alpine hut open over the Christmas-New Year's period
including 15 on a hiking tour and several members of a university mountaineering club who were actually camping
as I scaled the final steep ridge to Enzan-so in thigh-deep snow
I separately encountered two ptarmigans plowing their way through it as more came down all around
after carrying a heavy backpack for eight hours
I was too tired to even attempt to take photographs
and my only goal right then was to get out of the unabating wind
I vowed to look for them on the morrow instead
despite spending several hours looking for them
my efforts came to nought as I was thwarted by the gusting wind and a grim blizzard in which I didn't catch even a fleeting glance of any wildlife at all
ptarmigans are known as raichō — which means "thunderbirds." That's because
well before anyone hiked up into the mountains or built huts there
few had ever dared venture into the unknown 3,000-meter ranges forming Honshu's backbone
which often suddenly form above the ridges and valleys
could be heard by the farmers and others in villages far below — a noise they attributed to this bird that few
Japanese law now designates the ptarmigan as a natural monument (tennenkinenbutsu)
and the species is afforded total protection
and most of the areas where the birds live are also in national parks
their habitat remains basically in its natural state
they enjoy additional cachet as the designated prefectural bird
and over the years I've taken several thousand pictures of them
it is not unusual to be held up on a trail by one or two of them
and although they do not actually jump over you or onto you
several times I've had them come to within just a few centimeters as I have sat quietly observing them
they have even walked under my legs as they've been going about their business of finding juicy insects such as grasshoppers or beetles to nourish their fast-growing bodies
One of my most treasured ptarmigan experiences — and also one of the strangest — took place on the scree-covered flanks of Japan's third-highest peak
3,189-meter Mount Oku-Hodaka overlooking Kamikochi in Nagano Prefecture
Early one chill and bright mid-November morning
in very quiet surroundings long before the sun had risen high enough to light the cold valley below
I found a pair of ptarmigans sitting motionless among dried grass stalks and boulders
The male was perched atop a small rock and
during the two hours or so that I stayed with them
taking photographs and just quietly observing
his head would move just a little as he scanned the skies for predators such as hawks or eagles — or he would move his eyes
his body remained frozen in the same position
after having taken at least 100 photographs
and closer — until I could actually stroke his feathered legs
Although I've had several close encounters with this species
that morning's events will be forever etched into my memory
Another unforgettable meeting occurred near the hut that sits atop Mount Otensho
on the well-used "Alps-Ginza" trail between the Enzan-so hut and 2,857-meter Mount Jonen
passed by Enzan-so and hiked as far as another hut just below the 2,922-meter summit of Mount Otensho
and I was able to locate a female and her brood of three among boulders near the hut
Early the following morning — which dawned fine and sunny — I found them again not far from where I'd left them in the evening
observing their feeding habits and taking a few notes
jumped up onto a rock to scan for predators — myself quite obviously not included
I was able to take several photographs of her surveying her domain with Mount Yari's mighty 3,026-meter spear soaring toward the heavens in the background
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1 ContributorNo Title Yet Lyrics[Chorus: Enzan & SABINE]Got no title yetI've got to name this songI've gotta name this track nowBeat got me groovin' for realIt's so wrong[Verse 1: SABINE]Had a little tune in my head for weeksBeen makin me dance groovin' on my feetBut I gotta be real
it's been too longI can't name this song[Verse 2: SABINE]I kinda think it's got a disco tuneOr maybe soul some funk there tooBut does it really matter if my hips can moveTo the bass and drum[Pre-Chorus: SABINE]Oh
every time I hear thisI'm reminded of what I'm missin'I'm dying to see you grooveWith nothing to proveJust you and me and(Got no title yet
got no titlе yet)"I've been trying to look for this song for like
does he even have a name for this song?"You might also like[Chorus: Enzan & SABINE]Got no title yetI've got to name this songI've gotta name this track nowBeat got me groovin' for realIt's so wrong (He's got no title yet)Got no title yetI've got to name this song (He's got
he's got)I've gotta name this track nowBeat got me groovin' for realIt's so wrong[Verse 3: SABINE]Do you feel what I'm feelin nowThis bass
oh wowI think you know what I'm talkin' 'boutCan't stop myself from jumping[Verse 4: SABINE]Hey
get groovyLets make tonight a movie[Pre-Chorus: SABINE]Flat 7 to the 4I say we take it to the key of GThat's me just getting boredDo you know
do you know what I mean?Cause I've[Chorus: Enzan & SABINE]Got no title yetI've got to name this songI've gotta name this track nowBeat got me groovin' for realIt's so wrong[Bridge: SABINE]Got no title yet
got no title yet (He's got no title yet)Got no title yet
he's got no title yet (He's got no title yet)Got no title yet
he's got no title yet (He's got no title)Got no title yet
got no title yet (He's got no title)Can someone make him make a title?[Chorus: Enzan & SABINE]Got no title yetI've got to name this song (He's got to name
he's got to)I've gotta name this track nowBeat got me groovin' for real (Got no title yet
got no title yet)It's so wrong (He's got no title yet)Got no title yetI've got to name this songI've gotta name this track nowBeat got me groovin' for real (Got no title yet
got no title yet)It's so wrong (Got no title yet
got no title yet)[Outro: Enzan & SABINE]He's got no title yetBeat got me groovin' for realIt's so wrong"I can't believe he doesn't have a title yet
That's so embarrassing."EmbedCancelHow to Format Lyrics:
To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
If you’re going after a completionist run in Ghostwire: Tokyo
you’ll have to find all of the Landmarks in the game
You’ll naturally come across some while playing through the story
but you’ll have to venture off the beaten path for others
Considering that all of the Ghostwire: Tokyo map can’t be uncovered by simply progressing the story alone, you’ll want to search for the Landmark locations you haven’t discovered until after cleansing all of the Torii Gates in Shibuya
You can do this before starting Chapter 5 or after you’ve completed the game
you’ll get the Shibuya is My Back Yard trophy/achievement for your efforts
there isn’t much reason to find all of the Landmark locations in Ghostwire: Tokyo sans seeing every beautiful bit of Shibuya you can.
It’s worth noting that most (if not all) Landmark locations can be discovered once you get within about 50 meters of their map icon from any direction
You don’t need to go to the exact location of the map icon in the screenshots below
You’ll find Enzan Neon District after transferring spirits for the first time with a payphone
Follow the new objective marker down the road
and you’ll automatically find it just south of Club Star 49
near the Kabazeriya family restaurant in Chapter 2: Trouble
The map icon is 55 meters southwest of Akisawa Shrine
Enzancho can be found a short distance from the Neon District
It’s likely you’ll get this one during Chapter 2 on the way to KK’s apartment
Try searching around the Hotel Amor across the street from KK’s apartment building
continue south about 28 meters to find the Landmark icon location just before/at the crossroads.
you’ll be able to backtrack a little for the Yugenzaka Junction Landmark
This Landmark is 61 meters northwest of Enzancho at a three-way intersection
and comic shop on the northeast corner of the junction
You’ll get this landmark automatically when you get within about 35 meters of the Shrine itself during Chapter 2, near the Handicraft Nekomata nearby.
grassy construction zone with a yellow backhoe 112 meters north/northwest of Shiroyama Shrine
It can only be accessed after cleansing the Shiroyama Shrine.
Tsukinami Dai-ichi Park is roughly 136 meters south of Shiroyama Shrine or 195 meters southeast of Tsukinami Restricted Area
roughly 20 meters northeast of a payphone booth
There is a Choheimin restaurant across the street and a red
The Construction Labyrinth is another walled-off area that can be found in Chapter 2 after cleansing Yashin Shrine as part of the story
It is roughly 80 meters east/southeast of Yashin
You’ll find this when going to Kuo Shrine
situated in the lot in front of the western side of the Shibuya Kagerie Retail Complex
Look for the bus parking lot and the Shibukei (red) and Shibuya Station white/blue) neon signs.
You should discover the Yashin Redevelopment Area during Chapter 2 when making your way up to Kuo Shrine
It is 140 meters north of the Construction Labyrinth
in the same area as the rainbow stairs used to enter the hopping complex below the shrine.
you’ll have to climb to the top of the Shibuya Kagerie Retail Complex to find tourist binoculars
This Landmark should pop as you make your ascent.
After using the tourist binoculars at the top of Shibuya Kagerie Retail Complex
turn left (south) instead of jumping down to follow the culprit
and look out over the railing to see an adjacent building with a multi-colored pool on its roof
Glide over for the Sky Garden Landmark.
Shibuya Station is about 95 meters west of Shibuya Kagerie Retail Complex
glide down toward where you saw the culprit enter the Underground; don’t worry about fall damage even from such a great height
You should land just southeast of Shibuya Scramble
Instead of continuing ahead toward the objective marker
You may need to enter the station for the Landmark to pop
it’s roughly 125 meters north/northeast of the Construction Labyrinth
through the bottom floor of the Shibukei area
continue toward the objective to cross into the large intersection surrounded by digital signs and billboards
This should pop somewhere around the middle of the intersection
The 429 Landmark can be discovered after cleansing the Morite Shrine in Chapter 2
It is at another intersection about 47 meters northwest of the Morite Shrine
marked by a cylindrical tower with swirling colors (kind of like a lava lamp)
It is 115 meters west of Shibuya Scramble.
The 429 Street Landmark is 43 meters or so northwest of 429
Take the east-west road north of the 429 tower
and you should discover it around the first crosswalk by a Mitsukuro store on the left side of the street and a Daily Ninja store on the right
There is a blue compact car smashed into a white sedan near the crosswalk
Lamplight Cemetery becomes available after cleansing the Matsumi Shrine during Chapter 3
It is roughly 48 meters north/northeast of 429 street
go down the alleyway between the Kabazeriya and Daily Ninja stores on the northern side of the 429 Street crosswalk
look for a very narrow opening between the buildings on the right
across from a Gold Fish restaurant; the small opening is just before a bunch bikes lined up on the right side of the alley
you’ll need to climb the buildings and drop down into the cemetery itself.
Sengoku Police Box is 75 meters north/northwest of Lamplight Cemetery
and cross the street with the white moving van to go down a smaller street heading north
At the end of that street will be another small intersection
Look left (west) to see the police box that looks like a robot head with red eyes
It’s across from a Boo Boo Burger restaurant.
Sengokuzaka is about 80 meters north/northeast of Sengoku Police Box
You should find this Landmark on your way to Utagawa Shopping District Torii Gate during Chapter 3 after cleansing Matsumi Shrine
The map icon is roughly under the short pedestrian bridge that crosses above the road leading directly to Utagawa from the south.
This one is essentially impossible to miss
You’ll discover it when you cleanse the Utagawa Shopping District Torii Gate during Chapter 3’s Blindness mission
Sports Avenue is actually 80 meters south/southeast of Sengokuzaka
it doesn’t become available until after you cleanse Utagawa Shopping District Torii Gate in Chapter 3
Take the road leading south from Sengokuzaka and then southeast when it forks southeast and west
You should pop this Landmark about halfway down
near the small white truck that’s crashed into the white moving truck by the Boo Boo Burger
Utagawa Tower is actually a power transmission tower 105 meters northeast of the Utagawa Shopping District Torii Gate
Take the small road leading directly north of the Torii Gate
Turn left and look up and left to see the tower.
Kirigaoka Water Tower is 104 meters north/northeast of Utagawa Tower
Continue north along the road in front of Utagawa Tower
and cross the river beyond the railing at the end
Kirigaoka Water Tower is 42 meters west of Yamaki Shrine
Kirigaoka Shrine becomes available during Chapter 3’s Agony mission and is 89 meters north/northwest of the Water Tower
You must first cleanse the Yamaki Shrine near the Water Tower to access it
The Landmark icon itself is in the southwestern portion of the area/Restricted Area
though you should discover it after going up the second set of stairs leading up to the Shrine
go roughly 145 meters north of the Shrine (through the forest) to discover Kirigaoka Restricted Area
This area should be part of the Agony mission
where you must enter a cave to progress the story’s critical path after the cutscene
It is near the Ushi no Kokumairi sidequest.
Cleanse Tatsui Shrine to uncover this location from the fog
Kappagaike is in the middle of a lake in a park roughly 123 meters southeast of Tatsui Shrine; it is directly in front of Kappagaike Torii Gate
which itself is south of the major highway running east-west in the area.
Drunkard’s Alley is about 50 meters southwest of Mikubo Shrine
turn around and go through the small alley square and turn left at the orange traffic cone
Follow the alleyway down and follow the path right at the vending machines
You should discover this Landmark near the yellow crates near the hanging lanterns.
Mitake Shopping Arcade becomes available after cleansing the Shimokusa Shrine during Chapter 4’s Giants mission
The Arcade is about 60 meters south/southwest of Shimokusa Shrine
along the east-west roadway south of the Shrine
the Arcade pathway looks like a train car on its side when compared to the roads
The Landmark icon is near a payphone booth and convenience store; there is a Fujiya Mart and Daily Ninja at the entrance of the Arcade
Shibuya Stripe Tower is 118 meters (two blocks) west of Kamio Shrine
which you’ll be able to cleanse during Chapter 4’s Giants mission
The white skyscraper is the only building on the block near a major intersection under the overpass that runs through the area
It is just southeast of Yashin Redevelopment area at Shibuya Kagerie Retail Complex
Genpei Crossing becomes available after cleansing Kamio Shrine
It is 137 meters south/southwest of the Shrine
at the intersection just south of the Netsuke Collector Nekomata
There is a Freshmoth Burger joint and another (inactive) Shrine nearby.
Genpei Restricted Area is roughly 80 meters south/southeast of Genpei Crossing
It is near another major intersection of three roadways
this Landmark is off of the map in the fog
but look for the tree stump with yellow and black caution tape situated in a wall near the intersection
There is a Water Jizo Statue across from it and a white Jeep on the road.
Shibuara Park is the last Landmark in Ghostwire: Tokyo
it’s closest to the Construction Labyrinth and Kuo Shrine
but it doesn’t become available until after cleansing Kamio Shrine
Shibuara Park is about 50 meters north of Akitsu Shrine in the southern portion of the map
fenced-in park surrounded by buildings one block north of the Shrine
With that, you’ve found all of the Landmarks in Ghostwire: Tokyo and nabbed the Shibuya is My Back Yard trophy/achievement. If you’re going after more collectibles, check out our guides for finding all music tracks and locating all audio logs
There’s more over in our Ghostwire: Tokyo hub.