{"id":27840,"date":"2020-07-13T19:20:22","date_gmt":"2020-07-13T18:20:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/?p=27840"},"modified":"2025-02-20T10:08:12","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T10:08:12","slug":"the-wild-heart-of-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/13\/the-wild-heart-of-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wild Heart of Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F27840&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F27840\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F27840&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F27840&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F27840%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F27840\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F27840\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Wild Heart of Japan - with InsideJapan Tour Leader Van Milton\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HDsV6XRLpIc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Japan is a land forged by fire and ice, as well as what happens when the two of them meet \u2013 mainly lots of water!<\/p>\n<p>Formed by volcanic activity at the merger of four tectonic plates, Japan is the product of massive forces \u2013 forces that have awed humans for thousands of years. An archipelago of over 6,800 islands with around the land area of California or Germany, the country stretches over 3,000km (1,900mi) and several climate zones. That\u2019s why snowy Hokkaido in the North is known for exceptional skiing, while the small, tropical islands of Okinawa in the South are perfect for kayaking through mangrove swamps and SCUBA diving.<\/p>\n<p>Japan\u2019s four main islands &#8211; Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku \u2013 are largely temperate and extremely mountainous. Despite popular impressions, the country is hardly end-to-end cities \u2013 in fact, the urban \u201csprawl\u201d covers just 11%. The reason lies in the vast expanses of peaks and valleys which cover over 70% of Japan\u2019s surface area \u2013 areas which are neither easy to develop nor do they exactly stay still.<\/p>\n<p>Japan famously lies along the Pacific \u201cRing of Fire\u201d, an active lasso of tectonic uplift and subduction zones which largely follows the outline of the Pacific Ocean. Along these faults lie more than three-quarters of the world\u2019s volcanoes, and of that number, Japan is home to astonishing 110 of them \u2013 10% the world\u2019s total!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_27878\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27878\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-27878 size-half-width\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Owakudani-Sengokuhara-Hakone-Kanagawa-720x540.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Owakudani-Sengokuhara-Hakone-Kanagawa-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Owakudani-Sengokuhara-Hakone-Kanagawa-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Owakudani-Sengokuhara-Hakone-Kanagawa-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Owakudani-Sengokuhara-Hakone-Kanagawa-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Owakudani-Sengokuhara-Hakone-Kanagawa-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Owakudani-Sengokuhara-Hakone-Kanagawa-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Owakudani-Sengokuhara-Hakone-Kanagawa-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Owakudani-Sengokuhara-Hakone-Kanagawa-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Owakudani-Sengokuhara-Hakone-Kanagawa-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Owakudani-Sengokuhara-Hakone-Kanagawa-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Owakudani-Sengokuhara-Hakone-Kanagawa-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Owakudani-Sengokuhara-Hakone-Kanagawa-510x383.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Owakudani-Sengokuhara-Hakone-Kanagawa.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27878\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Owakudani, Sengokuhara, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/hakone\/\">Hakone<\/a>, Kanagawa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While the vast majority of Japan\u2019s volcanoes are not erupting (or likely to so in any major way), there are those who make their presence, well, let\u2019s say known. Sakurajima, which sits in the centre of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/kagoshima\/\">Kagoshima<\/a> Bay at the southern tip of Kyushu regularly erupts &#8211; residents often wake to their yards and cars covered in a dusting of snow-like ash. In Tohoku \u2013 the northern region of the main island of Honshu \u2013 the gorgeous hike up Mt. Chokai offers sweeping views over a lightly seeded lavascape from an eruption in the 1970s (though today the peak is considered safe to hike). Even stately <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/mount-fuji\/\">Mt. Fuji, the symbol of Japan<\/a>, may not be as quiet as once believed, and its famous \u201cperfect cone\u201d might come to look different within our lifetimes.<\/p>\n<p>That said, the side effect of all this activity beneath the ground becomes one of the best parts of travel as it bubbles to the surface. Well before Japan became an international travel hot spot, travel to literal hot spots \u2013 hot springs \u2013 was one of the pillars of domestic tourism for hundreds of years or more. Scattered around the country there are more than 3,000 hot spring sources bubbling up to the surface. To this day, the abundance, variety, and quality of these onsens remain a coveted highlight of travel here.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_27870\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27870\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-27870 size-medium-plus-size\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Hiking-in-rural-Nara-Prefecture-510x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"510\" height=\"680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Hiking-in-rural-Nara-Prefecture-510x680.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Hiking-in-rural-Nara-Prefecture-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Hiking-in-rural-Nara-Prefecture-423x564.jpg 423w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Hiking-in-rural-Nara-Prefecture-390x520.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Hiking-in-rural-Nara-Prefecture.jpg 594w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27870\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nara Hot Springs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But hot water isn\u2019t the only way liquid has shaped Japan. Snowcapped mountains and steep granite valleys have channelled strong snowmelt and rain into rushing rivers, as well. The abundance of water and rich soils have long fed Japan\u2019s forests, which today cover an incredible 67% of the country compared to 15% in the UK, 36% in the USA and 17% in Aus. Lush Chubu Sangoku National Park, centred on the crown jewels of the Hida Mountain Range and spread across four prefectures, is just one of a series of stunning national parks that preserve this wild beauty. Other areas of Japan are equally famous for forests and nature without being National Parks, such as the iconic Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route.<\/p>\n<p>And, though they garner less attention in our world of planes, cars, and trains, there are the miles and miles of coastlines along Japan\u2019s edges which are deeply woven into the warp and weft of Japanese culture. From the sculpted rocky cliffs of the Sanriku Coast on the eastern edge of Tohoku to the rugged windswept edges of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/noto-peninsula\/\">Noto Peninsula<\/a> to the nearly Mediterranean coasts and island-bejewelled turquoise waters of the Seto Inland Sea, these areas are whole environments unto themselves. The currents and tides which shaped them also provided food enabled travel and trade, and occasionally brought disaster.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_27872\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27872\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-27872 size-medium-plus-size\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Mt.-Ontake-Shrine-510x383.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"510\" height=\"383\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Mt.-Ontake-Shrine-510x383.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Mt.-Ontake-Shrine-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Mt.-Ontake-Shrine-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Mt.-Ontake-Shrine-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Mt.-Ontake-Shrine-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Mt.-Ontake-Shrine-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Mt.-Ontake-Shrine-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Mt.-Ontake-Shrine-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Mt.-Ontake-Shrine-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Mt.-Ontake-Shrine-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Mt.-Ontake-Shrine-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Mt.-Ontake-Shrine-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Mt.-Ontake-Shrine-780x585.jpg 780w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27872\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mt. Ontake &#8211; Shrine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Connecting all these incredible parts of Japan and the latent power for both creation and disasters is awe. It is a feeling well summed up and idealized in Japan\u2019s not-quite-religion, Shinto, which reveres nature and considers natural objects of power (like mountains) to be the homes of sacred \u201ckami\u201d or spirits\/ gods. In this, I think, lies an accessible doorway into understanding Japanese culture. The interest into how and why Japan\u2019s culture ended up so seemingly different, is perhaps given new insight by turning the idea around and following the impact the country\u2019s geology, climate, and nature on forging Japanese culture.<\/p>\n<p>The natural disasters, steep mountains, copious water, and intense weather are direct factors in the incredible cooperation, teamwork, and efficiency which has emerged from Japanese culture.<\/p>\n<p>The mountainous terrain meant that people could more easily build, farm, and travel in the 30% of the area that was relatively level. Over tens of thousands of years, Japan\u2019s geography funnelled the human population into areas which have evolved into the dense urban centres we know today &#8211; the names are unlikely to surprise you; the Tokai Plain (Tokyo), the Nobi Plain (Nagoya), the Osaka Plain (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/osaka\/\">Osaka<\/a> and Kyoto), and the Fukuoka Plain (Fukuoka City).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_27875\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27875\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-27875 size-half-width\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Onyu-Pass-Takashima-720x540.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Onyu-Pass-Takashima-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Onyu-Pass-Takashima-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Onyu-Pass-Takashima-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Onyu-Pass-Takashima-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Onyu-Pass-Takashima-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Onyu-Pass-Takashima-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Onyu-Pass-Takashima-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Onyu-Pass-Takashima-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Onyu-Pass-Takashima-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Onyu-Pass-Takashima-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Onyu-Pass-Takashima-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Onyu-Pass-Takashima-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Onyu-Pass-Takashima-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27875\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Onyu Pass, Takashima<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Dear reader, please make no mistake \u2013 I unabashedly want to convince you that the wild ends of Japan are its best bits. Japan\u2019s culture is deep and rich, and one could easily spend a lifetime exploring just the human elements of this country. But I\u2019d argue that not getting well off the beaten path on a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/\">holiday to Japan<\/a> is a crime, and hopefully, inspire you to make tracks for more distant corners of the country when you visit \u2013 it will serve to deepen your understanding of the country and culture alike.<\/p>\n<p>There are many incredible places to experience the wild \u201cheart\u201d of Japan, but the important part is to go looking for it. Along the way, you may just get a little time in nature, meet some new friends, and support some local businesses well off the beaten path.<\/p>\n<p>Rock on.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_27879\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27879\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-27879 size-medium-plus-size\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Statue-at-Eiheji-Temple-Fukui-510x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"510\" height=\"680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Statue-at-Eiheji-Temple-Fukui-510x680.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Statue-at-Eiheji-Temple-Fukui-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Statue-at-Eiheji-Temple-Fukui-423x564.jpg 423w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Statue-at-Eiheji-Temple-Fukui-390x520.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Statue-at-Eiheji-Temple-Fukui.jpg 594w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27879\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Statue at Eiheji Temple, Fukui<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>LINKS &amp; RESOURCES<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PAojav5GODs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Traveling Geologist \u2013 Japan<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6MsPEyfuicw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Why Japan\u2019s Geography Sucks<\/a> \u2013 great overview of geology, gets a little down and dark @ end<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehiddenjapan.com\/mtchokai\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mt. Chokai Geopark<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Geography_of_Japan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Geography of Japan<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/afe.easia.columbia.edu\/japan\/japanworkbook\/geography\/japgeo.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Contemporary Japan: A Teaching Workbook | Columbia University, East Asian Curriculum Project<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.icomos.org\/quebec2008\/cd\/toindex\/77_pdf\/77-Epvp-23.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SACRED MOUNTAINS WHERE BEING OF \u201cKAMI\u201d IS FOUND<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Three_Mountains_of_Dewa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Three mountains of Dewa<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/theculturetrip.com\/asia\/japan\/articles\/what-is-the-ancient-religion-of-shugendo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">What is the Ancient Religion of Shugendo?<\/a><\/p>\n<p>100 most beautiful mountains? 21 mountains over 3,000m. Holy Trinity Haku, Tateyama, &amp; Fuji<\/p>\n<h4>Like this post? 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Help us by sharing it! &nbsp; Japan is a land forged by fire and ice, as well as what happens when the two of them meet \u2013 mainly lots of water! Formed by volcanic activity at the merger of four tectonic plates, Japan is the product of massive forces \u2013 forces that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2357,2367,2369],"tags":[1970,2291,2315,4721],"class_list":["post-27840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-japanese-wildlife-and-environment","category-japanese-culture-and-history","category-sports-and-adventure-in-japan","tag-onsen","tag-walk-japan","tag-wild-japan","tag-discover-japan"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27840"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27840\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34799,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27840\/revisions\/34799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27840"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27840"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}