Arasehara Trailhead Restoration

After reporting the deteriorated and dangerous conditions of the hiking trail to the local municipal office (the trail administrator), we received permission to carry out repairs. We purchased materials, processed and prepared them, then gathered volunteers to perform the work. The team pulled out old iron stakes and drove in new wooden retaining walls, creating a new stairway leading to the summit of Mt. Madarao.

The repair site was located right at the entrance of the trail from Arasehara Trailhead heading toward the Mt. Madarao summit. The wooden steps had completely rotted away, leaving nearly 50 exposed iron rebar stakes on a steep slope—an extremely dangerous situation.

Everyone showed great awareness of trail safety, and their dedication and care for the work was evident. While this is not a heavily trafficked area, we believe a safe and comfortable trail has been restored.

Shinanoji Nature Trail Maintenance

The Shinanoji Nature Trail—the “Healing Forest Jishin-daki (Naena Falls) Course”—runs from Kurohime Kogen to Naena Falls (one of Japan’s Top 100 Waterfalls) and features flat, runnable trails. For several years, however, severe muddy conditions at multiple points had made sections nearly impassable, with mud reaching ankle-deep. Left unaddressed, hikers would detour around muddy spots, gradually widening the trail and creating new muddy areas.

To address this, local runners helped install wooden planks. By walking on the planks, trail widening and the spread of muddy areas is prevented. Materials were carried by hand from the Kurohime side. The trail runners, with their strong legs, swiftly transported large quantities of lumber. Working in muddy conditions, they carefully installed the planks to ensure safe passage.

We also repaired a wooden bridge that had developed holes posing a risk of falling through. Boards were laid on top of the bridge, fitted with anti-slip cleats for safer passage.

Togakushi Ski Resort Upper Boardwalk Installation

A section of approximately 100 meters on the route from Togakushi Ski Resort up to Mt. Menō, which is also used in our race and other trail running events, had severe muddy conditions—in the worst spots, mud reached below the knee. We installed a boardwalk to address this issue. When we called for volunteers, many people came to help.

Materials such as sleepers and deck boards were trucked to the nearest accessible point, then carried by hand to the work site. Each sleeper weighed about 20 kg! Volunteers packed them into backpacks and hiked them up. Those who made multiple trips certainly got a great workout!

The most challenging part was installing the boardwalk itself. The site was on a slope, so it was not as simple as just laying down lumber. We carefully considered the gradient, step height, levelness, and routing to install the boardwalk with precision.

Thanks to the efforts of many volunteers, we completed the work before the snow arrived. When you pass through this section of the course, please remember the work that went into it.