Just got back from a 5-day hut-to-hut trek in the Northern Japanese Alps (Kamikochi → Karasawa route), and I want to share what I learned about booking accommodations—especially for solo travelers or small groups without Japanese language skills.
The Challenge: Most mountain huts in the Japanese Alps don't have English websites or online booking. You have to call. In Japanese. I found myself scrambling to figure out which huts to even contact, what information to have ready, and how to handle payment logistics across multiple huts.
What Actually Worked:
- Google Translate + phone calls (surprisingly effective, but stressful)
- Finding the 1-2 huts per region with English-friendly booking (rare)
- Using detailed hiking guides with hut contact info pre-organized
What Didn't Work:
- Expecting most huts to have English speakers
- Trying to book online (most don't offer it)
- Showing up without a reservation (risky in peak season)
The Real Friction: The biggest gap isn't the hiking itself—it's the logistics of coordinating 3-5 hut stays across a week when you can't speak Japanese and hut managers have limited English. Information is scattered. Booking is manual. Payment is cash-only
My Questions for the Community:
- How did you handle hut reservations if you don't speak Japanese?
- Did you use a guide service, or go solo?
- For future trips, would you do anything differently?
- Are there resources or services you wish existed?
I'm genuinely curious how others navigate this. It's such a rewarding trek, but the pre-hike logistics were honestly stressful.
by onaitsirc