I tried to post this once and got an error message, so I'll try again.

We are going to Japan next spring or early summer. We enjoy hiking, but I have ankle and hip issues that limit the kinds of trails I can handle.

We are researching hiking areas in guidebooks and online, but the books don't give a lot of "on the ground" detail, and the websites found so far are more geared to people who don't have ankel and hip issues.

So we'd appreciate leads to areas where we could stay 2 or 3 days and take several easy to moderate day hikes. Steep climbs/descents and numerous stairsteps are my biggest problems.

We like hikes that have something to see along the way; e.g., temples, historic sites, shrines, nice views, waterfalls, streams, wildlife, villages, etc.

We don't mind areas that do not have "luxury" accomodations.

Thanks. Bill

So I assume you basically are looking for "flatt-ish" hike?
That rules out Hakone, but you might want to consider Kamakura, which you can do as a day-trip from Tokyo. You can start from Kita Kamakura Stn, there is a hill before you get to Kamakura station, but I won't call it steep. Alternatively, skip Kita-kamakura, and just start exploring out of Kamakura Stn. (I personally enjoyed the bamboo temple--don't know what its official name is.)

Or some historic neighbourhood in Tokyo? YOu can have a pleasant walk through Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park. Another of my favourite japanese gardens are Rikugien in northern central tokyo and Hamarikyu along the river.

Thanks, W9. I'll check out your suggestions.

Have you looked at the walk between Magome and Tsumago in the Kiso Valley. We haven't done it yet but will be doing it in September.

It is only a three hour fairly easy walk. It apparently is a bit on the steeper side at the start but at the top of the hill you can stop at the cafe for a break before moving on again. (I have arthritis in my knees, but from what I have read from trip reports etc is sounds doable. If all else fails you can take a bus to the top of the pass and then start walking). The rest is quite easy I believe.

Lovely scenery and several little waterfalls to walk past and the two villages are meant to be delightful and rather old wordly as both have been bypassed when the rail system went through. For each of the villages you need to catch a bus from a nearby town with a train station. There is a bus running between the two towns so you don't have to walk all the way back and there is also a luggage transfer service between the towns if you don't wish to return to where you started from. See www.japan-guide.com/e/e6075.html

I've done Magome-Tsumago. Or to be more accurate done half of the hike on the hiking path proper and walked the paved road as I was there in early March and the path still had much snow on it. I would call it rather steep with some steps at the beginning, especially the first 30min or so.

Thanks, everybody. This has been most helpful so far.

See some of these

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6040.html

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3113.html

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3036.html

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3029.html

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3915.html

Aloha!

I've done the Nakasendo from Magome to Tsumago, and the first part from Magome to Magometoge is a hard and unrewarding uphill slog. I suggest taking a taxi to the summit, then strolling downhill to Tsumago.

Kamikochi (the first link in Hawaiiantraveler's list) is where Rev. Weston taught the Japanese about mountaineering, but the paths around the valley bottom (say from Taisho ike to Myojin ike and back) are level and really delightful. The bus journey in and out (either route) is spectacular.

Another enjoyable bit of mountain scenery in an area you might be visiting anyway is Mount Misen at Miyajima (take the cable car up and walk down). There are excellent views of the Inland Sea at the summit (and tame deer).

I never thought of Fushimi Inari Taisha (the last of Hawaiiantraveler's links) as a hike, but it's certainly one of the most interesting places to visit in Kyoto. There are many walking possibilities of this kind elsewhere in Kyoto, too (the temples in the western hills whose names escape me at the moment, the Philosopher's Path, the extensive collection of temples at Daitokuji).

A bit further south, Uji offers similar possibilities (along the river and the Byodo-in and shrines nearby), and a bit further still is Nara. The interesting stuff here is not the deer park that most people visit but the area around the outer temples of Todaiji (nigatsu-do and sangatsu-do) and the ancient temples on the outskirts (Yakushiji, Horyuji, with the oldest wooden buildings in the world). There's a lot to explore here, as the temples are very extensive with many outlying areas. These wouldn't be hikes, per se, but sightseeing opportunities that involve a fair amount of walking.

I hope those suggestions help get you started. They are all in areas you are likely to want to visit anyway. If you really want to focus on hiking, then Tohoku (the northern part of Honshu) looks interesting, but I've no personal experience.

I do so love Fodor's forums and Fodorites!

I've been looking for the same type of info for some time.

There are excellent printable guides to many part of Japan on the JNTO website:

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/rtg/index.html

Note the walking guides to Tokyo, Kyoto and Nara.

Thanks, guy!