So I’m going to Japan next month and I heard that you can easily secure 20k+ steps in a day (which is great). Do you guys have any tips of what you do back at your accomodations to quickly recover sore feet for the next day? Other than resting ofc
Hot tub, onsen, massages and a good pair of walking shoes.
1.If your room has a tub. Sit in a hot water soak.
2.Go to a FM/711/Lawsons get a protein drink.
3. Get some salonpas at a drugstore.
4. Stretch. This will help a lot.
All these should help, im assuming you have some comfy walking shoes like Asics,New Balance, Hokka?
Hot bath soak every day to recover faster (magnesium bath salts if you can get), memory foam insoles and easy comfortable shoes
Advil
Correctly sized shoes designed for walking. I use Merrel as shoes which are fine for me when I do 30-40k days regularly travelling Japan, and more relatable 15-20k steps overall. Prevention is better then cure. If you don;t have good quality shoes yet, now is the time to buy and break them in.
And short of making sure your shoes are suitable, book accommodation with Baths/Onsen as much as you can.
Bring two pairs of good walking shoes if you can and if they fit in your luggage. It takes time for insole foam to decompress after walking all day so they don’t provide as much cushion if you wear the same pair all day everyday. They also will have different stress points so it’ll make your feet feel less sore in those spots. I definitely felt the difference from alternating pairs.
I use the hot tub every single day when I’m in Japan! Also those foot patches are great. When I’m not in a huge city I also try to rent a bike. Uses a diff set of muscles so it surprisingly ends up being a recovery activity than a tiring one
Not really a quick recovery at your accommodation, but I found booking a tour that consists of being on a bus most of the day is a nice way to get a break in between days of heavy walking. That way you’re getting a good rest day and still seeing japan.
Soak feet in a warm bath, get the heat/cool patches for your sore feet and calves, compression socks, cushion insoles and definitely wear light weight comfortable shoes and avoid any heavy footwear that will weigh your feet down.
Compression socks and good shoes like Hoka’s or nice shoe inserts (I use Superfeet from Fleet Feet). All the other recs are great too!
On my most recent 2 week trip we averaged 17k steps per day. I brought two pairs of comfy walking shoes (one pair sandals, one pair tennis shoes) and alternated wearing them so I didn’t get blisters.
Also, idk if this is scientific or superstition, but I lay on my back with my legs up against the wall in as close to a 90 debate angle as I can comfortably get and I stay like that for 5-10 minutes every night when I get back to the hotel. I swear this works miracles, but maybe it’s just a placebo effect at this point .
If you’re somewhere with a local foot bath, they’re pretty interesting!
You can also get those sticky muscle relief patches to sleep with, and keep your feet elevated when you sleep.
Good walking shoes and good socks are vital, I did one trip with cheap Skechers and ended with a lot of blisters and this year did a similar trip with decent shoes (ON Cloud) and i could’ve walked another two weeks without issues
Get a good pair of trekking shoes (trail runners, I bought a pair just before my trip to Japan and I am so grateful for those. They a way more comfortable than any Nike/ Adidas runner or similar.
I’m here in Osaka right now. It’s fucking brutal. Truth is sitting down for 20mins or so don’t really do shit.
Just have to suck it up and move on. Just stay hydrated and eat plenty, that seems like the best you can do.
Whenever traveling, I wear compression socks and my feet don’t hurt at the end of the day.
If you are going next month, maybe start going for longer walks at home, so your feet get a bis used to walking more. Otherwise as other people already said, bring good walking shoes.
Honestly, you should just go on long walks 1-2hr, before going on the trip. As a runner, who has taken long breaks in between, the first few weeks are usually the worst, and while icing/cold compress, elevating feet, and massage helps. Nothing beats conditioning your feet. Also finding good shoes.
I’d like to know where everyone is from, based on people talking about “so much walking” — because it’s so relative to where you’re from.
A lot of people are suggesting shoes and such but one thing to do is have lighter days on the trip as well. Some require more walking some require more train. Try not to have 3-4 heavy walking days in a row but maybe two heavy to one light walking day ratio
Lots of stuff doesn’t normally open until around 11am. So having a good rest in the morning is a great way to recover knowing you won’t be missing out on too much.
Lying down on your bed with your legs/feet up on the wall does wonders. I would often do this after spending 12 hrs on my feet at work. Also have a small hard ball (like a cork ball) to massage the bottom of your feet helps too.
Start preparing now and walk more than you normally would every day. There’s not much you can do to help sore feet other than taking some Tylenol, but you can make less likely to happen in the first place.
Bring more than one pair of comfy shoes and rotate them – they will have slightly different pressure points on your feet and help any previous soreness/rubs from the day before becoming worse. Last time I went I had trainers, high top converses and crocs.
I’m not sure if you need to worry about that too much. I’m definitely not in good shape, and we did on average 30k each day, and it was no problem. Perhaps we spread it out over the entire day/evening, making sure we didn’t rush from place to place, and took breaks regularly.
I walked a half marathon last year, and I’m planning to take the same walking shoes with me as they’re well worn! The key for me is socks more than shoes – good moisture wicking walking socks. I use ones called Hilly Twin Skin socks that have two layers and prevent rubbing. Take an extra pair out for the day and swap after a few hours – new socks feel like new feet!
1. Custom orthotic insoles are my #1 recommendation that help the most in my everyday life as well as traveling. 2. Salonpas patches/icy-hot/Voltaren/whatever your favourite muscle patch or pain relief cream is. The patches are hella cheap, you can get them at any pharmacy and DonQi in Japan. Just stick some on your feet/legs before you sleep. 3. Book hotels that have a public bath or onsen. Just sinking your entire body in there and soaking feels sooooo goood. I don’t know what it is, but Japanese shower heads also have way higher water pressure than where I’m from. They’re nice for showering and massaging your feet. Hope you’re comfortable with full nudity tho. 4. If you don’t have a public bath, go buy some foot bath salts stuff from the pharmacy/DonQi. You can just put it in your hotel bathtub and give your feet a good soaking at night. 5. Find a place with those massage chairs. They massage your arms and feet as well.
Walk more before you go so you’re broken in lol
good shoes. my 1st trip I wore some hiking boots and messed up my leg from walking too much. 2nd trip wore cushioned trail running shoes and was able to walk around even more with no discomfort
If there’s a electronics store like Bic or Yodabashi nearby, I’d “demo” their massage chairs and feet massagers.
I brought a massage lacrosse/trigger point ball and mini massage gun and it does wonders for the first couple days when my feet weren’t acclimated to the abused yet. I’m near the end of my 15 days here and I can do 20-30k steps without a hitch. Make sure to take breaks hourly, drink water and soak your feet in hottub nightly to get your blood flowing.
I bought brand new Nike Air Force 1s a week or so before I went. I broke them in by wearing them the week prior but honestly, they didn’t really need it – they’re great shoes.
There were a few days that my feet were sore but my husband would rub them for me! An onsen works a treat too.
Our record in one day was 28k steps (our day at DisneySea!) I am super proud of my 7 year old for doing this…let alone me! She wore Sketchers (as did my husband) and they seemed to hold up well too.
100% decent footwear and socks. And, if possible, leave the theme parks for the end of your trip when your legs are used to all the walking!
Compression socks!
I just rawdogged a Japan trip in Converse. I absolutely do not recommend. Take heed of the advice provided here.
I like to take a hot bath at night to relax my muscles; even better an onsen if your hotel has one. When you lie down elevate your feet on a pillow. SalonPas patches can help with sore muscles and you can buy them in pharmacies or Don Quiojte in Japan. Bring Ibuprofen with you to Japan. Bring two pairs of very good, already broken in walking shoes and alternate them each day to avoid sore/hot spots/blisters.
– [Health Goods You Can Buy in Japan](https://matcha-jp.com/en/1437) – If you like to take a bath at night, you might want to avoid hotel rooms with [very small unit bathrooms.](https://resources.realestate.co.jp/living/japanese-apartment-bathrooms-explained/) Check bathroom photos in a site line booking to confirm if a unit bath or not for the room you’re booking. – I prefer the Daiwa Roynet, Mitsui Garden, Candeo, Cross Hotels, and MyStays hotel chains as they often have larger bathrooms/tubs.
The number 1 tip for any visit to Kyoto or Tokyo is to lump sightseeing together by district. These are *huge* and very spread out cities. Number 2 tip is to get your one to two must-see/do’s done as early each day as possible. Then, anything else you do that day, is gravy. Lumping sites together by district will help reduce walking a bit.
– [Tokyo Districts](https://trulytokyo.com/tokyo-districts/) – [Kyoto Districts](https://www.insidekyoto.com/kyoto-districts) – [Osaka Districts](https://insideosaka.com/osaka-districts/) – [Save the places you want to visit in Google maps.](https://www.theunconventionalroute.com/google-maps-saved-places/) – Then, zoom out and see where those places are lumped together. Do *that* specific district/area in the morning and shift to another district/area in the afternoon. This way you don’t lose time/money criss-crossing the city. – See how long it will take to travel via public transit (or walking if within the same area) between your sites. You need to account for travel time and add in an extra 15- 20 minutes from what Google Maps says as you may get turned around looking for your entrance/exit or platform in the subway/train stations. – Be sure you check opening hours/days in Google maps too. You don’t want to show up at 8 am to Akihabara only to find all the shops closed or to a museum on a Monday as that is often (but not always) a closed day.
There’s also no need to recreate the wheel. Use some of these sample itineraries as a guide to plan out your days. YouTube and TikTok are great for ideas/inspiration, but they often edit videos together in a way that makes it seem locations are much closer together than they are. Sample itineraries like these, put the main sites together in a logical way logistically and give you a better sense of what is possible to see within a day. You don’t have to follow them exactly, but they can be a helpful starting point to planning your day.
I’m 5’9” 300 lbs. I’d been to Japan once in the mid 2000’s when I was in my 20’s (I’m now 42). I experienced the horrors of this the first time, blisters, sore everything, etc.
Unfortunately I stayed a large guy. I started planning for my trip in October of 2022 and went for almost the same time you were there, april 14-28. When I booked everything in October I started on a weight loss plan and over the intervening months I went from 340 to 300. I had intentions of adding lots of walking into the mix but it was winter and cold and I never really did get to it.
So, first good thing I did was lose 10% of my body mass (i packed on some pounds during Covid). Next was getting the right equipment. I went to a local running/fitness shoe place and had my feet modeled and purchased a pair of Hoka walking shoes with the highest level of comfort. Contrary to what you hear breaking these in we’re not necessary. Believe it or not shoes like this are only good for like 300ish miles of use before not offering the support they used to.
Next: socks. For those people not used to exertion (like me), I talked to my doctor and researched online and I invested in about 7 pairs of 15-25 mmHg compression socks for 3 reasons: 1) I’m on some meds that can cause clots and my flight over was 16 hours and these help prevent them 2) I read they really help with extending your endurance (there’s a reason why athletes use them and 3) it helps with sore muscle recovery. I will stress here that these were 90% most likely my secret to my success. It was like night and day over regular socks. Seriously if you’re going to Japan buy some and use them every day you will definitely notice a difference.
Next: blister prevention. I noticed in the airports and flight over I was getting a few hotspots in my shoes, but I was prepared. I bought these Teflon things to go back on tbe heels of my shoes that smoothed out the interface between my heels and the shoes to stop friction based blisters from happening. I highly recommend doing this, if you’re prone to this issue. I’d always been highly prone to blisters on my heels. This + the smooth compression socks knocked this problem out completely.
So, you’ve gotten the equipment sorted, and tried a little to prep your body (or not, that part is up to you). Next is a regimen of self care.
Every night it was: get back from eating dinner, disrobe, bathe in the Japanese fashion. That is, take a shower to wash yourself off and cleanse everything, then fill up the deep bath with the hottest water you can stand and soak in it (making sure your entire lower legs are submerged) for 15-30 minutes. Out of the bath, take an NSAID of your choice. I had to go with aspirin because I mistakenly only packed excessive migraine and strangely couldn’t get ibuprofen at the drug store. Then just relax and wind down and sleep.
This regimen + the equipment + the prep made me feel like literal superman. I could go all day. I would get up in the morning, walk all morning in my neighborhood of choice, sit down and rest at lunch for an hour, then stand up and go all afternoon, dinner, then wind down regimen. I did stop every now and then where I could to rest if I needed a minute but for some reason had no issue finding places for that? Also there’s always sitting on the train. Lots of bus riding in Kyoto too and lots of the stops have benches there as well.
The piece de resistance for me though? One of the big reasons I finally decided to be brave and take this trip was because over Covid I heard about the walk from Magome-juku to Tsumago-juku along the Nakasendo trail. Everything I did was to give myself the best chance of doing this hike. I planned it for the first half of my trip, and it was the best experience of my life, even if the first 40% of it felt like I was walking up the side of a mountain. It’s like 6 miles from town to town over a mountain pass, and I did it, and my feet and legs survived (I did end up taking an easier day the next day to recover but that was kind to be of expected after a 10+ mile day).
So yeah, as a large person, it’s definitely doable as long as you know what you’re getting yourself into and are prepared.
38 comments
Soaking in a hot tub.
cooling sheets for legs
Hot tub, onsen, massages and a good pair of walking shoes.
1.If your room has a tub. Sit in a hot water soak.
2.Go to a FM/711/Lawsons get a protein drink.
3. Get some salonpas at a drugstore.
4. Stretch. This will help a lot.
All these should help, im assuming you have some comfy walking shoes like Asics,New Balance, Hokka?
Hot bath soak every day to recover faster (magnesium bath salts if you can get), memory foam insoles and easy comfortable shoes
Advil
Correctly sized shoes designed for walking. I use Merrel as shoes which are fine for me when I do 30-40k days regularly travelling Japan, and more relatable 15-20k steps overall. Prevention is better then cure. If you don;t have good quality shoes yet, now is the time to buy and break them in.
And short of making sure your shoes are suitable, book accommodation with Baths/Onsen as much as you can.
Bring two pairs of good walking shoes if you can and if they fit in your luggage. It takes time for insole foam to decompress after walking all day so they don’t provide as much cushion if you wear the same pair all day everyday. They also will have different stress points so it’ll make your feet feel less sore in those spots. I definitely felt the difference from alternating pairs.
I use the hot tub every single day when I’m in Japan! Also those foot patches are great. When I’m not in a huge city I also try to rent a bike. Uses a diff set of muscles so it surprisingly ends up being a recovery activity than a tiring one
Not really a quick recovery at your accommodation, but I found booking a tour that consists of being on a bus most of the day is a nice way to get a break in between days of heavy walking. That way you’re getting a good rest day and still seeing japan.
Soak feet in a warm bath, get the heat/cool patches for your sore feet and calves, compression socks, cushion insoles and definitely wear light weight comfortable shoes and avoid any heavy footwear that will weigh your feet down.
Compression socks and good shoes like Hoka’s or nice shoe inserts (I use Superfeet from Fleet Feet). All the other recs are great too!
On my most recent 2 week trip we averaged 17k steps per day. I brought two pairs of comfy walking shoes (one pair sandals, one pair tennis shoes) and alternated wearing them so I didn’t get blisters.
Also, idk if this is scientific or superstition, but I lay on my back with my legs up against the wall in as close to a 90 debate angle as I can comfortably get and I stay like that for 5-10 minutes every night when I get back to the hotel. I swear this works miracles, but maybe it’s just a placebo effect at this point .
If you’re somewhere with a local foot bath, they’re pretty interesting!
You can also get those sticky muscle relief patches to sleep with, and keep your feet elevated when you sleep.
Good walking shoes and good socks are vital, I did one trip with cheap Skechers and ended with a lot of blisters and this year did a similar trip with decent shoes (ON Cloud) and i could’ve walked another two weeks without issues
Get a good pair of trekking shoes (trail runners, I bought a pair just before my trip to Japan and I am so grateful for those. They a way more comfortable than any Nike/ Adidas runner or similar.
I’m here in Osaka right now. It’s fucking brutal. Truth is sitting down for 20mins or so don’t really do shit.
Just have to suck it up and move on. Just stay hydrated and eat plenty, that seems like the best you can do.
Whenever traveling, I wear compression socks and my feet don’t hurt at the end of the day.
If you are going next month, maybe start going for longer walks at home, so your feet get a bis used to walking more. Otherwise as other people already said, bring good walking shoes.
Honestly, you should just go on long walks 1-2hr, before going on the trip. As a runner, who has taken long breaks in between, the first few weeks are usually the worst, and while icing/cold compress, elevating feet, and massage helps. Nothing beats conditioning your feet. Also finding good shoes.
I’d like to know where everyone is from, based on people talking about “so much walking” — because it’s so relative to where you’re from.
A lot of people are suggesting shoes and such but one thing to do is have lighter days on the trip as well. Some require more walking some require more train. Try not to have 3-4 heavy walking days in a row but maybe two heavy to one light walking day ratio
Lots of stuff doesn’t normally open until around 11am.
So having a good rest in the morning is a great way to recover knowing you won’t be missing out on too much.
Lying down on your bed with your legs/feet up on the wall does wonders. I would often do this after spending 12 hrs on my feet at work. Also have a small hard ball (like a cork ball) to massage the bottom of your feet helps too.
Start preparing now and walk more than you normally would every day. There’s not much you can do to help sore feet other than taking some Tylenol, but you can make less likely to happen in the first place.
Bring more than one pair of comfy shoes and rotate them – they will have slightly different pressure points on your feet and help any previous soreness/rubs from the day before becoming worse. Last time I went I had trainers, high top converses and crocs.
I’m not sure if you need to worry about that too much. I’m definitely not in good shape, and we did on average 30k each day, and it was no problem. Perhaps we spread it out over the entire day/evening, making sure we didn’t rush from place to place, and took breaks regularly.
I walked a half marathon last year, and I’m planning to take the same walking shoes with me as they’re well worn!
The key for me is socks more than shoes – good moisture wicking walking socks. I use ones called Hilly Twin Skin socks that have two layers and prevent rubbing. Take an extra pair out for the day and swap after a few hours – new socks feel like new feet!
1. Custom orthotic insoles are my #1 recommendation that help the most in my everyday life as well as traveling.
2. Salonpas patches/icy-hot/Voltaren/whatever your favourite muscle patch or pain relief cream is. The patches are hella cheap, you can get them at any pharmacy and DonQi in Japan. Just stick some on your feet/legs before you sleep.
3. Book hotels that have a public bath or onsen. Just sinking your entire body in there and soaking feels sooooo goood. I don’t know what it is, but Japanese shower heads also have way higher water pressure than where I’m from. They’re nice for showering and massaging your feet. Hope you’re comfortable with full nudity tho.
4. If you don’t have a public bath, go buy some foot bath salts stuff from the pharmacy/DonQi. You can just put it in your hotel bathtub and give your feet a good soaking at night.
5. Find a place with those massage chairs. They massage your arms and feet as well.
Walk more before you go so you’re broken in lol
good shoes. my 1st trip I wore some hiking boots and messed up my leg from walking too much. 2nd trip wore cushioned trail running shoes and was able to walk around even more with no discomfort
If there’s a electronics store like Bic or Yodabashi nearby, I’d “demo” their massage chairs and feet massagers.
I brought a massage lacrosse/trigger point ball and mini massage gun and it does wonders for the first couple days when my feet weren’t acclimated to the abused yet. I’m near the end of my 15 days here and I can do 20-30k steps without a hitch. Make sure to take breaks hourly, drink water and soak your feet in hottub nightly to get your blood flowing.
I bought brand new Nike Air Force 1s a week or so before I went. I broke them in by wearing them the week prior but honestly, they didn’t really need it – they’re great shoes.
There were a few days that my feet were sore but my husband would rub them for me! An onsen works a treat too.
Our record in one day was 28k steps (our day at DisneySea!) I am super proud of my 7 year old for doing this…let alone me! She wore Sketchers (as did my husband) and they seemed to hold up well too.
100% decent footwear and socks. And, if possible, leave the theme parks for the end of your trip when your legs are used to all the walking!
Compression socks!
I just rawdogged a Japan trip in Converse. I absolutely do not recommend. Take heed of the advice provided here.
I like to take a hot bath at night to relax my muscles; even better an onsen if your hotel has one. When you lie down elevate your feet on a pillow. SalonPas patches can help with sore muscles and you can buy them in pharmacies or Don Quiojte in Japan. Bring Ibuprofen with you to Japan. Bring two pairs of very good, already broken in walking shoes and alternate them each day to avoid sore/hot spots/blisters.
– [Health Goods You Can Buy in Japan](https://matcha-jp.com/en/1437)
– If you like to take a bath at night, you might want to avoid hotel rooms with [very small unit bathrooms.](https://resources.realestate.co.jp/living/japanese-apartment-bathrooms-explained/) Check bathroom photos in a site line booking to confirm if a unit bath or not for the room you’re booking.
– I prefer the Daiwa Roynet, Mitsui Garden, Candeo, Cross Hotels, and MyStays hotel chains as they often have larger bathrooms/tubs.
The number 1 tip for any visit to Kyoto or Tokyo is to lump sightseeing together by district. These are *huge* and very spread out cities. Number 2 tip is to get your one to two must-see/do’s done as early each day as possible. Then, anything else you do that day, is gravy. Lumping sites together by district will help reduce walking a bit.
– [Tokyo Districts](https://trulytokyo.com/tokyo-districts/)
– [Kyoto Districts](https://www.insidekyoto.com/kyoto-districts)
– [Osaka Districts](https://insideosaka.com/osaka-districts/)
– [Save the places you want to visit in Google maps.](https://www.theunconventionalroute.com/google-maps-saved-places/)
– Then, zoom out and see where those places are lumped together. Do *that* specific district/area in the morning and shift to another district/area in the afternoon. This way you don’t lose time/money criss-crossing the city.
– See how long it will take to travel via public transit (or walking if within the same area) between your sites. You need to account for travel time and add in an extra 15- 20 minutes from what Google Maps says as you may get turned around looking for your entrance/exit or platform in the subway/train stations.
– Be sure you check opening hours/days in Google maps too. You don’t want to show up at 8 am to Akihabara only to find all the shops closed or to a museum on a Monday as that is often (but not always) a closed day.
There’s also no need to recreate the wheel. Use some of these sample itineraries as a guide to plan out your days. YouTube and TikTok are great for ideas/inspiration, but they often edit videos together in a way that makes it seem locations are much closer together than they are. Sample itineraries like these, put the main sites together in a logical way logistically and give you a better sense of what is possible to see within a day. You don’t have to follow them exactly, but they can be a helpful starting point to planning your day.
– [JapanGuide: Suggested Itineraries](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2400.html)
– [JapanGuide: Tokyo Itineraries](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3051.html)
– [Truly Tokyo: Itineraries](https://trulytokyo.com/tokyo-itineraries/)
– [Truly Tokyo: Kawaguchiko Day Trip](https://trulytokyo.com/a-day-trip-to-the-mt-fuji-area-lake-kawaguchiko/)
– [JapanGuide: Tokyo Itineraries](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3950.html)
– [Inside Kyoto: Itineraries](https://www.insidekyoto.com/kyoto-itineraries)
– [JapanGuide: Osaka Itineraries](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4028.html)
– [Inside Osaka: Itineraries](https://insideosaka.com/osaka-itineraries/)
– [Nara Itineraries](https://www.insidekyoto.com/nara-itineraries)
– [HakoneNavi: Itineraries](https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/course)
– [Hakone Round Course](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5210.html)
– [Japan Guide: Nikko Itineraries](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3822.html)
– [Nikko: One Day or Overnight Itinerary](https://livejapan.com/en/in-tokyo/in-pref-tochigi/in-nikko/article-a0003340/)
Here is my guide as an overweight American:
I’m 5’9” 300 lbs. I’d been to Japan once in the mid 2000’s when I was in my 20’s (I’m now 42). I experienced the horrors of this the first time, blisters, sore everything, etc.
Unfortunately I stayed a large guy. I started planning for my trip in October of 2022 and went for almost the same time you were there, april 14-28. When I booked everything in October I started on a weight loss plan and over the intervening months I went from 340 to 300. I had intentions of adding lots of walking into the mix but it was winter and cold and I never really did get to it.
So, first good thing I did was lose 10% of my body mass (i packed on some pounds during Covid).
Next was getting the right equipment. I went to a local running/fitness shoe place and had my feet modeled and purchased a pair of Hoka walking shoes with the highest level of comfort. Contrary to what you hear breaking these in we’re not necessary. Believe it or not shoes like this are only good for like 300ish miles of use before not offering the support they used to.
Next: socks. For those people not used to exertion (like me), I talked to my doctor and researched online and I invested in about 7 pairs of 15-25 mmHg compression socks for 3 reasons: 1) I’m on some meds that can cause clots and my flight over was 16 hours and these help prevent them 2) I read they really help with extending your endurance (there’s a reason why athletes use them and 3) it helps with sore muscle recovery. I will stress here that these were 90% most likely my secret to my success. It was like night and day over regular socks. Seriously if you’re going to Japan buy some and use them every day you will definitely notice a difference.
Next: blister prevention. I noticed in the airports and flight over I was getting a few hotspots in my shoes, but I was prepared. I bought these Teflon things to go back on tbe heels of my shoes that smoothed out the interface between my heels and the shoes to stop friction based blisters from happening. I highly recommend doing this, if you’re prone to this issue. I’d always been highly prone to blisters on my heels. This + the smooth compression socks knocked this problem out completely.
So, you’ve gotten the equipment sorted, and tried a little to prep your body (or not, that part is up to you). Next is a regimen of self care.
Every night it was: get back from eating dinner, disrobe, bathe in the Japanese fashion. That is, take a shower to wash yourself off and cleanse everything, then fill up the deep bath with the hottest water you can stand and soak in it (making sure your entire lower legs are submerged) for 15-30 minutes. Out of the bath, take an NSAID of your choice. I had to go with aspirin because I mistakenly only packed excessive migraine and strangely couldn’t get ibuprofen at the drug store. Then just relax and wind down and sleep.
This regimen + the equipment + the prep made me feel like literal superman. I could go all day. I would get up in the morning, walk all morning in my neighborhood of choice, sit down and rest at lunch for an hour, then stand up and go all afternoon, dinner, then wind down regimen. I did stop every now and then where I could to rest if I needed a minute but for some reason had no issue finding places for that? Also there’s always sitting on the train. Lots of bus riding in Kyoto too and lots of the stops have benches there as well.
The piece de resistance for me though? One of the big reasons I finally decided to be brave and take this trip was because over Covid I heard about the walk from Magome-juku to Tsumago-juku along the Nakasendo trail. Everything I did was to give myself the best chance of doing this hike. I planned it for the first half of my trip, and it was the best experience of my life, even if the first 40% of it felt like I was walking up the side of a mountain. It’s like 6 miles from town to town over a mountain pass, and I did it, and my feet and legs survived (I did end up taking an easier day the next day to recover but that was kind to be of expected after a 10+ mile day).
So yeah, as a large person, it’s definitely doable as long as you know what you’re getting yourself into and are prepared.