Trip report: Hike along the Arakawa River

Hey everyone, just came back from a 1-month trip to Japan and wanted to share a hike I did along the Arakawa River.

**BASIC INFO**

The Arakawa River is a 173-kilometer long river that flows through Tokyo and Saitama prefecture. It’s the 15th longest river in Japan and second longest in Kanto region.

**GETTING THERE**

Basically you can start anywhere along the river, so it depends on where you’re staying. I was staying at Nippori and decided to take the Nippori-Toneri Liner to Adachi-odai Station, where I began my hike.

**THE HIKE ITSELF**

I would say this was more a nice walk, but if you’re a beginner or just want to exercise your legs a bit before hiking up the various mountains in Japan then this could be a good choice. You don’t really need to navigate at all so you can let your mind wander, or if you’re with friends it could be a good way to socialize and chit-chat outdoors. The Arakawa River is also popular among cyclists and runners since it’s just one long stretch where you can cycle and run to your heart’s content.

For me I hiked around 10 kilometers from Adachi-odai Station to a place called Ukima Park, which is known for its tulips from March to April as well as a fishing pond with a windmill on its banks. Along the way I passed by a couple of parks and the Old Iwabuchi Watergate, which is a red-painted floodgate built in the early 20th century, now preserved as a monument.

Overall the hike doesn’t offer much of a challenge in terms of terrain and there isn’t much of a scenery to speak of. However, it’s not bad if you’re in Tokyo and looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. There are also toilets situated throughout, and if you get tired you can just end the hike whenever and wherever you want.

That’s it! If you have any questions please feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to answer them.