Nakasendo Trail Trek to Karuizawa in Japan

My husband (87!), two daughters (35 and 37) and I (68) had the experience of a lifetime climbing Mt. Fuji with Hama in early August. He made it easy for our American family – giving us all the help we needed in the pre-mountain stages and how to physically prepare for the challenge. He picked us up at our hotel, and off we went on a three-day trip. Most people take 2 days to do the roundtrip, but Hama was flexible with us: We wanted a slower trip because of our advanced ages. By taking three days, we had time for a leisurely walk around the caldera and a chance to make friends with the hut staff. He selected an excellent route for the ascent based on the condition of the trails and a different trail on the way down that had some of the most amazing scenery of all. Throughout, Hama was an engaging companion, telling tales and listening to ours. A real bonus: when he learned I am interested in tea, he arranged for us to visit a tea-producing farm after we got back to the trailhead. That was above and beyond–just an example of the kind of service Hama offers. There is no one we would have rather climbed with than Hama!

Hama doesn’t just show you Japan’s trails — he brings them to life. An incredible guide with genuine warmth, deep local knowledge, and an eye for the moments that make a trip memorable

We had such an incredible experience hiking the Japanese Alps on our honeymoon and we are so thankful to Hama for making it extra special for us. Hama changed the route based on our experience, which opened up new challenges and beautiful scenery for us which we are grateful for. He is a very warm, kind and interesting person and we enjoyed sharing stories and cultural exchanges. He helped us hire equipment, booked mountain huts, and also stopped by an onsen after the hike. He went out of his way to make it as smooth as possible. It was invaluable to have his expertise and we felt very safe despite the snowy conditions. He has given us the confidence to go on more hiking trips. We absolutely loved his company. His love for Japan's incredible landscape shines through, and we cannot recommend him more highly as a guide.

Hama was a wonderful guide for our 2-day Kumano Kodo trip. He was attentive to our needs and desires, and flexible to what we wanted from the trip. Hama speaks English well and was very knowledgeable about many topics, which made the experience much richer. The cultural exchange was great as we stayed at an onsen. The scenery and area are really spectacular and worth the long trip to get there.