Rishiri Island·Japan
Photo: Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan · Wikimedia · CC BY 2.0
Rishiri is a single volcanic cone rising straight out of the Sea of Japan off Hokkaido's northern tip, so symmetrical it is known locally as Rishiri-Fuji. Because the trail starts at sea level, the climb is the entire 1,721 metres of the mountain in one push — a long day of eight to twelve hours that ends on a narrow summit where, on a clear morning, you can see the sea in every direction and Sakhalin away to the north.
The lower forest gives way to alpine flower meadows in high summer and a steep, jagged final section near the top. It is a proper mountain, not a stroll, and its remoteness is half the appeal: getting here means a ferry from Wakkanai and the better part of a day from Sapporo, which is why so few foreign walkers ever do it.
The season runs June to September. A portable-toilet system operates on the mountain — you buy the bags locally and carry everything back out.
In season: Jun–Sep
A portable toilet system is in use on the mountain — bags are bought locally and carried out. Ferries are weather-dependent.
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