Yamanashi Course Overview

The third prefecture in the Tokai nature trail is Yamanashi Prefecture. Yamanashi makes up nearly one percent of Japan’s total area and forests cover 78% of the prefecture and a population of  890,000(18).

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Yamanashi is a land locked prefecture is located in the Chūbu region of Japan. Mount Fuji and the Fuji Five Lakes region is located in the southern area sharing a board with Shizuoka prefecture. Yamanashi prefecture is surrounded by steep mountains, and is home to some of the tallest mountains in Japan, the Southern Alps, and the tallest Mt. Fuji. 27% of Yamanashi is designated as Natural Parks(18, 19).

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The Yamanashi prefecture part of the course briefly passes through Shizuoka prefecture, before reentering Yamanashi prefecture. You will stay in Yamanashi prefecture until you enter Shizuoka prefecture and stay in Shizuoka prefecture until entering Aichi prefecture.

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This course starts at Hirano(平野) which is a bus stop near Lake Yamanaka. This area is a populated area with hotels, resturants and museums.  Lake Yamanaka is the largest of the Fuji Five Lakes, and popular with tourist because of the beautiful views of Mt. Fuji. 

The Yamanashi route is more direct than Kanawaga though it does offer some small route changes you take.  The Yamanashi course takes you to  Tashiro Pass  (田代峠) you reach the Yamanashi and Shizuoka border.  Tashiro Pass  (田代峠) there is a bench and table, you are able to camp out here before going on to Shizuoka.

The website guides serve as an overview of each prefectural course the Ebook goes into much more detail about each section, this is because the prefectural courses offer multiple routes. 

The course overview of each prefecture shows the outline of the course, and some of the major points of interest.  The Tokai trail offers many different routes, and the maps, even those on the trail, do not always show all courses. To address this issues I wrote a free guidebook that covers the complete trail.