Japanese hikers especially may not have heard of a data book before, but data books are available and widely used for long distance trails like the Pacific Crest Trail in the US. Hikers use data books while planning their hike and during the hike itself to calculate the distance between a day’s start and end point, check on places to stock up on food, see where to stay at a hotel or take a break, and see how much elevation change is in store.

The Hiking Map Books also give distances between and information about major points, but the DATA BOOK shows information the information hikers need, in both Japanese and English in much greater detail for the entire MCT. The information it contains includes cumulative distances from the southern and northern terminus, distances between individual points, elevation differences, nearby stations, toilets, sources of water, stores and more. If you have any other questions about the data book, please feel free to contact Natori Trail Center.