About Long Distance Nature Trails

What Are Long Distance Nature Trails?

This initiative, launched in 1969, aims to allow people to experience nature, history, and culture throughout the four seasons, thereby fostering a renewed appreciation for the nation’s land and raising awareness of nature conservation.Starting with the “Tokai Nature Trail” in 1970, a total of 10 trails (with a combined length of 28,000 km) have been developed to date. The 10th of these is the Michinoku Coastal Trail (official name: Tohoku Pacific Coast Nature Trail).

Background of Its Creation and Social Reaction

The inspiration for this project originated with the Appalachian Trail in the United States. Against the backdrop of “rapid economic growth,” the “leisure boom,” and “environmental destruction caused by development,” Mr. Michio Oi, the ranger who led the initiative at the time, championed the idea of “restoring humanity.” At the time of its announcement, the project garnered significant media attention, with some calling it “the most civilized plan.” 
Sankei Shimbun: “If the Shinkansen and expressways are arteries, then walking trails are the ‘veins’ that bring health and renewal to people.” 
Mainichi Shimbun: “At first glance, it may seem like a step backward from civilization, but it is actually the most civilized plan.”
Yomiuri Shimbun: “A sanctuary where people can live as human beings.”
Asahi Shimbun: “If we forget how to walk, our lives will become distorted.”

Recent Reappraisal

In recent years, as we mark the 50th anniversary of this milestone, its value is being reevaluated. New initiatives are underway, as evidenced by the 2020 White Paper on the Environment, which featured the Michinoku Coastal Trail and the “50th Anniversary Symposium on Long Distance Nature Trails” (2019).

For more information on Long Distance Nature Trails, please visit the Ministry of the Environment’s “Let’s Walk Long-Distance Nature Trails!!” website.
Let’s Walk the Long Distance Nature Trails!!

① Hokkaido Nature Trails: 4,600 km

Under construction (Hokkaido)

② Tohoku Nature Trail: 4,369 km

Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata and Fukushima Prefectures (6 prefectures)

③ Tohoku Pacific Coast Nature Trail (Michinoku Coastal Trail): 1,025 km

Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima Prefectures (4 prefectures, 28 municipalities)

④ Chubu-Hokuriku Nature Trail: 4,092 km

Gunma, Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Nagano, Gifu, Shiga Prefectures(8 prefectures)

⑤ Shutoken Nature Trail: 1,797 km

Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefectures(6 prefectures and Tokyo)

⑥ Tokai Nature Trail: 1,748 km

Tokyo, Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Shizuoka, Gifu, Aichi, Mie, Shiga, Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka (1 metropolis, 2 prefectural capitals, and 8 prefectures)

⑦ Kinki Nature Trail: 3,291 km

Fukui, Mie, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, Wakayama, and Tottori Prefectures (2 metropolitan areas and 7 prefectures)

⑧ China Nature Trail: 2,295 km

Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima, and Yamaguchi Prefectures (5 prefectures)

⑨ Shikoku Nature Trail: 1,654 km

Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, and Kochi Prefectures (4 prefectures)

⑩ Kyushu Nature Trail: 2,932 km

Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima Prefectures (7 prefectures)