I walked the Osaka Circular Nature Trail.
Introduction
I'm Yamane from ROCK STEPPERS. This time, I'm writing about my experience walking the "Osaka Kanjyo Shizen Hodo" (Osaka Circular Nature Trail), a path that circles Osaka. The total length is about 300 km. I don't think many people know that there's such a long trail so close to Osaka.
This journey was planned with Mr. Bando from maunawear. However, we didn't walk side by side. We split the approximately 300 km trail, with Mr. Bando taking half. I walked the first half from the start, and Mr. Bando walked the second half to the goal.
This is a record of my three-day trek covering the first 150 km.
The idea for this project came from Mr. Bando. He had walked this trail before, and I had been interested in it for a while, so we decided to do it together.
The Osaka Kanjyo Shizen Hodo (Osaka Circular Nature Trail)
Osaka has mountains and the vast Osaka Plain. The Osaka Kanjyo Shizen Hodo connects the mountains surrounding the plain.
It takes you through the mountains of Hokusei, over the Ikoma mountains, and then onto the Diamond Trail (Daitore for short), continuing all the way to the Kisen Alps, which form the border with Wakayama. While this sounds grand, what I felt after walking it was that it had a slightly different character than deep wilderness.
Although you do climb mountains, it's more of a path that connects satoyama (foothill villages) to satoyama, and hamlets to hamlets. In some places, it's very close to towns, while in others, you find classic Japanese landscapes of terraced rice fields and farms, with human life and nature coexisting side-by-side. It felt less like "climbing mountains" and more like "traveling on foot." That's the kind of path it was.
Why We Walked Half Each
When we decided to walk the entire trail together, we noticed something interesting. Our shop, ROCK STEPPERS, is located roughly in the middle of the Osaka Kanjyo Shizen Hodo. If you divide the approximately 300 km trail into two 150 km sections, our shop is right in the middle.
So, we decided to walk half each, using the shop as the dividing line. I would cover the first half, from the starting point to the shop, and Mr. Bando would cover the second half, from the shop to the goal. It felt quite interesting to us that our shop would become a midway point for the journey.
Day 1: From Nose's Chestnut Village to Toyono Town
We started from the chestnut village in Nose. On the first day, we walked about 40 km, which took about 8 hours.
The Hokusei area we walked that day had mountain trails winding through terraced rice fields and farms, where the trail itself served as a daily path for residents. The word "nostalgic" perfectly describes it, and I was genuinely surprised that Osaka had such scenery. It was also cherry blossom season, and the blossoms were truly beautiful, making for a great first day.
The path itself consists of both paved roads and mountain trails, but there are few steep sections, and it is well-maintained and easy to walk. Especially in Hokusei, there were many signposts, so we didn't get lost. However, despite being well-maintained, it seemed like not many people visited it.
The only convenient store to resupply naturally in this area was in Toyono Town, so we walked there to get supplies. We camped out for the night. I'll talk more about how we camped later, but we found a spot where we wouldn't bother anyone and rested for the night.
Day 2: From Minoh to Tokai Nature Trail, then to Izuhara's Satoyama
On the second day, we went from Nose Town to Shimamoto. It was about 50km, and we walked for about 12 hours, from around 5 AM to 4-5 PM.
Soon after starting, we entered the mountains of Minoh. There were monkeys, but it was a very well-maintained and beautiful forest, and there was also the Commemorative Forest of the Flower Expo, so we could proceed comfortably. Eventually, we entered the Tokai Nature Trail. The Osaka Circular Nature Trail overlaps with sections of the Tokai Nature Trail, and we followed that through the mountains of Takatsuki and Ibaraki.
What left the strongest impression on me that day was the area around Izuhara. There were terraced rice fields and stone walls, radishes drying outside eaves, and farming tools left outside houses. It was a satoyama where life was clearly visible.
I grew up in the countryside, and honestly, I didn't particularly like that kind of life when I was a child. But looking back now, that experience has become an important part of who I am, and when I see such scenery, I feel a sense of nostalgia along with a profound reverence. It's precisely because I'm traveling on foot that I can see these landscapes up close. It was a very good time.
The Tokai Nature Trail is very well-maintained, but once you stray from it past Mount Ponpon, it turns into a slightly wilder, rougher path. While not extremely rough, it made me realize just how much care and effort goes into maintaining the Tokai Nature Trail when I deviated from it.
The weather was good that day, but rain was forecast for the next, and quite heavy rain at that. The remaining 50 km were in the familiar Ikoma area, and a long section connected roads from Shimamoto through Hirakata. Walking 50 km on roads in the rain would be tough, so we decided to change our strategy. I would return to the shop for the night to change clothes, and on the third day, I'd go in a trail running style. Since I had already descended into the city, I decided to go back to the shop. I spent that night at the shop.
Day 3: Trail Running in Heavy Rain
The next morning, I set off in trail running gear, prepared for the rain. There was about 50 km left, with roughly 13 km of roads.
This was definitely the longest feeling day. The roads were long, and it rained continuously. There was no room to appreciate the refreshing spring weather, and some sections were completely obscured. Eventually, the rain intensified to a downpour, as if buckets were being overturned, almost warranting a weather warning, and the trail turned into a river. I often encounter rain when I go to the mountains, but this was one of the heaviest rains I've experienced.
Even so, I had no choice but to keep going, so I kept running and arrived at the shop before evening. By the time I arrived, the rain had stopped, and although it was only three days, I felt like "the journey was over."
Even with merino wool, when it gets that wet, it's all the same, so I changed clothes as soon as I got back to the shop. If I had stayed in hiking style, I would have definitely had to stop somewhere. Switching to running style on the third day was the right decision.
What I brought with me
For the backpack, I used a macpac Kete for the two days of hiking. It's made of AzTec® 8oz canvas, a simple and durable backpack blending organic cotton with tough polyester. It's resistant to scratches even with rough use, and there are few elements that could break. As it's not waterproofed, there's no need to worry about delamination. I felt it was a tool I could continue to use for a long time, allowing me to engrave my journey's memories onto it. It's a backpack that makes me want to use it again.
For shoes, since walking was the main activity, I chose Stomproxx's Trelworm barefoot shoes. These are leather barefoot shoes that give a near-barefoot feel but with some thickness, making them very comfortable to walk in. While they might cause fatigue over long distances, I thought barefoot shoes like these could be a good option for walking trips.
My pants were Static's DRIFTER LT PANTS. They're not too thick and have a good silhouette, so I can wear them as is even when I come down into town. I really like them and wear them often.
And for the shirt, since this trip was planned with Bando-san, I wore a short-sleeved shirt from maunawear. Maunawear shirts are inspired by Bando-san's past travels and activities, and wearing them enhances the feeling of being on a journey. They're shirts that lift your spirits.
This time, I significantly reduced my gear, and since I was speed hiking to cover distance, I was able to reach resupply points faster. If you're walking at a typical pace, I think it's better to prepare with a bit more food to have a more fulfilling trip.
When walking long distances, it's easier to carry as little gear as possible. The lighter your load, the more advantageous it is for long journeys. However, issues like running out of food or getting wet can occur, so careful selection is necessary. How much to cut depends on the season and your physical fitness, and it's not possible to state a definitive weight. If you want to challenge yourself, you can drastically reduce your gear, or if you prefer peace of mind, adding an extra change of clothes is also an option. It's a matter of style, so you're free to decide, but it's a waste to carry unnecessary items that add weight. If you need advice on what to bring, please feel free to consult us at the store.
To those who will walk the trail in the future
The Osaka Circular Nature Trail, more than enjoying mountain climbing itself, I think it's a path for enjoying the feeling of moving and traveling. It should be a great fit for people who love walking and traveling. I also think fast-packing or speed hiking would be interesting ways to experience it.
There are many places to escape, and resupply points are relatively common. And, although I learned this after walking it, the Osaka Prefectural Government created a proper official map after we walked the trail. It's a map divided into four areas, and if you follow it, you can avoid dangerous places, and there are almost no unclear paths. We were surprised ourselves, not expecting such a splendid map to be created. With this map, I think you can walk it section by section or through the whole thing. There's talk of having it available at the shop, so I think getting this map first is the best thing for anyone planning to walk it.
While it may not be as widely recognized as a World Heritage site like the Kumano Kodo, Osaka also has its history. Delving into the history of the path will surely make it even more interesting. I'm still learning myself and plan to research it further.
Conclusion
What was good about walking it was discovering that there's a place so close by where you can experience traveling in this way. And you can come back quickly. In fact, even though it was a 3-day trip, I returned to the shop for one night. That ease is also characteristic of this path.
This journey was originally sparked by an "event to talk about trails in Osaka." At that event, I had the opportunity to speak with people from the Osaka Prefectural Government who are in charge of greening, as well as the individuals who actually created this map and maintain the trails, which allowed me to rediscover the charm of the Osaka Circular Nature Trail. We hadn't planned anything in advance, and we didn't know that a map was being created or that there was a movement to promote it as the "Osaka Trail," but a connection was formed nonetheless. I believe this trail will become increasingly popular in the future.
And, ROCK STEPPERS is located right in the middle of this trail. That's why we hope to make it a place where people can feel free to consult us about the Osaka Circular Nature Trail. I also want to walk the latter half that Bando-san walked, and it was interesting for us to talk about "what was good" and "what was dangerous" on the trail.
If you're interested in the Osaka Circular Nature Trail, please feel free to contact us. We'd be happy to discuss equipment and the trail itself at our shop.