June 2026

June is usually when the dreaded hot-and-humid summer season kicks off here in Japan, but we've had a surprisingly stretch of cool days this year. Apparently it's been the coldest June in 15 years (nice to have some climate-related records that swing in a positive direction, for a change). Last week we had two typhoons simultaneously come in towards Japan, so it's been super rainy as well. June is also my birthday month, and on the eve of my birthday I noticed - to my dismay - that my first white hair had sprouted. Old age is upon me. New hikes on the blog In June I published 2 new hikes on the blog. First up was Mt Omuro, an extinct volcano down on the Izu Peninsula. Not so much of a proper hike (more of a scenic walk around the peak) but we had some great weather, views of Mt Fuji and overall it's just a cute little mountain. The second was Mt Houou, which was my first Alps hike for the year, and my first one done as a solo tent hike! Other than it being a bit too cold to sleep…