Did you know that on the border between Niigata and Yamagata prefectures there is a mountain with the ostentatious name Japan Country? We didn't know... and so we climbed it! (Because climbing normally is also boring) Barefoot!

This is the three of us (plus photographer Yuu Koba) who are taking on this challenge, making a total of four people. After researching the ultimate running shoes, we decided to give barefoot mountaineering (a.k.a. barefoot mountaineering) a try, but..,

Immediately after the start I had a severe pain in my leg! What the hell is that! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! After I screamed, I looked at my feet and saw this guy had fallen. It's a chestnut. We went into the mountain road, although we were immediately baptised by the mountain.

It goes on smoothly. It doesn't hurt as much as you might imagine! The shape of the mountain is directly felt by your feet, so you can feel straight away that you are walking on your own feet. Every step you take (to avoid stepping on chestnuts) is meant to be serious, so the petty worries of everyday life are blown away.

After a short walk, oh, my feet are cold... This, this is spring water! This is delightful!

Drinks very much. It's just after the start, but it's going fast.

山の中は空気が涼しい！山頂を目指してGO！ひたすら歩きます。途中にはバカでかいキノコも登場して、我々のベアフット登山を演出してくれました。

This is how it feels underfoot. Fallen leaves were gentle on the feet, not as if they hurt, twigs and pebbles were easy, large branches and larger stones were lightly heavy (on the feet), and chestnuts were the natural enemy.

About half an hour's climb and this view! Beautiful!

We pashed around! A couple of climbers we were passing looked at us suspiciously and tried to walk past us, so we said, "Hello!" We greeted them cheerfully! What are you doing? Are you OK? We're only about a third of the way to the summit. Good luck," she said warmly.

And walking slowly, it took about 50 minutes in total! We arrived safely at the summit! I was very impressed! It turns out that, surprisingly, you can climb mountains barefoot, empty-handed or in plain clothes (depending on the mountain)!

The pain in my legs took over everything, so strangely I never felt tired. The climb was a piece of cake, but the descent was hell. All the weight is on your feet, so your feet take three times as much damage as on the way up. If you are a first timer, it might be better to put your shoes in a bag or something. Dehydration can also be a real hazard, so take a water bottle or something with you!

We learned that going to places and doing things you don't normally do can make us boys more excited. And that there is a joy that only those who have actually done it can understand... The scenery from the mountains is also very beautiful, so please try climbing them too! It took me less than two hours to climb this mountain, even barefoot, uphill and downhill!

Japan [also known as Mt Ishibachi (Imakusa-yama)].

Residence: Murakami Komata Jinai ※Residence of the mountain pass rest house 151-34 Murakami Komata