In 2019, I set up a Facebook group for people who have either hiked or are looking to hike the Michinoku Coastal Trail. There are now hundreds of members sharing questions, stories, photos, reflections and advice about the trail.

If you haven’t already, please join the group HERE. It’s open to everyone and is - of course - free. Even if you’re not so active on Facebook, joining the group will be worth it if you’re looking for up-to-date information and to connect with other hikers.

Thanks to the many contributions of these group members, as well as the emails/messages I receive via this website, I’ve identified some of the most frequently asked questions that people have about the trail. Rather than answer them one by one, I thought I’d gather them in one place.

So, here they are:

• Do I have to walk the whole trail?
  No! You can - of course - walk sections of the trail, ranging from a few hours to several weeks, depending on your schedule. For those short on time, there are some great day hikes and overnighters that reach some of the most scenic parts of the trail.
  

• Do I need a permit to walk the Michinoku Coastal Trail?
  No, you don’t need a permit.
  

• What is the trail surface like?
  I would estimate that 50-75% of the Michinoku Coastal Trail is some type of paved road surface. Many roads are quiet ones, but there are some sections that go through more urban areas too. The remaining percentage is a mixture of gravel paths, mountain trails, beaches and tracks. If road walking is not for you, consider walking a few of the more “wild” sections and skipping the more urban / road-heavy sections (see the recommended trail sections above, as well as trail videos to get an idea as to surface).
  

• Can I cycle the trail?
  As mentioned above, approximately 50-75% of the trail is paved and so you will be able to cycle a lot of the official MCT route. However, there are mountain paths and trekking routes which are not passable with a bicycle (unless you are superhuman and willing to carry all your gear and bike up and down mountains). So I would say that you will be able to cycle a lot of it, but not all of it. You can most likely find alternative routes (e.g. follow roads where necessary) during the more hiking trail-like sections. One cyclist shared the following: “I cycled much of the trail with a friend last summer. We went from Same to Soma over the course of a week, hiking certain areas and taking the train/bus in others. Having folding bikes gave us lots of options along the way, especially in sections that had lots of traffic or were otherwise problematic. We had to skip various sections but that was simply a matter of fitting as much as possible into the time we had and the fact that hiking generally meant that we had to park our bikes and return back to them.”
  

• Can I camp anywhere? Or do I need to camp at an official campsite?
  There are some 25 campsites along the trail, including one on the famed “Cat Island” of Tashirojima, accessible via a short boat ride from Ishinomaki City. So I would say as much as possible, stay at those campsites - please see this map for details. Also, remember that some businesses along the trail offer allow MCT hikers to pitch a tent on their property - see the MCT Supporters list HERE for more. Officially speaking, camping is only allowed at designated campsites. That being said, since there are stretches along the trail without campsites, I personally have wild camped (i.e. camping outside of official campsites) and have met many others who have also done so along the trail. If you’re going to wild camp, make sure you use common sense - i.e. pick somewhere isolated which won’t bother anyone, only pitch your tent once it starts getting dark, leave at first light before people wake up, leave no trace, greet people with a friendly smile if you do see them, etc. Importantly, obey any rules displayed on signs - there are some places that specifically prohibit camping, so stay away from those. Also, while camping is fun, I highly recommend staying at local minshuku or ryokan (inns) when you can, to support local businesses, meet locals, and give your back a well-deserved rest.
  

• Will my mobile phone have signal along the whole of the trail?

  While a lot of the trail does have coverage, there are certainly more remote sections where your phone will not have signal. Make sure you have physical copies of maps and/or are able to use your navigational tools offline. You can check your provider’s coverage maps in advance; for example, my carrier UQ has a map here. You can find similar maps for carriers like Softbank, Rakuten, and NTT Docomo too.
  

• Is the trail well-marked?
  There are some stretches along the Michinoku Coastal Trail without clear signage. Depending on where you choose to walk, you may have to guess and be a little creative at times. In my experience, areas in Aomori and Iwate were better marked than the others. Be prepared for some guess work, and make sure you bring the right maps!

• Is water accessible on the trail?
  Remember that tap water in Japan is potable - so you can fill your bottles up at your accommodation, campsites, public bathrooms, stores, visitor centres, etc. I personally did not struggle to access water while thru-hiking the trail, but best to carry more than you think you need in remote areas. I always carried at least 1 Litre, but also had the capacity to carry up to 3 Litres. Also, for better or for worse, Japan is the land of vending machines. A lot of remote places still have vending machines, and - from memory - I walked past at least one vending machine every day. There are also some incredible Springs along the trail that provide tasty and safe water straight from the ground. Download the free “mymizu” app (“mizu” means water in Japanese), a crowdsourced app to help people find free water across Japan and the world, including springs. I have uploaded as many water points as I could find along the trail - if any are missing, please add them via the app!