Michinoku Trail Walker Project

Hi! I’m Robin, a British-Japanese trail nut.

The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake was a major turning point in my life. I spent several months volunteering in the disaster area, then spent years working for a nonprofit supporting its long-term recovery.

In 2017, after hearing about a brand new trail connecting the coastal towns most impacted by the tsunami, I decided to walk 600+km along the Michinoku Coastal Trail (before it officially opened in 2019). I then thruhiked the full 1,000+km trail in 2022, and have walked several sections of the trail since, totalling more than 2,000km.

As I walked, I shared photos, videos and stories on Facebook and Instagram. I was blown away by the interest from people around the world in my journey. Over time, I received a growing number of enquiries about how others could make the journey themselves.

That’s why I decided to make a free online guide, crowdsourced map, and online community - a project that became known as the Michinoku Trail Walker project. The goal is to share practical information about the trail in English, as well as promote the trail as a unique destination for sustainable tourism to travellers around the world, ultimately helping to breathe new life into the Tohoku region and support its long-term recovery.

This is a fully volunteer-run project. I cover all of the costs, including running and updating this website. If you’d like to show your support, please consider donating even a small amount here (from as little as $3) 🙏

If you have any feedback, comments, or questions, feel free to reach out via the “contact” page. You can also see my website, or find me on Instagram, Medium, or Twitter for more.

I hope that the Michinoku Coastal Trail brings you as much joy as it did to me.

Happy trails! 🥾