High Water Season - Rafting on the Tone

Spring is creeping up on Snow Country. (You could be forgiven for thinking it is mid-winter today though with the snow falling outside.) There is plenty to look forward to during springtime. Cherry blossom is a big hit but for adventure lovers spring only means one thing - high water season on the Tone river.

The Tone is one of the best locations in Japan for whitewater rafting and has played host to the World Championships in previous years. As the meters of winter snow melt, the water makes its way down into the rivers turning the winter trickle into a raging torrent with some serious rapids.

Photo courtesy of Canyons

There is a spring-only 1 day course that takes in over 18 kilometers of the Tone with some great views on the way down. You also get a chance to run a famous section of the river that again is only accessible in the spring and has a series of thrilling rapids with just enough time to catch your breath before you get hurled down the next section.

Minakami has a fantastic reputation for outdoor activities so if you are there it would be a shame not to try some of the others - choose from canoeing, canyoning, bungy jumping, mountain biking, or paragliding.