Your crash pad strategy for Japan
Getting a full-size crash pad to a Japanese crag is the real crux of the trip. Here are the three ways visiting climbers solve it — bring an inflatable, rent locally, or improvise a sub-pad for pocket change.
Why you need a crash pad strategy
When planning a bouldering trip to Japan, the biggest crux is figuring out what to do with a giant crash pad. Oversized baggage fees on flights are incredibly expensive, and bringing a massive foam pad onto Japanese public transport — especially Tokyo's packed trains — is nothing short of a nightmare.
To enjoy Japanese outdoor bouldering smartly and stress-free, having a pad strategy before you travel is essential. Here are the three we recommend.
Strategy 1 — buy and bring an inflatable pad
If you plan to keep travelling and climbing around the world, the smartest investment you can make is an inflatable crash pad that comes to Japan with you.
The biggest advantage is that once deflated it fits into a backpack, which means zero oversized baggage fees on flights. You are also forever free from rental logistics — no worrying about shop inventory, no rushing to make a return deadline. For climbers relying on trains and buses instead of a car, this is the ultimate weapon.
Local fun fact — riverside boulders
At riverside crags, summers can get intensely hot. Climbers who own inflatable pads often fully inflate them and float them in the shallows as water mats, or use them as rafts to reach deep water soloing boulders. Drifting down the river after a hard session is the ultimate chill time.
Strategy 2 — rent from local shops
If you prefer the familiar feel of a giant polyurethane foam pad, or if this is your only outdoor bouldering trip, renting locally is your basic strategy.
Area A — Mitake (Tokyo)
This is Japan's most popular bouldering area reachable by train. Two shops rent pads a couple of minutes from Mitake Station, so you can head out of Tokyo empty-handed; a third option is a gym in central Tokyo.
| Shop | Price | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| maunga (Mitake main store) | 1,500 JPY per pad per day | A used outdoor gear shop near the station. Book on their online form (English labels) by 19:00 the day before. Pick up and return within shop hours — weekdays 9:00–19:00, weekends and holidays 8:00–19:00; outside that costs 3,000 JPY extra. Rock brushes are lent free. |
| Concept / River House | 1,000 JPY per pad per day | A rafting outfit two minutes from Mitake Station that rents pads too. Any time 8:00–20:00, open year-round. Book by phone or email. |
| BETA Climbing Gym (Shinjuku) | 1,650 JPY per pad per 24 hours | A gym in central Tokyo. Members only, 3 pads in total, booked by email or at the front desk. Only worth it if you already climb there and want a pad for a multi-day trip. |
SCROLL THE TABLE SIDEWAYS ON A NARROW SCREEN
Not sure how the booking works? We wrote out each shop's procedure and rules in English: how to rent a crash pad for Mitake, step by step.
You can take a train directly to Mitake from Shinjuku Station. To keep transport cheap and simple, get an IC card such as Suica in advance and base yourself around Shinjuku. Buy a Suica or a Japan transport pass in advance on Klook, and find hotels in the Shinjuku area on Booking.com.
Area B — Ogawayama and Mizugaki (Nagano / Yamanashi)
The holy grail of Japanese granite, often called the Yosemite of Japan. The area is vast and you will often find yourself hiking forest roads with a pad on your back, so a good quality pad matters here.
| Shop | Price | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Kimpu Sansou (inside Mawarimedaira campground) | 2,000 JPY per day | Right in the heart of Ogawayama bouldering. You can rent a pad along with your camping registration. |
| Mizugakiyama Natural Park management building (Noboro) | 1,500 JPY per day | The base camp for the Mizugaki area. Advance booking is available online. |
| ROOF ROCK | See their site | A climber-run shop in Kawakami Village, Nagano, on the way to Ogawayama. High-quality pads for rent. |
Reaching this area by train or bus is close to impossible — you need a car from Tokyo or the airport. An SUV or minivan is worth it so you have room to load pads. Search for rental cars from Tokyo on Rentalcars.com.
Strategy 3 — the 100-yen shop bath mat
Assuming you have your main pad sorted, you will eventually want a sub-pad — something to keep your shoes clean, or to sit on for a sit start. There is no need to buy or rent one.
The secret weapon of local Japanese climbers is the humble bath mat, or interlocking joint mat, from a 100-yen shop.
- Where to buy: Daiso, Seria or Don Quijote, found all over Japan.
- Price: 100 to 500 JPY.
- Why it works: ultra-light EVA foam, the perfect size to put under you for a sit start. When you leave Japan you can dispose of it according to your hotel's rules or hand it to another climber at the crag, so it never adds to your luggage.
So which one is for you?
Prepare according to your travel style. To recap:
- Bring an inflatable pad — perfect if you climb at crags worldwide and want to travel light on Japan's trains and buses. It is also versatile: a water float or a raft to reach deep water soloing boulders in riverside areas.
- Rent locally — recommended if this is a one-off outdoor trip, or if you prefer the solid feel of a foam pad. Mitake is highly accessible by train, while renting a car for Ogawayama and Mizugaki makes for an epic climbing road trip.
- The 100-yen bath mat — the ultimate sub-pad hack. Cheap, weightless and disposable, and a trick every climber visiting Japan should know.
Choose the pad strategy that fits your itinerary and have an amazing time on the beautiful rocks of Japan.
Pad sorted? Work out where it is going. The Kanto area guide covers Mitake, Mizugaki and Ogawayama — access, parking and season for each.
Two things worth settling in the same sitting: whether you need a car to carry the pad at all (rental cars and crag access — Mitake is reachable by train, the other two are not), and whether the guidebook you want exists in English (English topos).