Often when you are out running the trail with a group, after a bit of time together, there are times when you find yourself out on your own. That is a great time to enjoy some solitude, run at your own pace, and connect with nature, etc.
While it is good to get lost in your thoughts, it isn’t good to get lost on the trail. It is always important to plan your route in advance and bringing along maps, a compass, and a dependable smartphone. It still is beneficial to learn tips to navigate the trails without those tools.
The trails in Japan have fairly regular posts which give you directional pointers to prominent places, but they don’t always have Romaji or even English names.
If you are out on the Hasetsune course in the Okutama area south of the Tama River you can stay on course easily as long as you know what to look for.
From the start to the finish, all along the 70K route there are permanent trail markers installed in the ground. These Hasetsune navigation markers are small cement posts painted yellow with a 2 cm red cap. The markers are planted at every point where there is a trail junction. In some cases they are placed immediately preceding the intersection, in other instances they are after.
In the cases where the marker is prior to the junction, the marker is on the side of the trail where you should veer.
In the cases where the trail marker is after the intersection, it will be planted on the trial down which the Hasetsune course continues.
Sometimes it is difficult to find the marker. This is generally due to seasonal debris like leaces or fallen branches blocking your view, or undergrowth rising above the top of the post. The posts can also be muddied after heavy rains such that the yellow and red are no longer obvious.
If you don’t spot the marker, it is good to go back and look either before the turn or after, on both sides of the trail. If its view is obscured for any reason, consider it ‘trail maintenance’ to clear the area for later passengers.