For Tokyo's nature-starved, rafting sans raft

Ron Close, a US marketing executive, prepares to take the plunge down a 60-foot waterfall on the Tonegawa River. (Kyle Drubek)

MINAKAMI, Japan - This is a nation of trends, from funky gadgets to fad diets. The latest, canyoning, may surprise those unfamiliar with the rugged side of Japan. A world away from the neon madness of Tokyo and the tranquil temples of Kyoto, this is a hot spring town turned adrenaline junkie paradise.

Just 75 minutes from Tokyo by bullet train, Minakami is surrounded by glacier-spotted mountains, rushing rivers, and, increasingly, outdoor adventure companies eager to get in on the action.

Canyoning is similar to rafting with one crucial difference: no raft. Instead of depending on inflatable rubber to carry you down rapids and waterfalls, you rely on your own body.

Sound nuts? Perhaps. But when the water is too low for rafting - May and June are high-water season on the Tonegawa River - you have to find your thrills elsewhere. Ditch the raft, grab a helmet, and head down the rapids with little else but skin and bones as your vessel.

Mike Harris, a native New Zealander, founded Canyons seven years ago, the first outdoor adventure company to offer canyoning in Japan. "I couldn't find anyone here who knew what it was," he says. "The first three or four years were difficult, but we've been trying to create as many benefits to the local community as we can."

Harris is quick to assure the uninitiated that safety is a priority. All guides are certified through the German-based International Association of Professional Canyon Guides. Besides canyoning, the company offers a variety of summer and winter tours, including conventional rafting, skiing, and mountain biking, and adds bungee jumping this spring.

The area has been receiving a growing number of nature-starved Tokyoites looking for a weekend getaway. Ron Close, a US marketing executive, is one such city slicker. "I didn't have anything to do during the Golden Week holiday in May, so I found this and drove up the next day. I'd never heard of it before," he says. "This time I came back with three friends because I wanted to show them what it was all about."

The anticipated boom has begun, Harris says, adding that some 8,000 thrill seekers visited Canyons last year. "Year by year, our popularity is almost doubling."

It isn't the first boom to hit the area. During Japan's infamous bubble era, tourists came in droves to Minakami to take advantage of the abundant hot springs and ski resorts. When the bubble burst, much of the mass development became superfluous.

It's a common story in small towns across Japan. Abandoned buildings and boarded-up shops are often all that's left. Towns like Minakami are desperately seeking makeovers, trying to revitalize sagging economies and increase dwindling populations.

"Onsen [hot spring] towns are a dime a dozen. To differentiate yourself, you have to have onsen and something else special," Harris says. This year, Minakami's local tourism association devoted a branch to outdoor activities, and Harris is working with the local government on building sustainable tourism in the area

Masashi Tamura, a taxi driver, agrees. Born and raised in Minakami, he's grateful for the recent influx of foreigners and tourists. "After the bubble, things went down, down, down," he says. "Now it's beginning to change. More young people are coming."

Besides adventure seekers, the area gets a fair share of visits from Tokyo-based companies. "This is a good way to build teamwork and leadership between people," says guide Hugo Hideki, explaining that fear can serve as a good bonding tool. "Most people are very, very scared the first time."

One of the most popular half-day trips on the Tonegawa River is to Fox Canyon. After gearing up in wet suits, harnesses, life jackets, shoes, gloves, and helmets, visitors are instructed in the basics. Some of the instructions - "just relax and enjoy the scenery" - are reassuring; others - "don't flail your arms on the big jumps or you risk dislocating your shoulders" - are not.

The course begins with river walking, gentle floating, and a small rockslide. Participants have the option of going down feet-first or head-first, and though the latter might seem more daunting, it's surprisingly instinctual.

Quickly, the thrills intensify when we arrive at a 60-foot waterfall. Using carabiner hooks and ropes, canyoners take turns being lowered down the fall until they're comfortable being released and free-falling into the swirling water. The plunge happens so quickly, most people reach the bottom before they realize what's happening. The trickiest part can be persuading people to take the initial step.

It's not easy leading tours composed both of nervous Nellies and macho adrenaline freaks. "It's always a challenge when working with people," Harris says. "The problem is knowing the right challenge for each person."

On this afternoon, our group of 23 is about half and half; the devil-may-care attitudes are balanced by the balkers. "Only one in a thousand won't go down the waterfall," Harris says. "It's usually the foreigners who chicken out."

After conquering the biggest waterfall of the day, one might assume that the rest of the outing would be easy. No such luck.

The next big challenge is a 50-foot freefall from a rope extending across the canyon. Those who are game must first pass a pull-up test, then clamber up a rock wall to a persimmon-colored bridge. From here, you climb onto a wooden seat and swing into the canyon until you're ready to drop.

By the end of the three-hour tour, though, even the blue-lipped, teeth-chattering members of the group are grinning, looking shell-shocked but happily surprised by their own bravery.

It's this feeling that keeps people coming, Harris says, adding that 85 percent of visitors are repeat customers.

Marie Doezema, a freelance writer in Tokyo, can be reached at mvdoezema@hotmail.com.