Michinoku Coastal Trail Named One of Fodor’s 10 Great Walking Trails of the World

Some great news for the Michinoku Coastal Trail: Fodor’s Travel has included the Michinoku Coastal Trail in its new list of “10 Great Walking Trails of the World”!

Published in March 2026, the list features the MCT alongside some iconic walks, including Scotland’s West Highland Way, the Mont Blanc Walk, Italy’s Alta Via and Ireland’s Dingle Way.

Fodor’s highlights the MCT’s 1,000+ km journey along the Pacific coast of Tohoku, taking hikers through forests, beaches, coastal ridgelines and communities along the way.

It’s really special to see the MCT included in a global list like this; the trail only fully opened in 2019 and, compared with many of the world’s established long-distance trails, is still relatively unknown internationally.

But that’s also a big part of what makes it special. You can spend days walking through small fishing communities, forests and remote stretches of coastline, with the landscape and character of the trail constantly changing.

The route also passes through many communities affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. Walking the trail provides a very different way to experience this part of Japan, its landscapes, its communities and the changes that have taken place along the coast.

And, of course, you don’t need to walk all 1,000+ km.

There are plenty of shorter sections, day hikes and multi-day routes for anyone who wants to experience part of the trail. See the Planning and Routes pages for more!

Read the full Fodor’s feature here: https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/best-walking-trails-in-the-world