Weston (1861-1940) lived in Japan for 15 years from 1888, mostly as a mission worker, and during his time there he began climbing in what he called the Japanese Alps. In consequence, Weston is regarded as one of the pioneers of mountaineering in Japan, and in recognition of his climbs and explorations he was awarded the Back Award of the R.G.S., and became the first Honorary Member of the Japanese Alpine Club. He first published on the subject in his Mountaineering and Exploration in the Japanese Alps (1896), and continued his writing in the present work (with its obvious nod to Leslie Stephen’s account of climbing in the European Alps, The Playground of Europe).