Tokyo

AS Japanese prepare to head for the hills on Thursday for their inaugural Mountain Day holiday, retailers and tourism operators are gearing up for an US$8 billion windfall.

They're counting on customers such as schoolteacher Ayako Kobayashi, 33, who spent more than US$700 on a sleeping bag, mattress, backpack and food to climb Mount Kita near Nagano last weekend. She's looking for a two-person tent and a bigger backpack, which would set her back another US$1,000, but she says the price tag is worth it.