Walter Weston

Walter Weston (25 December 1861 – 27 March 1940) was an English clergyman and Anglican missionary who helped popularise recreational mountaineering in Japan at the turn of the 20th century.

[2][3] Ordained a deacon in 1885, priest in 1886, Weston was appointed curate of St John's, Reading, Berkshire, in 1885.

He began mountain climbing while expressing a strong interest in Japanese landscapes, traditions, customs and culture.

Weston and Edward Bramwell Clarke are the westerners identified with the emergence of mountain climbing as a new sport in Japan.

After returning to England during the First World War, Weston settled in London and became an active member of the Alpine Club of Great Britain, the Japan Society of London (serving on its council), and the Royal Geographical Society, which in 1917 awarded him its Back Award and a Fellowship for his work in Japan.