Magome to Tsumago Hike

This particular trip to mainland Japan was more about exploring the countryside than seeing the cities, although we did tag Kyoto on at the end since Duke had not yet been. Our first stop was in the Kiso Valley to hike from Magome to Tsumago. Between these two old post towns is a preserved portion of the Nakasendo trail you can hike. This trail connected Kyoto to Edo (Tokyo) and was used by merchants, feudal lords and samurais hundreds of years ago. Travelers would stop in these post towns for rest and food. The trail is about 8km and took us a couple hours including a rest stop and stopping for pictures. If you're in the Nagoya area and want a taste of the mountains this is a great side trip! The towns felt like a movie set of ancient Japan and the hiking in between was gorgeous.

BTW I borrowed this hiking backpack thing from my friend and is was really really awesome to use on this trip with Lucy. It looked pretty comfy for Lucy and she fell asleep in it everytime we used it. It also has a sunshade and ran cover and lots of pockets! The price tag is pricey in my opinion but after using it we thought it may be worth the price after all. Just thought I'd share if you're in the market!

Can you spot us in the mirror? Funny story- I lost my shirt on this hike ha! At our rest stop I took it off  to cool down (I had a sports bra on underneath). And then bc my shirt was all wet with sweat I hung in on the backpack to dry. After hiking 30 or so minutes I noticed it was gone! I backtracked a bit, but no sign of it, so I cut my losses. And felt kind of awkward the rest of the hike bc Japanese people are very modest and do not hike around in sports bras! And I typically don't either.

rice paddies!

Tsumago. After exploring the town, we ended up taking a taxi back to Magome. Although there is a bus that goes back and forth, we just didn't feel like waiting.

I love Japan!