A PIT-STOP IN JAPAN’S TIME CAPSULE POST TOWNS
Wander through Japan’s post towns, or Shukuba, charming Edo-period pit stops along the Nakasendo, a 500+ km highway between Tokyo and Kyoto once frequented by samurai and nobles. Nicknamed “The Princess’s Superhighway”, it had 69 post towns, offering inns, food, and trade.
These towns thrived for centuries, hosting figures like Princess Kazunomiya, who traveled with an entourage of 15,000, fueling local economies. Honjin inns housed VIP officials, while minshuku and Waki-honjin welcomed travelers of all ranks. Many of these traditional inns are now house museums.
By the 1960s, most post towns had crumbled, but government restoration preserved their thatched roofs, wooden homes, and car-free streets, creating time-capsule villages where you might expect to see a ninja on the rooftops.
For an off-the-beaten-path experience, visit Tsumago, Magome, Narai, and Ouchijuku. Tsumago boasts a 500-year-old cherry tree and Nagiso Museum, while Magome’s hilltop views have inspired artists for centuries. A scenic hike between Magome and Tsumago offers a glimpse into Japan’s past, no athleticism required.
Stay in Narai’s Minshuku Shimada for under $100/night, then explore more of the Kiso Valley’s historic towns—a must for seasoned travelers.
KYOTO ADVENTURES
Seeing and Doing
Kyoto is a quick shinkansen ride from Tokyo, with the fastest train taking just over 2 hours.
Explore Southern Higashiyama, a historic district of cobbled streets, temples (like Kiyomizu-dera), shrines, gardens, and cafés. Rent a kimono or yukata, then stroll Gion or Miyagawacho in the evening, where you might spot a geisha—but avoid taking photos, as it’s unwelcome. Get a drink at one of the wine bars such as Oumi-e in a renovated traditional. teahouse.
Visit Nishiki Market (“Kyoto’s Kitchen”), dating back to 782, for a lively food scene. Open 10 AM – 6 PM, it’s a great lunch stop and theres 400 metres of it to explore! (Nakauoyacho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8054)
For a hidden gem, head to Otagi Nenbutsu-ji in Arashiyama, where 1,200 unique stone Buddha statues create a serene, mystical atmosphere. (2-5 Sagatoriimoto Fukatanicho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8439)
A day trip to Nara Park lets you see over 1,000 sacred deer (don’t feed them) and Todai-ji, home to the world’s largest wooden building and a 50-ft Buddha. (Nara Park is a pretty direct 20 minute walk from JR Nara Station / Todai-ji: 406-1 Zoshicho, Nara, 630-8211)
Manga lovers shouldn’t miss Kyoto’s Manga Museum, housed in a former school, with 300,000 manga volumes, historic woodblock prints, and global comic art. Enjoy a permanent manga history exhibit, live drawing sessions, and anime-style portraits. (452 Kinbukicho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-0846)
Tofukuji, my favorite temple with both a moss and stone garden that is not crowded.
The Moss Temple can be booked online these days, so it’s easier. And Katsura Villa and other imperial properties are also accessible as part of a group.
Stately gardens at Katsura Riku Imperial Villa in Kyoto. Reservations open 4 months in advance and can be made online. The website is not particularly user friendly, but it is in English. Check the times available for the day you wish to visit and try to book an English language tour. If you can only get a Japanese language tour, there are audio guides available.
The moss garden at Saihoji Temple. Unlike many of Kyoto’s temple gardens that can feel overly manicured, this garden featuring luxurious moss feels natural and magical. And don’t be discouraged by a rainy day as the moss absolutely glows when saturated. Reservations can be made online or by postcard (instructions here).
Another stunning garden that doesn’t require advanced reservations is the cultivated hillside at Okochi Sanso, the gorgeous estate of an historically significant actor. One must brave the crowds of Arashiyama to get there, but it’s worth the visit. The entrance is just a few paces beyond the famous and packed bamboo grove.
Where to Sleep
The iconic Ace Hotel has opened a new location in Kyoto, with all the design-conscious amenities of the world-famous hospitality brand. Designed by Kengo Kuma, the hotel for creatives is set in the old Central Telephone Company building from the 1920s and is filled with Japanese craftsmanship. It’s also brings a slice of New York City to Kyoto with restaurants serving tacos and wood fired pizza and an American style coffee shop. (245-2 Kurumayacho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8185)
Utsuwa Design Hostel is a magnificent budget option. A homey hostel hides behind the facade of the traditional townhouse, otherwise known as a machiya, with a traditional interior design to match. The hosts are very warm and welcoming, it’s what they pride themselves on. (8-86 Hommachi, Higashiyama-Ku, Kyoto, 605-0981)
Japan’s rural depopulation has left hundreds of villages and schools abandoned, with 500 schools closing yearly due to low student numbers. By the 2040s, Japan’s countryside is expected to see one of the world’s highest population declines, prompting towns to offer free housing and financial incentives to attract newcomers, including foreigners.
One such revival story is Yohei’s Haretoke Design Hostel, housed in the former Deai Elementary School. A coffee and music lover, Yohei has transformed the mountainside retreat into a hub for tourism, offering dorms and private rooms from $24/night. Guests can enjoy fresh pizza, homemade cakes, and Yohei’s specialty coffee (available online in Japan). Bookings available here.
Yohei, (who speaks very good English), is also part of a young collective helping to repurpose another nearby abandoned school in the Tokushima Prefecture as a small traveller’s retreat, a community centre for workshops as well as a spa and outdoor camping facility.
Getting there:
- The closest train station is the JR Iyaguchi Station, which is about a 15 minute drive away from the hotel.
- The closest bus stop is the Deai Bus stop next to the Deai Post Office,
which is about a 7 minute walk away from the hotel.
HAKONE
Relax in the Onsen Hot springs. Try Yunessun for a family-friendly resort with themed baths. Traditional Ryokans (e.g. Gora Kadan or Hakone Kowakien for private and authentic experience).
Visit Hakone Shrine with a famous torii gate (“Gate of Peace”) on the shores of Lake Ashi, where you can also cruise along and sightsee
Get panoramic views of Mount Fuji, Lake Ashi, and the Owakudani volcanic valley via the Hakone Ropeway (the ropeway runs between Sounzan and Togendai stations)
Explore Owakudanib a volcanic valley with active sulfur vents and boiling hot springs. Make sure to eat the famous black eggs (kuro-tamago) boiled in the sulfuric hot springs (they are said to add seven years to your life)
Visit Gora Park, a French-style landscape garden with seasonal flowers and a teahouse. Visit the Craft House and try pottery or glassblowing!
KANAZAWA
In addition to Tokyo and Kyoto, consider one night in Kanazawa – it has incredible gardens and sights and it’s the city of artisans. Founded by the Japanese version of the Medici (the Maeda family – very distant relations!) who sponsored artisans and the arts to distract the Shogun from the fact that they were also funding a huge army. One of Japan’s top 3 gardens (Kenrokuen), lovely geisha district, numerous preserved samurai houses.
The surrounding countryside is also lovely and features a number of villages that are UNESCO heritage sites and on many peoples’ bucket lists. Eat at the most delicious food stands at the Omicho Market, before touring the homes and gardens of its beautiful old Samurai neighborhood.
Then on to the Noto Peninsula, which feels like the Cape Cod of Japan with its seaside tourist towns and fishing villages. Find the most perfectly serene ryokan, Yuyado Sakamoto, run by a mother and daughter who farmed their food on the land, which they then slow-cooked for days before serving it over leisurely eight-course, post-soak meals. From there, head to the mountain town of Shibu Onsen, outside of Nagano city, where the local hotels give you a robe, wooden sandals, and a special key to unlock nine different little bathhouses scattered about the town, each with its own special hot springs meant to treat different ailments.
THE BOND VILLAIN’S LAIR: SKYFALL’S ABANDONED ISLAND
Hashima Island—also known as Gunkanjima (“Battleship Island”)—is a decayed, uninhabitable ghost town in the middle of the sea, once the densest place on Earth. Featured in Skyfall as Raoul Silva’s lair, its eerie ruins make for a perfect villain’s hideout.
Originally a Mitsubishi-owned coal mining hub, Hashima thrived from 1887 to 1974, housing over 5,000 workers in prison-like, high-rise conditions. During WWII, Korean and Chinese prisoners were forcibly sent to mine coal, working 600 meters underground in brutal conditions. By the 1960s, as Japan switched to petroleum, Hashima declined, and in 1974, Mitsubishi abandoned the island overnight.
Now, Hashima is a haunting relic of industrialization, with crumbling concrete buildings overtaken by nature. Once off-limits, it’s now open to guided tours, though unstable ruins and rough waters can lead to cancellations. While physically demanding, the journey is a unique, cinematic adventure—well worth the effort.
If you want to experience the island, but are looking for an alternative to the boat ride, the Gunkanjima Digital Museum is full of interesting artefacts and information about the island, and you can imagine yourself on the island using VR gadgets. You can also do both, by getting a combined ticket for the boat
trip and the museum with one of the tour companies.
For more information on how to get there and a bit more about the boat tours, you can find it here.
AN ABANDONED AMERICAN COWBOY THEME PARK
The Western Village is a derelict and rotting American colonial theme park. that closed its doors forever in 2007 after failing to compete with Tokyo Disneyland. If you’re intrigued by the sound of a remote and eerie American ghost. town in Japan, this place is for you…
Built in 1979, seventy miles north of Toyko, Western Village includes a cowboy saloon, a jail, a post office, a shooting gallery, a fake Rio Grande, and vast. Mexican barrens. Oh, and a 1/3 scale replica of Mount Rushmore that was added in 1995 which allegedly cost the park $27 million to build. It may come as no surprise that Western Village later filed for bankruptcy.
(In August 2019, Google maintained the site was still there, use these co-ordinates as a guide and keep an eye on it as these abandoned sites are always at risk of being taken over by new developers)
DID JESUS ESCAPE TO JAPAN?
Shingo is a rural village, 650km north of Tokyo that is believed by its inhabitants to be the last resting place of Jesus Christ. Make the pilgrimage to its quiet hills, and you’ll find yourself in a veritable slice of the Twilight Zone where the Christian prophet is said to have led a double life as a garlic farmer, had three daughters, and lived out his days there until the age of 106 – all details that are fully explained at the local Jesus Museum.
In Shingo Christ is believed to be “a great man”, but not necessarily a performer of miracles. Instead, he adopted the name Torai Taro Daitenku and started a family with a woman named Miyuko. The direct descendants of that bloodline today belong to the Sawaguchi family, who have looked after the burial plot ever since and refuse to dig it up to either confirm or debunk the legend.
There’s a museum by the burial plots that provides information and evidence of the village’s claim to fame. The prevailing legend of expat Jesus, however, brings a degree of tourism and vitality to the region. Every June, people gather to celebrate with a big old picnic by the burial mounds singing Hebrew-Japanese folks songs. It’s all a part of the “Bon Festival”.
Is there any, even the tiniest sliver of truth to the legend? There is an “unaccounted for” 12-year gap in the New Testament. At one point, there was supposedly a real biblical relic to back-up the story, the Takeuchi Scrolls, which surfaced in the 1930s but disappeared in WWII. The “Christ Museum” in Shingo now has transcriptions of the lost documents that only the oldest locals remember.
Find out more about Jesus’s Japanese double life here and have a look around Christ’s Japanese grave site here. (Nozuki-33-1 Herai, Shingo, Sannohe District, Aomori 039-1801)