The most beautiful Japanese roads
Tsumago-juku, Nakasendo
© 663highland, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42385696
Discover extraordinary landscapes by taking the road
Stroll through rice paddies, tea fields, or pine forests... Wind through the mountains and along the valleys towards the most remote spa towns. The car transports you to the heart of the most grandiose landscapes of the archipelago. Here is a small sample of the routes not to be missed!
The road to Nakasendo
A journey from Tokyo to Kyoto via Mount Fuji and the Japanese Alps, in the footsteps of the old postmen.
From Tokyo, head to the city of Kawaguchiko for a night in the refinement of a ryokan-onsen in the shadow of the sacred mountain. Then head towards the city of Tsumago, nestled in the hollow of the Kiso Valley, where the river of the same name flows and punctuates the -almost- unchanged life of the inhabitants for millennia.
The city of Tsumago has preserved the architecture of the time when it was a relay station on the road to Nakasendo. Spend a timeless night in this unique setting in one of the city's ryokans and the morning, set off on foot to explore the famous hiking trail between Tsumago and Magome. With a length of 8 km, it follows the route of the ancient road used by travelers in the Edo period.
Finally, end your journey by returning to Kyoto, and make a stop at Inuyama Castle, one of the twelve Japanese castles dating from the Edo period that are still standing.
Sado Island
45 km off Niigata, in the Sea of Japan, the island of Sado delights nature lovers and hikers with its beautiful jagged coasts, its two mountain ranges, and its vast central plain.
Two and a half hours by ferry from Niigata, the port town of Ryotsu is the main gateway to the island. This large seaside resort has many hotels and ryokans where you can spend the night, but also several car rental agencies that will allow you to find a vehicle to visit the island.
A ten-minute drive from Ryotsu, Shiizaki Onsen invites you to bathe in hot spring pools overlooking Lake Kamo and the surrounding mountains.
Then continue your journey to arrive at the Senkaku-Wan Yuen natural park, an hour's drive from Ryotsu. This preserved place connects the land to the island of Ageshima by a 54-meter bridge. An observatory at the top of the islet offers a magnificent view of the coastal landscape with its rock formations, cliffs, and white sand beaches. In the park, there is also an aquarium and seafood restaurants.
