This episode continues our exploration of Japan's pre-modern highways, focusing on the Nagasaki Kaido. During the Edo period (1603–1868), when the Shogunate largely restricted foreign trade, the port of Nagasaki Prefecture was granted a sig…

Akita Prefecture offers a landscape of breathtaking beauty, stretching from the sea to the peaks of the mountains. As the late autumn winds blow, we observe the local people diligently preparing for the long winter ahead, preserving the sea…

A cycle tour encompassing two islands tucked within Tokyo's urban sprawl. On Niijima, the architecture reflects the landscape, with homes constructed from Koga stone, a resilient volcanic rock prized for its use in glassmaking. The islander…

Okinawa Prefecture, a subtropical island, possesses an environment, climate, and culture distinct from mainland Japan. For centuries, it stood as an independent kingdom and vital trading center, a heritage reflected in the enduring influenc…

In Tochigi, a verdant prefecture nestled within the Kanto Plain north of Tokyo, spring arrives in full bloom. Fields shimmer with the runoff from the mountains, and life bursts forth as we journey through the Nasu Highlands, where hundreds …

A two-and-a-half-hour train journey from Tokyo brings us to Shiojiri, the starting point of the Nakasendo highway. This ancient route, dating back four centuries, once connected the cities of Edo and Kyoto. In Naraijuku, a post station stee…

For centuries, Japan’s renown rested, in part, on its gold, a significant portion of which was extracted from the island of Sado. The wealth this brought fostered distinctive cultural traditions, most notably the island’s powerful Noh theat…

Fukuoka Prefecture has long served as Japan’s portal to Asia and the birthplace of the nation’s rice cultivation. Here, we encounter a couple breathing new life into their community through sustainable tourism and organic farming; a boatman…

Kochi Prefecture boasts a landscape defined by mountains, forests, and rivers above all else. On the Niyodo River, we discover a unique method for catching sweetfish, prized for their delicate flavor and sought after by the finest restauran…

Nagasaki Prefecture, once Japan’s principal point of contact with the West, bears the imprint of centuries of international commerce in its culture. Its archipelago of over 1,400 islands further offers a distinctive landscape for cycling.