Japan 2026

Oct 29

3 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

This year is our 40th wedding anniversary and we celebrated with a trip to Japan. We enjoy the culture, natural beauty, great food, and of course our Japanese friends and it had been five years since our last visit. In keeping with our love of hiking we opted for a self-guided walking tour on the Nakasendo and Kamikochi trail with stays at Ryokan (traditional Japanese inns). In addition to the wonderful onsen (mineral baths), the inn dinners and breakfasts on our six day adventure were delicious works of art.

Our trip started in Tokyo. We had dinner with friends Tomoko and Dona and their son, and they took us on a day trip to Gyoda where there was much to see including the historical Oshi Castle, ancient burial grounds and rice field art.

John met Bunko-san years ago at an IFTA conference and over the years we have spent time with him and his wife. To celebrate our anniversary they went all out, with a yakatabune (traditional Japanese houseboat) lunch cruise around Tokyo and a Noh theater experience that evening. What a special day!

After Tokyo came our hiking adventure. We used a service that coordinated our hotel reservations, provided online hiking maps and travel logistics for getting from place to place. It had looked complicated but actually wasn't. There was a typhoon warning, which hit Tokyo after we left and luckily we avoided any heavy rain/storms.

The Nakasendo Trail which we walked is from the Edo period and our hike took us through Tsumago. a preserved town which is evocative of a traditional post town from the late Edo period. Typical of me I photographed the details that interested my eye rather than an overview.

Rather than a travelogue I will share images of what we enjoyed by category. The trees and nature we hiked through were stunning. Being from arid Los Angeles, the lush greenery was a treat and the trails were beautifully maintained. The Japanese practice shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) to promote emotional well-being, and I can attest that my time under those trees was calming and grounding.

In addition to the forests there were beautiful lakes and vistas.

Japan has lots of rivers, some with homes built adjacent to the water, and many styles of bridges.

We have a pier in Manhattan Beach and as I was photographing under one of the bridges it reminded me of a photo I took under our pier.

The temples and shrines throughout Japan are very aesthetic. John is always eyeing the gongs and this time there was one he could ring.

I photographed many Buddha sculptures. I enjoy the statues of Jizō Bosatsu which traditionally wear red hats or bibs.

They were harvesting the rice while we were there and I was surprised to see rice fields everywhere of all sizes, including some close to the towns. In addition to larger growers there are still many family plots.