Japan: Kyoto, Tokyo & the Michinoku Coastal Trail

Once the capital city of Japan for over a thousand years, Kyoto now finds itself the cultural capital, if not the actual one. In its evolution, what Kyoto lost in title, it has more than made up for in culture, gastronomy, and charm. Your journey through Japan begins in this unforgettable former capital. Welcome to Kyoto, and to Japan, and we invite you to embrace your evolution. Like Kyoto, we only get better with age.

The Kitayama mountains border Kyoto on the north and juxtapose bustling Kyoto with their tranquil wooded pathways. The bright red Tengu, a physical statue of a supernatural spirit, is your starting point as you hike from village to village, exploring the forest and the cultural treasures within it.

Legend goes that Tatsuko, a girl known for her beauty, went to Lake Tazawa to search for the spring of eternal beauty. Upon taking gulp after gulp, she is turned into a dragon and is thrust into the lake. Her quest to find eternal beauty was left unfulfilled, but the beauty of Lake Tazawako remains, as stunning now as it was when Tatsuko drank from its shores.

Exploring this small part of Akita prefecture feels as though you have been let in on a very good secret. Cherry blossoms, sake and samurai may sound like familiar emblems of Japanese culture, but the day's explorations shed an entirely new light on what you thought you knew. Small samurai villages, friendly local people, and a stunning preservation of culture that invites you to slow down and take in what makes Japan truly unique.

Just outside Lake Tazawa lies the village of Nyuto. Seven different Ryokan call Nyuto home, and one of these Ryokan is your resting place for the evening. This area is famous for its Onsen, Japanese natural spring baths. Take time to enjoy the peace and tranquility of being far from the rest of the world while the warm spring water refreshes you from the outside in.

The Tsunami that hit the coast of Japan in 2011 devastated communities along the northeastern coastline. One village, however, was spared. Fudai, in Iwate prefecture, is a place left untouched by western commercialism, and luckily, by the effects of the Tsunami. An incredibly bold, forward thinking mayor initiated the building of a seawall that proved ominously prescient. Thanks to the seawall, centuries of tradition, culture and history were preserved. Because of this, we have an extremely rare and unique opportunity to hike to an ancient shrine and witness a performance very few people on Earth have ever had the chance to see. Spend time in Fudai eating local Japanese delicacies, hearing from locals about their experiences after the Tsunami, and visit the seawall itself.

The trail stretches over 1000-kilometers from Hachinohe to Soma City in Fukushima. Spend the day trekking one of the most picturesque portions of the trail-traversing just over 9kms. Rest your legs after a long day by boarding a small fishing boat. Cruise along the shoreline learning from the local fisherman as you take in the dramatic scenery.