My gateway to the Japanese Alps was Nagoya a clean, modern and wealthy city in the heart of Honshu. I had an evening here before my trek the next morning. A pleasant city but also an expensive one.
The Nakasendo is a historically preserved trading route that once connected Kyoto to Tokyo. the famous portion of the path connects Magome to Tsumago through small, rural villages and countryside.
At the end of the trek and a short bus ride to the train station I sat and waited for the very local train to take me along to my next stop, Matsumoto.
Matsumoto was truly charming. I met some fantastic people whilst staying at a traditional Japanese guest house. I visited the stunning Matsumoto Castle where I learned a lot of the history of Japan as well as enjoyed one of the last remaining wooden castles in Japan. Again, my trip here felt all too brief and I would have loved to have stayed longer but I knew I had a long trip ahead of me to Hokkaido in the very north.
Flickr photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/14859193@N07/sets/72157637175991983/