The Chubu region

Best For: Traditional culture and crafts, castles, historic streetscapes, hot spring baths, nature

ROUTE: Nagoya • Inuyama • Magome and Tsumago • Gero Onsen • Takayama • the Japanese Alps • Kanazawa WHY DO IT? For well-preserved towns and castles, impressive landscapes in the Japan Alps, and Kyoto-like traditions – but without the Kyoto-like crowds.

The city of Nagoya doesn’t sit high on most people’s ‘mustvisit’ lists, but the Chubu region’s largest city is more than worth a day of exploring – there’s a reconstructed castle, Toyota’s slick science museum, and the venerable Atsuta Shrine – said to house an imperial relic called the ‘grass-mowing sword’ that only the emperor and a select few priests may ever see.

But Chubu, a group of prefectures situated between Tokyo and Kyoto, really comes into its own when you go beyond Nagoya and explore the region’s past. First stop to do that is the town of Inuyama just north of Nagoya – home to a 500-yearold castle (pictured below). From here, head to the Nakasendo, the ancient highway connecting Kyoto and Edo (now Tokyo), and stay the night at a rustic inn in Magome or Tsumago, two well-preserved Nakasendo staging post towns. The several-hour walk between the two towns is a lovely countryside stroll.

Next, actually soak up some culture in the hot-spring town of Gero Onsen, which is home to open-air public baths surrounded by mountains and traditional

ryokan inns – there you’ll stay in

tatami-mat-floored rooms and be served kaiseki ryori dinners that feature a procession of small, in-season dishes.

A couple of hours north of Gero by express train, have a night or two in Takayama, a city that, PRE-COVID-19, felt on the verge of being swamped by tourists but nonetheless has intriguing old quarters and morning markets. It’s also a good base for day trips into the Japanese Alps, where you can take the Shinhotaka Ropeway into the jagged peaks for summer hikes or snowshoeing in winter.

The final stop is the city of Kanazawa, on the Sea of Japan coast, a less-crowded alternative to Kyoto for anyone wanting to delve into Japan’s traditional arts, crafts and sensibilities. The Kenrokuen garden here, with its large central pond, landscaped features and teahouses, is considered one of the finest in Japan, while the old wooden buildings of the Higashi Chaya geisha district are a charming throwback that now house cafes, sweet shops, and stores specializing in Kanazawa’s gold-leaf crafts.