This Mountain Village in Japan Should Be Dying. Why Isn't It?

@Abroad in Japan

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A 3-day road trip through the Akaishi Mountains (South Japan Alps) in Shizuoka, uncovering a thriving rural Japan with floating train stations, precarious bridges, a treasure warehouse, and the birthplace of wasabi.

1 plan · 11 places

Plan · 7 places · Shizuoka, Japan

Shizuoka Mountain Road Trip

“Our epic three-day journey across Shizuoka took us deep into the Akaishi Mountains, from floating train stations and dream bridges to hidden villages and the birthplace of wasabi.”

1
Okuizumi Station
Train station · Kawanehon
4.0 (3)
Okuizumi Station, Okuizumi, Kawanehon, Haibara District, Shizuoka 428-0412, Japan
2
Yume no Tsuri Bashi (Dream Bridge)
Bridge · Kawanehon
4.4 (2,292)Closed · opens tomorrow 6:30 AM
Creator's voice
Literally 'the dream bridge,' this structure is ridiculously thin, looking like a piece of string floating across the valley. It's a suspension bridge that feels like something out of 'Temple of Doom.'
Sumatakyō Yume no tsuribashi Suspension Bridge., 寸又峡温泉 Senzu, Kawanehon, Haibara District, Shizuoka 428-0411, Japan
3
Kawanehon Homestay
Apartment · Kawanehon
4.7 (8)
Creator's voice
A homestay run by an American and Japanese couple, Claire and Shiro, in Kawanehon. They moved here from the greater Tokyo area for the slower pace of life and strong sense of community. It offers a beautiful view to wake up to.
Mori no kuni - One-Bedroom Apartment, Okuizumi, Kawanehon, Haibara District, Shizuoka 428-0412, Japan
- Deer in the garden — I woke up in the middle of the night and saw a deer wandering through the garden, its eyes reflecting in the light. It's pretty cool to see wildlife so close.
- Community spirit — The sense of community here is incredible. Neighbors will spontaneously invite you swimming or to play taiko, and they'll bring over extra dinner if they know you're busy. They even offered their shower when we were building our house. It's a tight-knit community where you're expected to give back.
4
Yamamoto-san's Warehouse
倉庫 · Fujieda
Japan, 〒426-0002 Shizuoka, Fujieda, Yokouchi, 2283 美光産業ヤマムラ倉庫
- Power stone — Yamamoto-san kindly gifted me a power stone. It smells good, like power!
- Beatles records — Natsuki found some discount Beatles records here. It's a great place for treasure hunting.
5
Machu Picchu Valley (Chabataira)
viewpoint
- Panoramic village view — This is one of the best views I've ever had in Japan. The fact that you have to drive up mountain after mountain to reach this edge of civilization makes it even more incredible. The homes look stunning, and the tea fields are meticulously tended.
- Tea fields — The tea fields here are meticulously tended to. Tea cultivation is a key reason this region thrives, generating more value from limited land compared to rice, making even tiny, isolated plots economically viable.
6
Utogi Village
Shizuoka
Creator's voice
Hidden among the upper reaches of the Abe River, Utogi is a tiny, unassuming mountain settlement. It's the impossibly remote birthplace and home of wasabi, believed to have been first cultivated and discovered here in the streams about 400 years ago.
Utogi, Aoi Ward, Shizuoka, 421-2303, Japan
7
Umegashima Onsen Hotel
Japanese inn · Shizuoka
4.6
Creator's voice
A traditional inn in the hot spring town of Umegashima. Our hotel room had a unique addition: a chair swing and a ridiculously big toilet.
Japan, 〒421-2301 Shizuoka, Aoi Ward, Umegashima, 5258-7 梅ヶ島温泉おもいでの宿湯の島館
- Chair swing — Our hotel room had a chair swing, which Natsuki enjoyed swinging from side to side on. It's a fun, unique addition.
- Giant toilet — The toilet in our room was ridiculously big, even bigger than the narrow mountain roads we drove on! Natsuki joked it was wider than the rope bridge.
- Fresh wasabi — We finally got real wasabi! It's really spicy, but has a satisfying freshness to it. Unlike the horseradish often served, real wasabi is something you can actually enjoy raw. Natsuki showed me the 'rolling style' for grating it.
- Shamo chicken yakitori — Shamo chicken is like the wagyu of chicken – firmer, chewier, with more umami flavor and juicier. It has a gamey flavor, somewhere between chicken and duck. This yakitori was about as good as it gets. Absolutely delicious!
- Wasabi shochu — They serve shochu with wasabi at the bottom! You stir it up, and it's surprisingly good. It has a subtle spicy kick at the back of your throat. This is the future of alcohol, a genius combination!

Also in this video

8
Akaishi Mountains (South Japan Alps)
Mountain range · Minami-Alps
3.5
Creator's voice
Also known as the South Japan Alps, these towering peaks (up to 3,000m tall) are located 200 km west of Tokyo, beyond Mount Fuji. The roads here wind down valleys and disappear, leading to isolated, extraordinary places.
Akaishi Mountains, Ashiyasuashikura, Minami-Alps, Yamanashi 400-0241, Japan
9
Big Echo Karaoke
Karaoke bar · Shibuya
4.2 (79)Open · until 6 AM
Creator's voice
Japan's largest karaoke chain, where you can get 500 yen off per person with a Journey Japan eSim.
Karaoke Big Echo ShibuyaMiyamasuzaka, 東映プラザビル 1 Chome-24-12 Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0002, Japan
10
Lost Bar
Bar · Shibuya
4.7 (1,459)Closed · opens 4 PM
Creator's voice
A bar in Shibuya, Tokyo, where you can get 500 yen off your first cocktail with a Journey Japan eSim. The creator suggests they should start serving wasabi shochu here.
LOST BAR, 2階 33-1 Udagawacho, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0042, Japan
11
Umegashima Onsen
hot-spring-town · Shizuoka
Umegashima Onsen, Umegashima, Aoi Ward, Shizuoka, 421-2301, Japan

7 extraction issues

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