I Survived Japan's Most Dangerous Road ♨️ Ft. @CDawgVA

Head to Kawayu Onsen, where the riverbanks are so seismically active you can literally dig a hole and unleash piping hot water. Grab a shovel from your hotel (we got ours from the front desk) and find a spot in the river. Dig a hole, and the cold river water will mix with the hot spring water bubbling up from beneath, creating your perfect bath. We spent about an hour and a half digging, and it was amazing – about 45°C in the hot spots, mixing with the cold river water. It's a brilliant, unique hot spring experience.

In Kitayama, famous for 'ikadakudari' (log rafting), you stand on a log raft and navigate down the river. It's not like a Disney ride; you sign several insurance documents! We were whisked away by bus upstream, then dropped off at the river's edge. The start is tranquil, but the rapids grow louder. You're told to stand up before the drops, and your bottom half gets submerged in the cold water while you grip tightly. It's utterly surreal, like being in a shipwreck that can instantly respond. The boatmen use rocks to push the logs downstream. They even let me steer for a bit, which was terrifying! It's a mix of calm serenity and moments of terror.

Route 425, known as 'shinigoe' (death to go) in Japanese, is a perilous 4-hour journey down a crumbling, narrow road carved into the side of mountains. We drove it in a kei car, which felt very exposed. There are signs warning you not to go, especially in the rain (and it was monsoon season for us!). The road is incredibly narrow, with sheer drops and no guardrails in many places. Landslides and fallen trees are common. There's no phone signal, which is unsettling if something goes wrong. It's genuinely terrifying, with signs warning of cars going off the edge. It's a challenging drive, but an unforgettable adventure.

Along Route 425, we found an incredibly dodgy suspension bridge. A sign clearly stated 'one person maximum,' but curiosity got the better of us. The planking bends with every step, and there's nothing to hold onto. It's high up, and the bridge shakes a lot. It was genuinely terrifying, but also a thrilling experience to cross.

Stay overnight at Koyasan, the spiritual home of Shingon Buddhism, in a temple lodging. These aren't just ryokans; they're temples with nice lodging. The rooms don't have keys or locks, operating on a system of trust. We arrived late and had a spectacular vegan shojin ryori dinner. It was one of the best meals I've had in a ryokan, with every ingredient made into the best possible dish. The food was exceptional, making me consider converting! The breakfast is also good.

Okunoin Cemetery, Japan's largest, lies in the forests alongside Koyasan. It's less a Western cemetery and more like walking through a forest dream and a history book. With 200,000 graves, it has a breathtakingly dreamlike atmosphere of towering cedar trees, crumbling stonework, and moss-covered graves. The entrance has sleek, modern corporate graves (like Yakult and aircraft companies), but further up the hillside, you find older, more natural parts. It's so vast that crowds quickly disappear, leaving you in silence. You can find graves of significant historical figures like Oda Nobunaga. It's a moving, stunning place for reflection, where nature slowly reclaims everything.

Head to Kishi Station, a train station famously run by cats. About 10 years ago, the line was facing closure until a cat named Tama became the station master, saving the line and generating millions for the local economy. Today, the station itself looks like a cat, and Tama's successors, Yontama (Tama 4) and Gotama (Tama 5), take turns overseeing the line. We met Yontama, who was a bit sleepy but still incredibly cute in his little hat. It's a heartwarming place that saved a town, and you can also ride the Tama train, which is sleek and stylish, like a palace on wheels.