Exploring the countryside

After 3 nights in Tokyo it was time to explore the countryside. The best way to do so is to take the Shinkanzen super express and escape big cities.

Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen (515.4 km) in 1964,the network has expanded to currently consist of 2,615.7 km of lines with maximum speeds of 240–320 km/h. The name Superexpress (超特急 chō-tokkyū), initially used for Hikari trains, was retired in 1972 but is still used in English-language announcements and signage.

Between Tokyo and Osaka, the two largest metropolises in Japan, up to thirteen trains per hour with sixteen cars each (1,323-seat capacity) run in each direction with a minimum headway of three minutes between trains. In 2014 an average delay of 36 seconds was reported, wherein emergency stops of earthquakes and blizzards are also included.

Over the Shinkansen's 50-year history, carrying nearly 10 billion passengers, there have been no passenger fatalities due to derailments or collisions.
After a few stops, 99mins and almost 400kms an other adventure started with renting a car and driving towards the mountains.

Magome and Tsumago in the Kiso valley north east from Nagoya is a main tourist attraction along the road. These villages were important post towns and part of an ancient road that connected Kyoto and Edo during the Edo period. Records show that in 1843, Magome-juku had 717 residents and 69 buildings, i.e. not a big but prosperous village.

These post stations (or "post towns") were places where travelers could rest on their journey around the nation. They were created based on policies for the transportation of goods by horseback that were developed during the Nara and Heian periods.

Matsumoto Castle (松本城 Matsumoto-jō) is one of Japan's premier historic castles. The building is also known as the "Crow Castle" (烏城 Karasu-jō) due to its black exterior.

The keep (tenshukaku), which was completed in the late sixteenth century, maintains its original wooden interiors and external stonework.The castle's origins go back to the Sengoku period. At that time Shimadachi Sadanaga of the Ogasawara clan built a fort on this site in 1504, which originally was called Fukashi Castle.

The final destination for today was small ski resort close to Mount Norikura. This time both the accommodation and the diner were really traditional.....

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