A closer look
Trudging through mountains just to drink matcha was standard operating procedure for a 17th-century samurai. The Nakasendo was an ancient highway connecting Kyoto to Tokyo, but today, the best-preserved stretch lies in the Kiso Valley. Travelers walk the exact cobblestones past tumbling waterfalls and dense forests to reach post towns like Tsumago, where strict preservation laws mean zero power lines, zero neon, and perfectly authentic wooden tea houses waiting to revive your ruined legs.
