Complete Nakasendo: the Ancient Postal Route

Tokyo spreads across a vast plain overlooking its namesake bay, where Japan's imperial heritage coexists with the pulse of the planet's most populous metropolis. The city's symbolic heart is the Imperial Palace (Kōkyo), ringed by broad moats and gardens, the Emperor's residence on the site of the former Edo Castle from which the city takes its historic name. Nearby, the Marunouchi district lines up glass skyscrapers and the red-brick Tokyo Station, while Ginza unfolds gleaming storefronts, boutiques and refined tea salons. To the north, the Asakusa district guards the Sensō-ji temple, the city's oldest, fronted by the famous Kaminarimon gate with its huge red lantern and by Nakamise street, crowded with traditional shops. Across the Sumida River rises the Tokyo Skytree, while pleasure boats glide down to the Hama-rikyū gardens. The city's contemporary face erupts at Shibuya, with the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world, and at Shinjuku, amid skyscrapers, nightlife and the alleys of Golden Gai. Harajuku and Omotesandō avenue set youth-fashion trends, while Akihabara is the realm of electronics and pop culture. For quiet moments there are the Meiji-jingū shrine, set within a sacred wood, and the wide spaces of Ueno Park, with its museums and spring cherry blossoms. Gastronomy is a chapter of its own: from the sushi counters around the old Tsukiji market to izakaya taverns, from steaming ramen to refined Michelin-starred dining rooms, Tokyo boasts one of the most celebrated culinary scenes in the world. The city is also the starting point for unforgettable excursions to the Nikkō shrine, the hot springs of Hakone and, on clear days, the unmistakable silhouette of Mount Fuji. Age-old tradition and luminous future intertwine at every corner: Tokyo is a city that never stops surprising, to be experienced day and night, between ancient rituals and inexhaustible energy.

Hakone unfolds at the foot of Mount Fuji, in a region of volcanic mountains, lakes and hot springs that has drawn seekers of quiet and natural beauty for centuries. Onsen waters rise across the area, where traditional ryokan offer open-air baths facing the snow-capped peak. From the shores of Lake Ashi, crossed by sightseeing boats, the perfect silhouette of Fuji mirrors in the water on clear days, while the red torii of Hakone Shrine emerges from the surface. The volcanic Ōwakudani valley steams with sulphurous vapours, where visitors savour the famous black eggs cooked in the springs. Cable cars and old stages of the Tōkaidō road complete a landscape blending nature, spirituality and art — the area is also home to open-air sculpture museums. Hakone is the ideal gateway to Japan's most sacred mountain.

Nagoya rises in Japan's industrial heartland, the country's fourth-largest city and capital of the Chūbu region, set midway between Tokyo and Kyoto along the historic Tōkaidō route. Its emblem is Nagoya Castle, an imposing keep crowned by two golden shachihoko, while the Atsuta Shrine safeguards one of the emperor's sacred imperial regalia. Lovers of innovation find in the Toyota Commemorative Museum and the Ōsu district — with its lively maze of shops and temples — two complementary faces of the city. Local cuisine is a genuine institution: Nagoya-kōchin chicken, miso katsu and hitsumabushi eel speak of a proud, flavourful culinary tradition. An ideal base for reaching the alpine valleys of Takayama and the historic farmhouses of Shirakawa-gō, Nagoya blends technological modernity with deep roots in a balance that is quintessentially Japanese.

A town at the foot of the mountains in Gifu prefecture, Nakatsugawa lies at the southern entrance to the historic Kiso Valley and has long been a crossroads for travellers along the old Nakasendō road. An ideal base for exploring the post towns of Magome and Tsumago, the town retains a peaceful atmosphere among traditional houses, tea rooms and confectionery shops. It is renowned for kurikinton, delicate autumn chestnut sweets, and is surrounded by wooded hills that invite scenic walks. An authentic stop to discover rural Japan and its most deeply rooted traditions. A post town of stone and timber clinging to a slope of the Kiso Valley, Magome preserves intact the charm of the old Nakasendō road that once linked Kyoto to Edo. Its sloping cobbled street, lined with inns, craft shops and water mills, offers views of the surrounding mountains and of Mount Ena on the horizon. From here begins the famous trail that winds through forests and waterfalls to reach, within a few hours, the neighbouring town of Tsumago, another perfectly preserved historic stop. A destination that brings to life the Japan of travellers and samurai of times past. Tsumago lies in the Kiso Valley, along the old Nakasendo road that once linked Edo to Kyoto, and is today one of Japan's best-preserved post towns. Its stone-paved streets, lined with Edo-period wooden houses, are free of electric cables and modern signs: walking through them feels like stepping back in time, past historic inns, shops and the former residences of merchants and samurai. From here begins the celebrated hiking trail that leads to neighbouring Magome, crossing forests, rice paddies and small shrines. Tsumago reveals itself slowly, wrapped in the silence of the Kiso mountains. Nagiso stretches across the wooded mountains of the Kiso Valley, in Nagano Prefecture, along the old Nakasendō road that once linked Edo to Kyoto. Here stands Tsumago-juku, one of Japan's best-preserved post towns, with its dark-timbered houses, painted shop signs and concealed electrical wiring that recreate the atmosphere of the Edo period. The forest trail leading to Magome offers one of the country's most evocative historic walks, winding past streams, small waterfalls and centuries-old cedars. Nagiso is the perfect destination for those seeking a slow, authentic, rural Japan far from the main tourist routes.

Kyoto holds the most authentic soul of Japan: imperial capital for more than a thousand years, it preserves a heritage of temples, gardens and traditions that make it one of the most captivating cities in the world. Spared the bombing of the last war, it gathers within its streets more than a thousand shrines and temples, many inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The visit comes to life in the Higashiyama district, where the cobbled lanes of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka climb towards Kiyomizu-dera, a wooden temple suspended on a panoramic terrace overlooking the city. Nearby, Gion is the heart of the geisha world: at dusk, along the wooden teahouses of Hanamikoji, one may glimpse a maiko wrapped in her kimono. To the northwest gleams Kinkaku-ji, the famous Golden Pavilion mirrored in its pond, while Ryoan-ji holds the most enigmatic of Zen rock gardens. Fushimi Inari Taisha enchants with its thousands of vermilion torii gates winding up the sacred mountain, and the Arashiyama bamboo grove, on the western edge, offers a walk through a suspended world, beside the Togetsukyo bridge and the hillside temples. Kyoto is also a refined culture of taste: kaiseki cuisine, ceremonial matcha tea, wagashi sweets and the stalls of Nishiki Market, nicknamed "Kyoto's kitchen". The cherry blossoms in spring and the crimson maples in autumn turn the city into a living painting. A city of temples and silences, of artisans and ceremonies, Kyoto reveals itself slowly, to those who know how to walk with attentive eyes and a patient step.

Osaka pulses with an unmistakable energy: Japan's second metropolis and the country's gastronomic capital, it is a frank, lively and generous city, where dazzling modernity coexists with the warmth of a merchant tradition centuries old. Set on the bay that shares its name, it has always been a crossroads of trade and the gateway to the heart of the Kansai region. The city's symbol is Osaka Castle, an imposing reconstructed fortress that dominates a vast park, spectacular during the cherry blossom season. But it is after dusk that Osaka shines: in the Dotonbori district, along the canal, neon signs reflect on the water and the famous Glico running-man billboard has become an icon. Here comes alive the philosophy of kuidaore, "to eat until you drop": stalls serve takoyaki (octopus balls), okonomiyaki (savoury pancake) and kushikatsu skewers, in a riot of aromas and voices. Nearby, the lively Shinsekai with its Tsutenkaku tower evokes the retro Osaka of the early twentieth century, while the Namba district reigns as the realm of shopping and entertainment. For quieter moments, Shitenno-ji, among Japan's oldest Buddhist temples, and the modern skyscrapers of Umeda with their panoramic terraces offer opposite yet equally fascinating views. Osaka is also an ideal base for excursions: Kyoto, Nara with its deer and Great Buddha, and the sanctuary of Koyasan are all within easy reach. A city with an open heart and a quick wit, Osaka wins over those seeking the most authentic and convivial Japan, to be savoured at the table and along its illuminated streets.