The Backpack Adventures

Located deep in the Hida Mountain Range in the western regions of Nagano Prefecture, Kamikochi  ( 上高地 ) is a popular remote tourist destination that offers one of the most spectacular views of what is dubbed as Japan 's Northern Alps.   Kamikochi  ( 上高地 ) Kamikochi Details The name Kamikochi could be translated to " upper highland " due to its topographic characteristics. To be more exact, Kamikochi is a 15-kilometer long plateau in the Azusa River Valley. It is surrounded by four of Japan's highest peaks namely Yakedake (2455m), Nishihotakadake (2909), Maehotakadake (3090m), and Okuhotakadake (3190m).  Kamikochi - Nagano Prefecture The male and female kappa... Kamikochi's mascot In the past, Kamikochi was one of the main sources of logs in the region. However, due to the sudden interest in recreational mountaineering in Japan brought by the writings of Reverend Walter Weston , a lot of locals lobbied to preserve the Kamikochi area and the Northern

Day 16  June 1 , 2018 Gifu - Nagano Road Trip Day 2 A pleasant morning to you my dear reader, today is the second day of our Gifu -Nagano Trip. It is also our 16th day in the  Land of the Rising Sun . Early morning Onsen dip at Honjin Hiranoya Bekkan Today, we plan to explore Takayama City in the morning and then Kamikochi in the afternoon. However, before everything else, I made sure to wake up very early to take one final dip at Honjin Hiranoya Bekkan 's onsen because I know that I won't have a chance to do it later as we'd only eat our complimentary breakfast before finally checking out of our ryokan.  Strictly NO TATTOOs! Read more about Onsen Etiquette HERE . Time to take a dip! Unlike last night, I already overcame my embarrassment of being naked in an onsen. I can now walk proudly in front of other men in my birthday suit. How did I do it? I bombarded my head with the idea that these guys do not know who I am and vice versa. I finished my onsen expe