British explorer and writer Isabella Bird arrived in Japan in 1878, just 10 years after the country opened its doors to the West. Accompanied by a young man who served as both interpreter and attendant, she traveled deep into the hinterland. Unbeaten Tracks in Japan is her highly praised travelogue of that journey. In this episode, Maria Brandmann follows Bird's route along the Ushu Kaido highway from Kaneyama-machi (Yamagata Prefecture) to Gojome-machi (Akita Prefecture).
Townscape Preservation
Kaneyama-machi in the north of Yamagata Prefecture is known for its beautiful townscape with waterways and traditional Japanese houses.
Uchigura
Masuda-machi lies in the south of the Yokote Basin in Akita Prefecture. In the center of the town is an unusual house that was built with an uchigura (a mud-walled storehouse) inside it, where the owners live.
Straw Crafts
In the old days, people in Akita Prefecture used to wear capes, hats and boots made from straw to protect themselves from the snow and rain. Examples of these are displayed in the History and Folklore Museum in the town of Misato-cho, in the northern part of the Yokote Basin.
Access
On the Yamagata Shinkansen from Tokyo, it takes about three and a half hours to reach Shinjo. From there, it's about 30 minutes by bus to Kaneyama-machi, the starting point of this journey.
