More Australians than ever are choosing Japan for their holidays. In 2025, a record 1.05 million Australians visited the country, making Australia one of Japan’s fastest-growing tourism markets. Drawn by everything from powder snow and vibrant cities to ancient traditions and world-famous cuisine, travellers are increasingly looking beyond the major tourist hotspots to discover a different side of Japan.
Shanne understands the appeal.
“One of the things I like about travelling in Japan is that you always feel like you are in Japan,” she said.
“Some destinations, whilst amazing, don’t always feel distinctively unique whereas Japan is culturally distinctive.”
It is a country she returns to regularly, often combining ski holidays with walking adventures. After completing the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route on a previous visit, Shanne McGinniss and her husband Peter O’Regan decided to explore a section of the historic Nakasendo Way.
Linking Kyoto and Edo, now Tokyo, the Nakasendo Way follows one of Japan’s ancient postal routes through mountain passes, cypress and cedar forests and beautifully preserved post towns that once welcomed samurai, merchants and pilgrims. The route stretches for more than 500 kilometres and passes through 69 historic post towns, known as juku, where travellers once rested, ate and stocked up on supplies.
Visiting in February meant experiencing a very different side of the trail. After travelling from Tokyo to Nagoya on the bullet train and then catching a local train to Mitake, the couple began walking through snow-covered landscapes and remarkably preserved historic towns including Tsumago and Magome.
One of the first things that struck Shanne was the charm of the villages along the route.
At the arrival points in some of the old post towns, traditional notice boards known as kosatsuba still stand, displaying regulations that were once issued by Japan’s shogunate authorities. Originally painted onto wooden boards, the notices offered travellers instructions and information centuries ago.
Despite having travelled to Japan numerous times, Shanne was surprised by how few people she encountered.
“I probably didn’t realise how few people were going to be on the Nakasendo Way in winter,” she said.
“Japan is so crowded in the cities and ski slopes but you can always escape in nature.”
That sense of calm became one of the highlights of the journey. Days were spent walking through forests, over mountain passes and along ancient stone pathways, often surrounded by snow and ice.
“I usually feel this way in Japan as they have so much attention to detail, they are very polite and welcoming, customer service is an honourable profession, the people are very proud of their country and there is a fascinating juxtaposition between the modern and a reverence for the traditional and old,” she said.
“Even in a country of 122 million people there is a sense of calm.”
Each evening brought another glimpse into traditional Japanese life. The couple stayed in ryokans where they would soak in an onsen before changing into yukata robes for dinner.
After a Japanese breakfast and a day of leisurely walking, often through snow and ice, they would arrive at their accommodation, settle into the rhythm of village life and enjoy multi-course meals served on tatami mats.
One of Shanne’s favourite memories came in Narai, the largest post town in the Kiso Valley and the midway point between old Edo and Kyoto.
The traditional inn where they stayed dated back to 1818, offering a remarkable connection to the region’s history.
“It was so quiet when we arrived in the early afternoon,” she said.
“But at night all the streets were lit up by ice candles made by the locals and the community gathered in the streets to socialise and drink sake.”
Food was another memorable part of the journey. While the beautifully presented local meals served in the ryokans left a lasting impression, some of Shanne’s favourite treats came from Japan’s convenience stores.
Her husband always looks forward to karaage chicken, while Shanne loves the custard-filled pastries sold individually in minimarts throughout the country.
“There is such a high turnover of food in these places that it is always startlingly fresh,” she said.
One meal in Tsumago has become a story the couple still tell.
While staying in a ryokan, Shanne and her husband were served a traditional Japanese meal with a wide variety of dishes in beautiful ceramic bowls and plates.
Among them were fried crickets and raw horsemeat. Shanne recognised the crickets by their shape, while the horsemeat looked similar to tuna.
Unsure about eating it raw, she put her piece into the broth to cook it. Her husband, however, ate his raw, thinking it was sashimi.
It was only later, when another couple asked what they thought of the horsemeat, that they realised what they had eaten.
The pair also encountered an unexpected reminder that nature still rules the mountains.
“We didn’t realise that we needed to be aware of black bears emerging from hibernation,” she said.
“There were designated bear bells in the mountains with signs telling people to ring them to warn off bears. We used all of them.”
For Shanne, the Nakasendo Way is every bit as impressive as travellers claim.
“It is such a wonderful historical walk that it is worth the hype,” she said.
“The joy of doing the walk is that you are immersed in the history and walking some of the same ancient stone paths that were used centuries ago to link Kyoto with Edo.”
Her advice for other Starts at 60 readers considering a trip to Japan is simple: embrace the country’s cultural etiquette.
Whether it is understanding the rules around public onsens or arriving a few minutes early for a reservation, Shanne believes respecting local customs makes the experience even more rewarding.
“It’s very important to be respectful of Japanese cultural etiquette,” she said.
“And don’t ever be late. The Japanese prefer if you are a few minutes early as it shows respect.”
As for her next adventure, Shanne has recently returned from Central Asia and is already planning future travels closer to home, including skiing at Perisher and a road trip through Western Australia to Karijini National Park.
Still, it is the memories of the Nakasendo Way that linger. Snow-covered mountain trails, centuries-old villages, ice candle-lit streets and a chance to walk in the footsteps of samurai combined to create a journey that showed Shanne a quieter and deeply historic side of Japan.