Spontaneously going deep into rural Japan, in the middle of winter.

Spontaneously going deep into rural Japan, in the middle of winter.

We basically threw a dart at Google Maps and just went. That’s how we found Togekushi, about an hour from Nagono. It’s made up of three shrines, but we had no idea where we started, so we just explored. The paths lead you through these massive cedar forests that feel straight out of Zelda. I didn’t know shrines could be linked by legend. To Kushi is actually tied to the sun goddess herself. I got deeper into that in the main video, though. If there was no Google Maps, how the f did people find this beforehand?

With a spare day in Nagano, we spontaneously caught a bus into the mountains to discover Togakushi… full of ancient shrines, beautiful small villages, and the Japanese Alps…