Day 6: Shinkansen to Nagano

We rise early to walk the Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine in near silence—just us, the breeze, and the thousands of vermilion torii gates winding through the forested hillside. Without the usual crowds, it feels like a sacred secret, shared only with the mountain.

Then, it’s time to board the Shinkansen, Japan’s famed bullet train. As we cut across the country, the scenery blurs—urban sprawl gives way to rice paddies, then forests, then snow-dusted peaks. The rhythm of the journey slows as we approach the Nagano prefecture and the alpine village of Jigokudani.

By late afternoon, we arrive in the mountains—home to the legendary Japanese Snow Monkeys, famous for bathing in natural hot springs surrounded by snow. While we’ll visit them tomorrow, tonight is about your own moment of stillness: a private outdoor onsen, steaming and silent, nestled in the crisp mountain air.