British explorer and writer Isabella Bird arrived in Japan in 1878, a mere 10 years after the country opened its doors to the West. Accompanied by just one 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. It is a valuable record written from the perspective of a devout Christian endowed with critical thinking, which smashed the fairytale image of Japan that had spread in Western countries. In this episode, actor Akino Roza traces Isabella's footsteps in search of vestiges of the past — and also to make new discoveries. Starting from the city of Niigata, she travels along the old Jusan-toge route to the Yamagata Basin.

The Miyagawa River originates in the pristine heights of Mount Odaigahara, in the center of the Kii Peninsula, and flows down to Ise Bay. Because its lower reaches run past Ise Jingu (the Grand Shrine of Ise), the river is also often known as the "River of the Gods." The Miyagawa is also renowned for its water quality, which is among the clearest in the country. On this episode of Journeys in Japan, Peter Skov hikes through the spectacular Osugidani valley, before arriving at the source of this sacred waterway.