One of the things Japan is known for is its history that goes back hundreds, even thousands of years. So imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon a trail that retraces an old trading road here in the middle of the Kanto (Greater Tokyo) area! The trail, called the Tama Yokoyama no Michi snakes 10 kilometers through the Tama Hills.
What was truly amazing to me was that this path was hidden in plain sight — meaning it is well marked, has great parks and vantage points along the way, and is in no way being obscured. But I would have never known about it unless I had gone off the beaten path, wound up in a park where I discovered the huge sign. It’s just like life, really. Some of the best things in life happen because we detour from the normal path.