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The remarkable mountains and valleys around Kanamachi attract adventurers and locals alike. The OSU kidle, which Bird used to travel by rikshaw, remains a focal point, while the surrounding hills invite reflection on what life was like during the Edo period—a flourishing era for local post towns and commerce.
Bird’s journey began from Kanamachi as she crossed the steep Yokote Pass to Akita City. Her travel accounts, particularly from her book Unbeaten Tracks in Japan, paint a vivid picture of a Japan that was just beginning to open up to the world, drawing the reader into the lives and struggles of the local farmers she encountered.