Overview: This three-day, 360km trip takes us from lowland Gifu Prefecture and its blossoming cherry trees north into the snow-covered central mountains. We'll visit a traditional swordsmith to watch him forge katana blades from living flame, a hillside town built on water, and forests with wood of such quality it inspired some of Japan's finest artisans. A final adventure involves our cyclist in a 200-year old tradition of amateur village kabuki, one of the many ways people have found to enjoy life in the remote mountains.