Overview: British explorer and writer Isabella Bird arrived in Japan in 1878, just 10 years after the country opened its doors to the West. Accompanied by a 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. In this episode, Maria Brandmann follows Bird's route along the Ushu Kaido highway from Kaneyama-machi (Yamagata Prefecture) to Gojome-machi (Akita Prefecture).