🌿 Solo Escape: Nakai-machi – Kanagawa’s Hidden Mountain Gem

#summervacay **📍 Where?** Nakai-machi, Ashigarakami-gun, Kanagawa (90min from Tokyo) **⏰ Best Time?** **June** (fireflies) or **October** (koyo autumn leaves) --- ### **✨ Why Solo Travelers Love This Secret Spot** - **🌳 Moss-Covered Trails** – Walk the **Yamabushi Pilgrimage Path** to hidden shrines - **♨️ Solitude Onsen** – **Yunohana Onsen’s** cliffside baths with no crowds - **🍵 Matcha Roots** – Birthplace of **Shibamata Tea** (tour family-run farms) - **📸 Nostalgic Vibes** – Preserved 1950s streets in **Nakai Showa Village** --- ### **🚆 Solo-Friendly Access** 1. **From Tokyo:** - Odakyu Line to Shin-Matsuda → Bus to Nakai-machi (¥1,800 total) 2. **From Odawara:** - Local train to Yamakita → Taxi (¥3,000) or hike 2hr through cedar forests --- ### **🌅 Perfect Solo Itinerary** **Morning Mystique:** - 6:30 AM: Sunrise at **Ooyama Afuri Shrine** (hike or cable car) - 8:30 AM: Breakfast at **Cafe Kiccho** (ancient farmhouse turned café) **Afternoon Adventure:** - 11:00 AM: **Tea Picking Experience** at Maruyama-en (reserve ahead) - 2:00 PM: **Kurokura Waterfall** meditation spot (hidden behind shrine) **Evening Magic:** - 5:30 PM: **Firefly Viewing** at Nakai River (June only, bring mosquito spray) - 7:00 PM: Stay at **Minshuku Yamabiko** – family-run inn with star-gazing baths --- ### **💡 Insider Tips** ✔ **Hidden Trail:** Behind Kurokura Shrine leads to **"Lovers’ Cedar"** (500yo tree) ✔ **Local Treat:** Try **cha-soba** (green tea noodles) at **Soba Dokoro Nakai** ✔ **Day Trip:** Combine with **Lake Tanzawa** (30min bus) for kayaking --- ### **📸 Must-Capture Moments** ✅ Morning mist weaving through **tea fields** ✅ Your reflection in **Yunohana Onsen’s** iron-rich waters ✅ **Abandoned train tracks** reclaimed by nature near Nakai Station --- ### **🌿 Beyond Nakai-machi** - **Doshi Village** – Thatched roof houses & sake breweries - **Mt. Oyama** – Spiritual hiking trails with tofu temple meals - **Hadano** – Visit the **Atsugi Antique Market** (1st Sundays) --- ### **📌 Hashtag Your Retreat** #hiddenkanagawa #solojapan #nakaimachiya #onsenalone #tokyoescape --- **🍃 Solo Wisdom:** "Sipping freshly whisked matcha on a silent tea farm, hearing only the wind chimes of a shrine no map shows—this is real Japan." *Mountain hiker or onsen lover? Tea connoisseur or nostalgia seeker?* 🏔️🍵 Comment below! **P.S.** The area’s **"Seven Hidden Waterfalls"** each grant different luck—find them all! 💧🍀