We love Japan and want to see as much of the country as we can, but we don’t want to spend a ton of cash.

So we set out in a lightly converted mini-van to visit the countryside most guidebooks ignore, to eat local and wholesome food, to soak in backcountry hot springs, and to hike the trails that crisscross every part of the country.

We don’t have an unlimited budget so there’ll be no fancy travel companies to shuttle us around, no $100 meals, and no five-star hotels. That’s OK because we are in Japan on a long-term adventure — traveling and living to make our budget last.

This is our first trip to Kumano Kodo in Wakayama prefecture.

Here’s the vid. Enjoy!