In a country side city where I live, Nakatsugawa, Gifu, Japan, there is an old highway “Nakasendo” which was built when the samurai period started in early 1600’s.
The highway, connecting Tokyo (“Edo”, the capital of Japan in samurai period, and “Kyoto”(the cultural city from long long ago.), goes through mostly mountain area,  and where I live is at the edge of plain land and mountain.

The most well know part of the Nakasendo is probably Magome- Tsumago hiking along the trail.

 Magome, the start of mountain path, Kisoji.