As I stride along the narrow path, tall cedar trees tower above me. All I can hear is the gurgling stream, birds twittering and the breeze rustling in the treetops. The large cobbles I tread upon have been worn down over the centuries by the footsteps of thousands of travellers. Now, there is barely a soul in sight but this trail would have once been teeming with people – commoners walked, nobles were carried in enclosed norimons, while samurai travelled on horseback. I’m hiking in Japan along a stretch of the Nakasendo Way, a 332-mile route linking Kyoto with Edo (now Tokyo) through the Kiso Mountains in central Japan. It is one of five roads used during the Edo period (1603 to 1868) when the emperor in Kyoto no longer held power over the country, having been usurped by the military, headed by the most senior samurai, the shogun in Edo.
above:Â A nobleman being carried in a norimon along the Nakasendo
Today, much of the route is through urban sprawl, with yellow and white stones set in the tarmac to mark the Nakasendo road. But some sections have remained much as they always were and a few of the 69 towns along the route, known as post stations, where travellers rested each night, remain resilient to the Japanese tendency to tear down the old and build anew. Arguably the prettiest section of the route runs through the Kiso Valley. In spring the valley is decorated with cherry blossoms and in autumn the golden foliage of Japanese maples.
The Nakasendo Way – Pin it for later
Visiting Japan for the first time? Check out my post, 33 top travel tips for first-time visitors to Japan.
Nakatsugawa – Ochiai – Magome – Tsumago
Earlier that day our walk began in Nakatsugawa, post station 45, in the Gifu Prefecture. It’s a chilly, crisp morning with a clear blue sky. A warming glass of sake (Japanese rice wine) in a 200-year-old brewery is an excellent way to start the day. As we leave, the shop our guide points out the sugidama, a large ball made from cedar foliage that was hung outside the shop when the sake was brewed. As it ages, the green leaves will turn brown giving an indication of the age of the sake. The brewery is housed in one of a number of old buildings that have been restored along this road, including the town’s honjin, a lodging house for feudal lords and the waki-honjin, for lesser dignitaries.
above and below: Sake brewery in a preserved building along the Nakasendo way in Nakatsugawa
From Nakatsugawa we head to Ochiai, post station 44. It is here, just as you leave Ochiai on the way to Magome, that you’ll find the best-preserved section of the stone paving that once covered the entire route. The path leads through a cedar forest with both original and restored ishu-datami, which translates as stone tatami (the matting used in traditional buildings).
Thanks to its remoteness in the Kiso Valley, this section of the trail is the most intact. The post towns of Magome and Tsumago are particularly known for their preserved wooden and plaster buildings from the feudal era. Over forty years ago they pedestrianised their main streets, restored many of the old buildings and, where they could, hid the power lines.
I didn’t get the chance to visit Tsumago itself, which is a great shame as it is said to be the most authentic of the two, but Magome was a joy to explore.
We stopped for lunch at Juri, a small Japanese restaurant just outside of Magome on the road to Tsumago, and tucked into sticky chestnut rice with various little dishes, of which the pumpkin sasami was particularly delicious, accompanied by miso soup and green tea.
below: Further down the trail another cup of green tea awaited us at a traditional tea shop on the route between Magome and Tsumago. The tea is free, just leave a small donation.
Check current prices and availability for hotels in and around Gifu on Booking.com
In the footsteps of princesses
The Nakasendo road through the Kiso Mountains was one of two routes leading from Kyoto to Edo, the other being the Tokaido coastal route. Although the latter was a little shorter and less arduous than the colder mountainous trail, some preferred the Nakasendo which was considered less dangerous as it avoided crossing any large rivers. It was the preferred route by noblewomen, most notably brides heading to Edo to get married, who also wanted to avoid a section of the Tokaido considered inauspicious for weddings. One such bride, Kazunomiya, the younger sister of the emperor (and the current emperor’s great-great-aunt) was sent to Edo in 1861, aged 16, to marry the 14th shogun. Tens of thousands of attendants accompanied her (possibly as many as 30,000). It is said that the procession was over 30 miles long and took 4 days to leave Kyoto. It strained the resources of the post towns beyond breaking point. How different the now-tranquil trail through the forest is today.
The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Kaido
The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Kaido is a series of 19th Century ukiyo-e (woodblock prints) created by Utagawa Hiroshige and Keisai Eisen, one for each of the post towns along the Nakasendo Way (originally called the Kiso Kaido). Below is one of my favourite prints from the series, post station 46. Oi, Ena, Gifu Prefecture. You can see the whole series in the map below by clicking on each town in turn.
Need to know
How to get to Nakatsugawa
Nakatsugawa is just 50 minutes by Shinano express train from Nagoya Station or 80 minutes by rapid train.
How long does it take to walk?
The route between Nakatsugawa to Magome via the post town of Ochiai takes about 3 to 3 and a half hours, Magome to Tsumago takes about 2 and a half hours. From Tsumago it is about an hour and a half’s walk to Nagiso’s railway station.
Where to stay
I stayed in an onsen (hot spring) ryokan (traditional inn) Iwasu-so near Nakatsugawa. While the décor is rather dated, it has a wonderful outside communal onsen as well as private onsen baths and is in a lovely rural setting. It has the traditional tatami-matted rooms and simple futon mattresses as beds. While they didn’t look comfortable, I was pleasantly surprised by how well I slept. I was also surprised that I found stripping naked in front of strangers (women only) to enter the hot spring communal bath was nowhere near as embarrassing as I expected it to be. The hot springs are a great antidote to tired limbs and jetlag.
Check current prices and availability for hotels in and around Gifu on Booking.com
This article in the Guardian, The inns and outs of my walk into Japan’s past, recommends staying in a traditional minshuku, a simple, traditional family-run guest house, and they do sound very appealing.
Disclosure: My visit to Japan was organised by Central Japan Tourism in collaboration with the prefectures of Gifu, and Aichi and JTB Europe Ltd. My visit was complimentary but, as always, I keep the right to share with you whatever I like here on Travel With Kat.
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Hi Kat, Very informative narration , such a beautiful place to visit and hike the trail.
Question about using mountain bike to traverse the trail networks…are they allowed?
Thanks.
Hi there and thank you! It is indeed beautiful. You would be able to bike parts of the trail but I should imagine they aren’t allowed on all of it (although I don’t know for certain). Sorry I can’t be more helpful.
Hey,
Thanks for making this guide.
I will be walking the whole of this route next month, from Kyoto to Tokyo.
Your map is extremely helpful, but I’m making my own in the reverse order (Kyoto start point).
I wondered how you found the specific locations/stops? Which is the road to take between points etc?
I’m working from a list of the stops, but sometimes the locations turn up a little aside from the ones on your map (for instance on a parallel road).
Any tips for making my route as accurate as possible?
Hi Sebastian, What an exciting trip. I’d love to hear all about it when you get back or even better, follow your journey. Will you be sharing it on social media? I got the route from Wikipedia so can’t vouch for its accuracy. I spent quite a while hunting for an accurate route on the internet but I’m not sure it exists. You could try contacting local tourism boards but with only a month to go, you probably don’t have time. Perhaps you could create a more accurate map than mine. If you do, and you’re happy to share it, I’d love to make this map more accurate. I’m fascinated by this walking route and its history and would dearly love to walk it all one day. Have a fabulous and exciting time. Please do keep in touch. all the very best, Kat
Hi Kat,
Thanks for your reply.
I haven’t yet decided how to share my journey, but I think that I should, to help future travellers. So far, your guide is the most useful, I also came across another site with part of an article from a couple who supposedly did the whole route… but there was no map or link to the rest of their story.
I will take a GoPro knockoff camera and keep a journal so I may end up sharing some stuff. I would probably use a website in a similar way to you.
I’ve had the same experience with map hunting as you have. I’ve got a finished map now, but I’m still checking it and adding the kanji and finishing details. I don’t mind sharing it, and I’ll update it after my journey with any alterations.
It’s good advice to contact the local tourism board. I’ve had some replies already for map segments, but I’m still waiting on others.
I think it would be an excellent way to start a travel blog. If you want any advice about setting one up just ask. I’m sure I’m not the only one who would enjoy sharing your journey as it happens too, whether on Instagram (if your a good photographer) or a Facebook page or group perhaps. A Nakasendo Way FB group might be a really useful resource for those following in your footsteps. Have fun and say hello to Japan from me!
I don’t currently use Fb or Instagram, so I don’t plan to set up a page at the moment.
I’d be interested to learn how to do a travel blog. Please email me tips.
This trip has a very personal feel for me. I will be living simply and without updating progress as I go. I want to connect to a simpler time (before internet) while I journey. But afterwards, I’ll be keen to reflect and share.
Of course! That’s definitely the way to do it. I’ll drop you an email about setting up a blog and stuff.
Hi Sebastian,
Wondering how your trip went! I used to live in Japan, and am eager to come back specifically to do this trail while there, and would love to hear your story. And whether you were able to complete it in a month as expected. Thanks in advance!!
It was quite the journey, and I highly recommend trying it. I went off route somewhat. I followed the route from Kyoto to Shiojiri. At Shiojiri, there is little left of the route. Here I took another route to Fujimi (see Fuji) and Kiyosato – where I could experience nature once again.
The stretch between Gifu and Nagano is rather spectacular. Sometimes it is very wild. I ended up with nowhere to stay on multiple occassions.
I picked up the route again and got to Tokyo. Walking accross Tokyo is not an experience I would recommend (nor Kyoto for that matter).
My feet changed colour (pink, white, red, purple) and I got food poisoning.
May I ask the approximative budget for this trail ?
it’s kind of hard to find any info except pricey tours. I wanna go there alone and hike a big portion of it 😉
Sorry, it is hard to say, Lea. The route is free to walk but you’d need to work our where you want to stay and how much you want to spend and take it from there.
Hey,
Same here !
Did you find any relevant info ? Like a detail map which will allow us to follow the path all the way ?
Let me know.
Louis
What an amazing journey. Yet another reason I need to go to Japan.
It’s such a fascinating place and lovely people. I’m sure you’d love it.
Great post! Very interesting to know for my future planning!
I have always wanted to go to Japan, it seems so beautiful and mesmerizing. Thanks for the inspiration kat!
It is just that. I hope you make it there before too long. I’m sure you will love it.
What a fascinating route – there’s so much I want to see in Japan already and I keep discovering more and more places and adventures to add to the list.
I know what you mean. I’m longing to go back. Such a beautiful and fascinating country.
Nature entwined with a fascinating history – what a fabulous trip and what beautiful scenery.
It really was wonderful. I’d love to go back again.
It was fascinating to find out more about Edo as I was lucky to experience Japan and see some buildings from the Edo period recently. The 69 stations of the Kiso Kaido sound interesting to visit!
I do hope I get the chance to return one day. Such a fascinating country.
Wow! This is such an awesome travel destination, Kathryn! I would love to cross this place off my bucket list as soon as possible. How many days would you recommend spending there?
I’d recommend a minimum of 3 days for this section of the path but really depends on how much walking you wanted to do each day. You could still have a great time here in just one day.
Thanks for the prompt reply, Kathryn! I’ll definitely reread your post in future. 😉
It must have been fascinating, Kath. What a coup! I’m sure you won’t mind if I include this on my Monday walks? 🙂 🙂
It was! As well as the lovely scenery and architecture, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Japan’s history. Completely fascinating.
This is beautiful – I don’t mind that it goes through towns because it still has such history and look at that scenery! And it’s a paved walk mostly so it is easily accessible! This is my kind of cultural day trip
And this is just one highlight of my trip. There’s plenty more to come that I’m sure you’ll also love.