Page 148 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

146  JAP AN REGION B Y REGION

0 Kiso Valley Tour Tips for Travelers

Kiso Valley Tour length: 60 km (37 miles).
Travel: Car is the most flexible.
The Kiso River runs through a picturesque moun tain Many express trains stop at
valley that was the route of the Nakasendo, one of the Kiso-Fukushima and Nakatsu-
Edo-period post roads. The Kiso Valley’s 11 post towns, gawa. Local trains run hourly.
particularly Tsumago, Narai, and Magome, still retain Information: Tsumago (0264)
57-3123; Magome (0264) 69-
much of that atmosphere, their narrow streets lined 2336; Narai (0264) 34-3048.
with wooden inns and stores. Parts of the old Nakasendo ∑ town.nagiso.nagano.jp/
trail, especially between Tsumago and Magome, are as foreign/en/index.html
they were in the Edo days and can be followed past
woods, farms, and milestones. More challenging hiking
is found on nearby mountains such as Ontake.
1 Kiso-Hirasawa Shiojiri and
Matsumoto
Lacquerware is a specialty here, perfected over
the years to sell to travelers passing through.
4 Kiso-Fukushima
This was the location
of a major barrier gate
J
Yabuhara on the Nakasendo
road. Today it is the
gateway to the sacred
2 Narai mountain of Ontake.
This well-preserved post town Miyanokoshi
has streets lined with wooden Harano
buildings, plus a couple of
interesting museums, giving Mt Ontake
an insight into how life was
Kiso River 0 miles 5
for travelers on the Nakasendo. 0 kilometers 10
3 Torii Pass Mt Kiso-Komagatake
This pass has one of J
the main remaining Agematsu
sections of genuine, J 5 Nezame-no-toko
stone-paved This pretty gorge, about
Nakasendo road, with half-an-hour’s walk from
no modern road Agematsu, holds turquoise
nearby to spoil it. Kuramoto waters strewn with boulders.
It takes about
2 hours to Suhara
walk over
the pass. Okuwa
Nojiri

Junikane
6 Tsumago
All signs of modernity have been
hidden here – cables are buried and
Nagiso cars banned. A former high-class inn,
the Okuya, is now an excellent museum
of local and Nakasendo history.
Key
Tour route 7 Magome
In the hills above the Kiso Valley,
Other roads
Magome is a good starting point
J
Walk route for the 8.5-km (5-mile) Nakasendo
J
Nakatsugawa Peak walking trail to Tsumago.
For keys to symbols see back flap

146-147_EW_Japan.indd 146 08/08/16 3:06 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm