Photo story: hiking the Kiso Valley on Japan's ancient Nakesendo Way
One of Japan’s 17th-century highways, the Nakasendō wound through the heart of the country’s main island, Honshu, linking the spiritual centre of Kyoto with the political hub of Edo (modern-day Tokyo).
The Kiso Valley section of the Nakasendo Way can be hiked comfortably in three days, and the trail is well maintained. Winding through mountains, the route passes through pretty post towns meeting every hiker’s needs. So, between forays into the wilderness of central Japan, walkers can find cafes and artisan coffee houses; general stores for sunscreen and memory cards; regional craft and curio shops; and a choice of inns, ranging from traditional-style ryokans to contemporary B&Bs.
In the early days of the trail, the journey between Kyoto and Edo (now modern-day Tokyo) would take 12 days. It was a tricky hike for travelling salesmen with cumbersome baggage, and for porters who lugged shoguns and other nobility in sedan chairs. The 4.3-mile stretch between Tsumago and Magome (the 42nd and 43rd post towns on the Nakasendo Way) is indicative of the varied terrains the path negotiates, passing rice paddies, bamboo groves and even encountering dense forest on the lower slopes of the Nagano Prefecture mountains.
The Nakasendo Way is signposted throughout Kiso Valley.
Unlike many Nakasendo Way post towns, which huddle in the deep crevasses of mountain valleys, the settlement of Magome runs down a hillside, giving views of the path as it stretches away in either direction — east towards Tokyo and southwest towards Kyoto.
A walk through Magome village passes dozens of cafes and restaurants, craft and trinket stalls, and a number of small museums, including the Waki-Honjin Museum on the site of a former inn for samurai warriors.
A bowl of soba noodles with vegetable tempura and mountain vegetables at Nakai Tsutsuya restaurant in Magome village.
The landscape and flora change colour with the seasons, from pink springtime blossoms to the fresh summer greens of bamboo groves and rusty oranges of autumnal leaves and berries.
Pilgrims may paste their wooden or rice-paper senjafuda (a sign containing their name) on shrines along the Nakasendo Way.
Chilli peppers hang to dry from the eaves of a house.
On the Nakasendo Way, between Tsumago and Magome, a former inspection post has been turned into a teahouse, known as Tateba Chaya. It’s staffed by volunteers who provide free tea to thirsty hikers and strollers.
Householders who live alongside the hiking route decorate their homes — both for their own pleasure and that of passing walkers — with seasonal floral displays.
The Nakasendo Way passes through Tsumago village.
The red torii gates leading to the shrine of Toyokawa Inari Daimyojin in Tsumago village.
Tsumago is home to several specialist sweet shops, including Sawadaya, which makes, among other treats, a sweet chestnut cake called kuri-kinton. Appreciative customers gather around the counter.
Ito-san makes traditional bent-wood boxes and containers inside his little shop, Marutaya, in the heart of Tsumago village.
At Wachinoya, a small shop in Tsumago village, Hara-san serves local speciality oyaki, stuffed steamed or grilled dumplings.
Day-trippers and long-haul hikers alike need to refuel. Wachinoya in Tsumago sells the energy-giving regional speciality oyaki, steamed or grilled dumplings filled with a selection of curious ingredients, including wormwood, pumpkin and pickled nozawana leaf. Sweet options are available, too, with walnut or red bean jam.
For a traditional ‘bed and half-board’ experience, Fujioto Ryokan — a century-old inn in Tsumago — offers tatami rooms and a 6pm-sharp, eight-course kaiseki dinner. Guests can also enjoy tea while looking out across the inn’s landscaped garden.
Tsumago has suffered fewer destructive fires than neighbouring Magome, hence its traditional appearance and more meandering path bisecting lanes of cypress-wood houses.
The central firepit and kettle of the Waki Honjin Okuya, a museum in Tsumago, Japan that offers a glimpse of life in a honjin (high-class ryokan) during the Edo period, must be constantly attended. The smoke from the fire fills the air and highlights the sunshine streaming through the ventilation window.
Beds are laid out on the tatami floors of Fujioto Ryokan, Tsumago.