When you speed through Japan on the Shinkansen bullet trains you see beautiful mountain ranges in the distance and start to consider hiking possibilities. The Kiso Valley provides day and multi-day hiking opportunities from either Nagoya or Nagano. Several of the trails have been in existed since the early Edo period when feudal lords travel between their home prefecture and Tokyo. Various "post" towns set up along the trail to provide rest and food for weary travelers.
MAGOME TO TSUMAGO HIKE
One of the easiest stretches of the old Edo Road to reach and hike is between Magome and Tsumago, but it does require checking local bus schedules to make sure you're not stranded in any area for too long. The first leg of the trip involves taking an early morning train from Nagoya to Nakatsugawa. From Nakatsugawa it's a 30 minute bus ride to Magome. The hike starts north of the Magome shopping street. The distance between Magome and Tsumago is about 8km, mostly downhill, and should take about two hours. There is a tea house near the mid-point. The section is well paved, in some cases you actually "hike" on macadam road. Tsumago has a little more action than Magome and there's places to have lunch and try the local specialties of fried rice balls and buckwheat noodles. Buses leave infrequently from Tsumago to Nagiso so you'll definitely want to confirm bus departure times - if you miss a bus by five minutes you may need to wait two hours for the next one or walk the 4km to Nagiso.
If you wake up early, time the trains and buses well, and complete the Magome to Tsumago and lunch in Tsumago in under three hours, you can easily combine a stop at Matsumoto in with the same Nagoya day trip. Easily may be the wrong word, but you can combine these two locations like I did.
For complete details including links to bus information see Japan Guide.
If you wake up early, time the trains and buses well, and complete the Magome to Tsumago and lunch in Tsumago in under three hours, you can easily combine a stop at Matsumoto in with the same Nagoya day trip. Easily may be the wrong word, but you can combine these two locations like I did.
For complete details including links to bus information see Japan Guide.
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And the town of Tsumago:
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MATSUMOTO CASTLE
Matsumoto Castle is a remotely located mountain castle that rewards visitors that make the journey. If you are in the Kiso Valley for summer hiking or winter skiing it's definitely worth checking out this black castle with a half moat. The castle can get extremely crowded and the waiting in lines does not stop once you enter the castle - the castle is six stories tall and lines back up with people carefully walking up and down the narrow stairs. The castle is relatively empty on the inside - which is actually nice compared to the mini-museums you may find elsewhere.
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Depending upon the time of year you visit the town of Matsumoto may be holding an Octoberfest event. Beer is served in authentic German beer steins with a mix between German, Japanese and for some reason English and Middle Eastern food.
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For additional Kiso Valley photos see FLICKR ALBUM.