Last Updated: Sep 27, 2023

The Ultimate Kiso Valley Guide

Exploring this Hidden Gem

Today’s article is the next installment in my area guide series where I go into great detail on a specific spot. This will be a VERY long post but not without good reason! We’ll be going far off the beaten path to follow in the footsteps of a trade route that ironically very much WAS the beaten path for almost three hundred years. Known as the Nakasendo, this trail wound through the mountains and connected Kyoto with the capital in Edo (modern day Tokyo). In addition to the Tokaido route which followed along the coast, these two twin highways facilitated interconnectivity during the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate, a.k.a the Edo period (1603–1868).

While the coastal Tokaido has largely been lost to urban sprawl, the path can still be followed today — albeit at over 300 km/h on the bullet train. The less popular Nakasendo on the other hand has many sections that have been well preserved. Nowhere is this more true than in the remote Kiso Valley. Nestled between imposing mountain cliffs, these lowlands are home to a handful of towns that have come together to preserve their history. In days gone by these hamlets were known as juku or post towns and served as overnight spots for weary travelers.