Our first destination is an art museum dedicated to one of Japan’s most famous landscape artists and his iconic works of the historic Nakasendo route. There you will discover not only how culturally significant this trail once was, but also all the work and techniques that go into making ukiyoe (woodblock) paintings. You will even get the chance to create a simple print yourself. After learning about the importance of the Nakasendo trail, we will travel to our next stop where you will see one of the best-preserved post towns along the Samurai Road.

Tsumago-juku was the forty-second of the sixty-nine post towns on the Nakasendo trail. The charming town consists of inns, houses, and shops—many of which were built in the Edo era. You will be able to imagine what life was like for a samurai or a traveler as your guide leads you through this historic village. Before starting the hike, you will receive a hiking certificate which you can get stamped in both towns to prove that you hiked this section of the Nakasendo trail. The certificate is made out of local wood, a specialty of the region, making it a truly unique souvenir.

We will then set off on our hike down the Nakasendo trail—one of five ancient roads connecting the de facto capital of Edo (Tokyo) with other regions in Japan. The trail was most prominent during the Edo era. Today, most of the original Nakasendo has been lost to time or converted into modern highways and railway lines. However, the section of the trail we will hike remains relatively unchanged from the time of the samurai. You will even see segments of the trail with original cobblestone.

At the end of the trek, you will arrive at the beautiful post town of Magome. Situated on a slope, this town offers stunning views of the surrounding mountain scenery and features a main street lined with traditional wooden buildings. There are waterways on either side of the street, and the fast-running water powers multiple waterwheels making the whole town feel a bit like it is out of a fairytale. The post town features many shops, selling popular local crafts and snacks such as oyaki dumplings, gohei-mochi rice cakes, and ice cream. We recommend looking for some of the wood crafts made from local trees, many of which are extremely fragrant and, just as importantly, small and easy to carry back home. Of course, your guide will be available to help you take photos that will make your friends and family envious. Your guide will then accompany you back to the tour bus back towards Nagoya, or if you wish, our team can drop your group off elsewhere in the Kiso Valley.