Public transportation options are available nearby
•
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
•
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
•
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
•
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
•
For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
•
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
•
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
•
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
•
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Become our Lokal Curator
Are you ready to turn your hobbies into a business?
Step into the Edo period and follow in the footsteps of shoguns and travelers on the historic Nakasendo. This guided walking tour takes you across the Usui Pass, once known as the most difficult section of the route, while immersing yourself in history and nature.
Along the way, Kamishibai storytelling brings to life legends of Sakamoto-juku, depicted in ukiyo-e prints. Dressed in Edo-style travel gear (sedge hat, straw raincoat, travel pass), you’ll visit landmarks such as Kumano Shrine, the Usui Sekisho checkpoint, and the Nagai Family Residence, where Emperor Meiji once stayed.
Experience the journey with all five senses: See: History and legends through Kamishibai Taste: Chaya Bento wi...
Highlights
5 hours
Offered in Mandarin & English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
5 hours
Offered in Mandarin & English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
Shrine offering fee for visiting Kumano Shrine is included.
Admission fee for the Nagai Family Residence Memorial Hall is included.
Rental of Edo-style traveler’s attire, including sedge hat, raincoat, guards, and travel permit.
Commemorative pass for crossing Usui Checkpoint, one of Japan’s three great checkpoints.
Enjoy a tour-exclusive bento featuring the famous “Tōge no Chikara Mochi,” once beloved by Edo travelers, prepared by the historic Tamaya Drive-in.
Transportation fee to Usui Pass Observation Deck is included.
Luggage transport fee (not included, available as optional service).
Meeting Points
Departure
軽井沢駅北口タクシー乗り場
For guests using the Luggage Transport Service (advance reservation required)
・Please meet at Karuizawa Station at 9:00.
・We will store your luggage and provide instructions on the route to Usui Pass Viewing Platform (note: staff will not accompany you).
Return
Usui Sekisho Checkpoint
Dismissal Point
The tour ends at the Usui Sekisho Ruins (National Historic Site). JR Yokokawa Station (train and bus) is just a 5-min walk. For return, trains toward Tokyo depart around 16:00, and buses to Karuizawa leave at 17:20 (Oct 2025). Our nearby office offers rest space and souvenirs.
Usui Pass Edo Era Walk
Karuizawa-machi
About
Step into the Edo period and follow in the footsteps of shoguns and travelers on the historic Nakasendo. This guided walking tour takes you across the Usui Pass, once known as the most difficult section of the route, while immersing yourself in history and nature.
Along the way, Kamishibai storytelling brings to life legends of Sakamoto-juku, depicted in ukiyo-e prints. Dressed in Edo-style travel gear (sedge hat, straw raincoat, travel pass), you’ll visit landmarks such as Kumano Shrine, the Usui Sekisho checkpoint, and the Nagai Family Residence, where Emperor Meiji once stayed.
Experience the journey with all five senses: See: History and legends through Kamishibai Taste: Chaya Bento wi...
Highlights
5 hours
Offered in Mandarin & English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
5 hours
Offered in Mandarin & English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
Shrine offering fee for visiting Kumano Shrine is included.
Admission fee for the Nagai Family Residence Memorial Hall is included.
Rental of Edo-style traveler’s attire, including sedge hat, raincoat, guards, and travel permit.
Commemorative pass for crossing Usui Checkpoint, one of Japan’s three great checkpoints.
Enjoy a tour-exclusive bento featuring the famous “Tōge no Chikara Mochi,” once beloved by Edo travelers, prepared by the historic Tamaya Drive-in.
Transportation fee to Usui Pass Observation Deck is included.
Luggage transport fee (not included, available as optional service).
Meeting Points
Departure
軽井沢駅北口タクシー乗り場
For guests using the Luggage Transport Service (advance reservation required)
・Please meet at Karuizawa Station at 9:00.
・We will store your luggage and provide instructions on the route to Usui Pass Viewing Platform (note: staff will not accompany you).
Return
Usui Sekisho Checkpoint
Dismissal Point
The tour ends at the Usui Sekisho Ruins (National Historic Site). JR Yokokawa Station (train and bus) is just a 5-min walk. For return, trains toward Tokyo depart around 16:00, and buses to Karuizawa leave at 17:20 (Oct 2025). Our nearby office offers rest space and souvenirs.
Itinerary
1
Former Usuitouge View Point
At Usui Pass Observation Deck, you’ll receive an introduction to the Nakasendo trail ahead and the iconic landmark Mt. Myogi, a guidepost along the route. Here, you’ll also step across the border between Nagano and Gunma, experiencing the gateway to the Kanto region.
10 minutes
2
Kimano Shrine
Visit Kumano Shrine, one of Japan’s three great Kumano shrines among 3,500 nationwide. With a history of over 1,900 years, recorded even in the ancient Nihon Shoki, the shrine offers a chance to experience Japan’s deep traditions through a guided explanation and a formal visit.
20 minutes
3
Usui Pass
Our certified guide will lead you along the Usui Pass of the Nakasendo, once walked by shoguns. Along the route, historical sites and landmarks are brought to life through easy-to-understand illustrated storytelling (kamishibai picture cards).
3 hours
4
中山道 坂本宿(群馬県安中市松井田町坂本)
Together with your guide, stroll through the former Sakamoto-juku post town, once a lively stop for travelers crossing Usui Pass, famously depicted in the ukiyo-e series “Kiso Kaidō Rokujūkyū-tsugi.” You will also visit the Nagai Honjin Memorial Hall, where Emperor Meiji once rested, and admire rare cultural treasures such as a ceiling decorated with Karakami gilt leather paper, preserved in only a few places in Japan. Local guides will bring these traces of history to life.
30 minutes
5
The remains of Usui Sekisho
This checkpoint once monitored travelers during the Edo period. Under the shogunate’s decree, it strictly inspected “incoming guns and outgoing women.” Visitors will learn about this unique history through explanations provided by the local preservation society.