A row of storefronts in Tsumago-Juku.  In Japanese, the suffix Juku means post town.  These towns had inns, shops, and restaurants for travelers on the road, and accommodations for Samurai and Feudal Lords as well.
Nagiso Township, Kiso District, Nagano, Japan.

Japan is a beautiful country, filled with towering mountain peaks and sleeping volcanoes, and crisscrossed by springs, rivers, and mountain streams.  Every time I wander into the mountains of rural Japan, I am amazed at how stunningly beautiful it is.  So, unsurprisingly, it is in the mountains that I discovered the most beautiful place that I’ve seen in Japan so far.  The Kiso River Valley is nestled in the mountains on the border between Nagano and Gifu prefectures and is dotted with small villages along a section of the old Nakasendo road.  This section of road, called Kisoji, has existed as a minor trade route since ancient times, and was incorporated into the Nakasendo when it was created in the early 1600s.  The Kisoji section is also the best preserved portion of the road today, with a handful of the old towns still existing as they were in Feudal Japan.  Upon learning this last year, my friend and fellow blogger, Mr. Krigbaum, and I quickly decided we had to see it for ourselves.  So we set aside two days of our holiday adventure to hike into, and then out of, one of these preserved post towns, called Tsumago.

The town of Nagiso on the far bank of the Kiso river.
In Nagiso, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

We started off in the town of Nagiso and were met almost immediately with a soft, damp, persistent rain.  Once we picked up some basic supplies and had a light lunch at the local shops, we got directions and headed for the Nakasendo road.  But not before stopping to admire the what was around us.  The area around Nagiso station is beautiful in itself.  At one time, it was also a post town on the Nakasendo, called Midono.  Unfortunately, a fire in the late 1800s destroyed much of the town.  The town was rebuilt a short distance away, but in a more modern style and with a focus on Japan’s new railways.  In the 1960s, the entire area, including Tsumago, was incorporated into the town of Nagiso, where the main train station resides today.  Reflecting Midono/Nagiso’s focus on railways, the entrance to the old trade road passes by an old steam locomotive on display.

This old locomotive sits at junction where the road from Nagiso station meets the Nakasendo trail. In 1881, the old post town of Midono was destroyed by fire. When it was rebuilt, the town refocused on the new railways being built across Japan. This train is likely a relic from that time.
In Nagiso, Kiso District, Nagano.

The modern Nakasendo trail from Nagiso is a mix of narrow paved roads, gravel, and cobbled surfaces that winds its way out of Nagiso proper and through the countryside.  Along the way it passes by old shrines and workshops, through forests, and around old farms and fields.  Even in the rain, it was a beautiful hike.  The mountains were misty and had fog rolling off of them in the soft rain.  Many of the houses we passed looked and felt old, like we had walked into Edo period Japan.  The trail itself was mostly easy, so we could really soak in our surroundings without having to worry about our footing most of the time.  The only exception was our detour to climb up to the former site of Tsumago Castle.

The Nakasendo road cuts through a forest on the side of a mountain on the way to Tsumago.

Tsumago Castle really wasn’t much of a castle, but the Japanese language simply refers to all fortifications as “Jo”, which roughly translates to “castle”.  So a grand castle with a beautiful keep like Himeji-jo, a small, fortified samurai manor house like Oba-jo, and a little hill fort like Tsumago-jo are all called castles.  Tsumago castle was originally built sometime before or during the Sengoku, or Waring States Period to protect travelers on the old Kisoji road and the nearby post towns of Tsumago and Midono. In 1616, the new Tokugawa Shogunate set limits on the number of fortifications and castles allowed in each province and Tsumago Castle was abandoned and later dismantled.  Today, it is a pleasant resting spot on the hike with a stunning view of Tsumago-juku from the inner bailey.  It is a little difficult to climb up the mountain, but the view is well worth it.

Tsumago-Juku, a post town on the old Nakasendo road, as seen from Tsumago Castle.

After our brief respite at the Tsumago Castle site, we came back down to the main trail and hiked our way into Tsumago-juku itself.  Since it was mid-afternoon on a rainy day, many of the old shops were closed and very few people were out and about.  Even with everything close, and even in the rain, it was really amazing to walk around the bend and see the rows of very old shops, inns, restaurants, and houses lining both sides of the street.  Even the occasional car or van didn’t do much to ruin the feeling of being in old Japan.  Meanwhile, the soft rain still fell, and the mist hung on the mountains, creating a picturesque landscape.  However, because of the wet weather, the shops being closed, and the fact that our backpacks were getting heavy on our shoulders, we pushed through the town without stopping for long and made it to our inn for the night.  The inn was cozy and in the traditional Japanese style, which meant that it was run entirely by a single family.  The innkeeper, while we checked in, told us that all the old shops in Tsumago are lit by lanterns every night.  So after relaxing a bit with some tea, we set back out to explore the town by night, and we were not disappointed.  The rain had stopped, but the mountain village had turned misty and the lanterns gave the empty streets an almost eerie feeling, like the ghosts of centuries past could come out of the shadows.

The main row of storefronts in Tsumago-Juku at night.

Once we’d had our fill of the town at night, and I had gotten to try my hand at some night photography, we retired for a traditional Japanese meal and a good night’s sleep.  The weather forecast for the next day was bright sunshine, so we wanted to be up with the sun.  That way we could see this idyllic mountain village in the proper daylight.  But that will have to wait until next time.

Continued on Day 2 here:  http://www.wayfarerdaves.com/?p=668