The Nakasendo Way

Take the ancient samurai pathway through the Kiso Valley, passing picturesque farmhouses and tea fields.

The best way to appreciate the Kiso Valley is to explore the region on foot, just as the samurai would have done. The villages of Tsumago and Magome sit on the Nakasendo Way, an ancient samurai pathway that traverses the lower Japanese Alps linking Kyoto and Matsumoto. Today the 3 hour walk between the two villages is well worth it for scenes of rural life, farmhouses and tea fields. The path is signposted in Japanese and English and is fairly gentle in terms of elevation.  

Like the Cotswolds in England, the walk through the Kiso Valley is simply charming; the perfect place for a relaxed wander, taking photos of quaint Japanese buildings, popping into craftshops and saying konnichiwa to the friendly locals you'll meet en-route.