Nakasendo Walking Trail, Nakatsugawa, Japan
The Nakasendo was a highway that ran from Kyoto over an inland route through what is now Shiga, Gifu, and Nagano Prefectures before descending on Tokyo’s predecessor, Edo.
Established in the 8th century it reached its zenith in the Edo period – a bustling highway for nobles, samurai, merchants, and commoners alike. In the past it would take travellers 18 to 20 days to walk the full length of the 533 km (330 mile) road, and there were 67 stages along the way. The introduction of the railway revolutionized Japan at the end of the 19th century and the old-style highways fell into disrepair.
Much of the original Nakasendo Highway is now gone, but there are still some sections of the old road that, along with connecting stage posts, have been preserved.
The former post towns of Tsumago and Magome, situated on the border of Nagano and Gifu Prefectures, are connected with each other by an attractive walking trail that follows the old Nakasendo. The trail, part forested – part cobbled – part paved, is about 9 kilometers long and can be covered in two to three hours. The trail starts at Nagiso Station and passes several small villages, waterfalls, and historical structures.
Epic Japan Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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