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| Torii-toge pass on the old Nakasendo highway |
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 f the old Tokaido highway was the main street of medieval
Japan, the inland Nakasendo was one of its back roads. Although it
was one of the “gokaido,” five principal arteries of the
Edo Period (1600-1868), it was, compared to the Tokaido, little trafficked,
an
alternative route when rivers on Japan’s Pacific seaboard were in flood.
Dating to the 8th century and officially established in the 17th, the
Nakasendo linked Edo (now Tokyo) with the capital, Kyoto. It stretched
500 kilometers over rugged mountain passes and through the deep forests
in what is today called Nagano. The ukiyo-e artist Ando Hiroshige fueled
the Nakasendo’s popularity through a series of woodblock prints, just as he had done for the Tokaido. In comparison with the Tokaido, urbanized in places and largely superseded by railways and new highways, the Nakasendo remains unchanged, offering travelers long stretches of road similar to what they were two centuries ago. The picturesque Kiso Valley in the Japan Alps of southwestern Nagano Prefecture offers some of the most rewarding Nakasendo jaunts. |
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| In the 1700s, provincial lords, samurai retainers, couriers, merchants
and other travelers on the Nakasendo could rest at 69 post stations.
Although mostly sleepy today, the “road through the central mountains” bustled
in places during its heyday.The most prosperous post station was Narai.
This Kiso Valley village was responsible for maintaining the thoroughfare
and lodging official travelers. |
| It boasted a thousand inns at its
peak, and was known as “Narai of a Thousand Homes.” Located along the 92-kilometer Kiso River stretch of the Nakasendo and about 45 minutes from Matsumoto by train, it was essentially bypassed by modernization, rediscovered by tourists in the 1970s and preserved as a post town. Old wooden buildings, former inns, front the kilometer-long main street, featuring five Edo Period wells that still quench the thirst of travelers. Near the end of the street is the Narai Minzoku Shiryokan museum of local history and folk crafts. |
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| Narai’s
streets and shops offer a flavor of bygone days |
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| It took the Japanese of old three days to travel the valley on foot, passing its 10 other post towns, but the journey is possible in only a few hours today on the JR Chuo Line or National Road 19. South of Narai is Nagiso Station, a convenient staging point for two other Nakasendo post towns, Tsumago and Magome. Though more touristy than Narai, they are more attractive and better preserved, being often used as locations for period dramas and films. The closest to the station is Tsumago, which had fallen into decline in the early 20th century and was on the verge of becoming a ghost town by 1965, when locals decided to capitalize on their assets by protecting them from development. TV antennas, power lines and streetlights are nowhere to be seen. |
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| Tsumago, the 42nd of 69 post towns punctuating the passage
from Edo to Kyoto |
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Postmen wear Edo Period attire on their rounds. The
bold preservation movement inspired other communities to follow
suit, and in 1976 the town was designated a protected area for
heritage buildings by the government. Spending a night at one of
its traditional Japanese inns, dining on shioyaki, grilled (salted
river fish) and soba noodles topped with grated yam, and walking
the quiet, car-free streets at night really is like stepping back
into old Japan. November's Fuzoku Emaki Parade in Tsumago is the
main event of the region and showcases locals proceeding along
the old Nakasendo in Edo Period attire. |
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| Hikers can enjoy the three-hour walk through a pine forest between
Tsumago and Magome along the old Nakasendo, and a baggage-forwarding
service is available in the high season of July and August. A small,
beautifully kept post town with a view of Mt. Ena, Magome means “horse
basket” because travelers would have to dismount before tackling
the hill to Magome Pass. It is better known as the birthplace of
famed Japanese author Shimazaki Toson (1872-1943), whose novel Ie
(The Family) chronicles the decline of two Kiso region families. The Toson Kinenkan museum is devoted to his life and times and
is built on the site of his home, a former inn for feudal officials
called Magome Honjin. The most southerly of the Kiso stations, this
photogenic town also features a plethora of waterwheels, old inns,
landscaped gardens and fine mountain views. Local restaurant fare
includes gohei-mochi, skewered and grilled rice dumplings covered
with miso or sesame paste. Munching on one while walking the old
Nakasendo’s Kiso stretch is a great way for urbanites to de-stress
and forget the present. |
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