Hi everyone!
My husband and I recently came back from a 15-day trip to Japan and overall it was an epic, life-changing adventure. Most of the tips shared in this sub are absolutely true (I don’t think there was a single day where we didn’t hit the 20K step mark and SO glad we had some cash and a coin purse handy.)
We covered all the “greatest hits” of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, so reporting on those areas would be redundant as this sub already has great info. However, I haven’t seen too many recent posts about Kiso Valley, so I wanted to share our experience since it was a personal highlight for me!
**Between our stops from Tokyo to Kyoto, stayed in Kiso-Fukushima for 2 nights:**
[**KISO VALLEY / NAKASENDO PHOTOS**](https://photos.app.goo.gl/nwowhigch5wBEuWV7)
**Travel from Tokyo**
We took the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano and then a rail train to Kiso-Fukushima. The whole trip took just under 3 hours. Since were were only making a 2-day stop in Kiso, we forwarded our main luggage from Tokyo to the following stop in Kyoto and only took our backpacks with us with a change of clothes. The luggage forwarding system is amazing.
To get to Kyoto afterwards, we took a train to Nagoya and then transferred to Tokyo. That leg took about 2.5 hours.
**Lodging**
We stayed at [this traditional ryokan](http://www.kiso-tutaya.com/) which was a 10-min walk from the station. We splurged on a room that had a private bathroom and an open air bath (hot tub) overlooking the river. Let me tell you, with all the walking we had done, it was HEAVEN. It allowed for a few moments of downtime (and a little romance) amidst all the running around. Breakfast and dinner were included in our package, which is recommended as the town is small and dining options close early. The food was amazing. Worth every penny.
**In Town Highlights**
* [Hoshakuzan Kozenji Temple & Garden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dzen-ji)
* [Restaurant with amazing soba noodles](http://www.soba-kurumaya.com/)
* [Lovely shop with lacquered goods](https://www.urusi.com/)
* [Public foot bath with stone reflexology path](https://goo.gl/maps/hPH6mMtr9Rwb9Rfu7)
* Simply walking around!
**Walking the Nakasendo Trail from Magome to Tsumago**
We took the limited express from Kiso-Fukushima to Nakatsuaga, and then a bus to the Magome which drops you off at the start of the trail.
This portion of the trail is about 8km and I would consider it an easy to moderate hike (there were some uphill portions and forest paths). [More information about it here.](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6078.html)
IT WAS ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING. I loved every moment. A beautiful combination of walking through small towns and forest. The weather was beautiful, there were definitely other people, but it wasn’t crowded by any means. I’m still looking at the photos and just sighing over how beautiful it all was.
When we got to Tsumago we explored the shops a bit. Then took the bus to Nagiso and the train back to Kiso, with just enough time for a hot tub soak, shower, and then to the dining room for dinner (donning the provided yukata robes).
**Things We Didn’t Get to Do in Kiso-Fukushima**
I would have loved to spend another day or two in Kiso-Fukushima because there were a number of things we didn’t get to. Also, it’s just a lovely place to just walk around and experience.
* [The Narai – Yukahabara portion of the Nakasendo Trail](https://www.snowmonkeyresorts.com/smr/kiso-valley/how-to-enjoy-the-nakasendo-post-town-trail-in-kiso-valley/)
* [Akasawa Natural Recreational Forest](https://www.snowmonkeyresorts.com/activities/akasawa-natural-recreational-forest/)
* [Atera Gorge](https://www.snowmonkeyresorts.com/activities/atera-gorge/) and [Kakizore Gorge](https://www.snowmonkeyresorts.com/activities/kakizore-gorge/)
* [Sacred Mt. Ontake hike](https://hikesinjapan.yamakei-online.com/course/167.php) (difficult)
* [Momosuke Bridge](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g321545-d1815999-Reviews-Momosuke_Bridge-Nagiso_machi_Kiso_gun_Nagano_Prefecture_Koshinetsu_Chubu.html)
* [Gongen Waterfall](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1120606-d14970237-Reviews-Gongen_Waterfall-Kiso_machi_Kiso_gun_Nagano_Prefecture_Koshinetsu_Chubu.html) (difficult – I found the negative reviews were all from people not realizing how difficult of a hike this was to get to)
**OTHER RANDOM HIGHLIGHTS**
**Tokyo**
* [Hacienda de Cielo](https://www.huge.co.jp/restaurant/modern-mexicano/hacienda) \- This Mexican restaurant in Daikanyama (outside of Shibuya) has terrace seating with beautiful views of the city. Having lived in Arizona, I’m going to say this wasn’t the most authentic Mexican food, but it was fine.
* [The SG Club](https://goo.gl/maps/YNoq1o44iLKChz1c9) \- Super fun swanky bar in Shibuya with great drinks.
* If you like record shops and vintage clothing, exploring [Shimokitazawa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimokitazawa) was really fun.
**Kyoto**
* While the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove tends to get most of the attention, walking around [Kameyama Park Kameyama Region](https://goo.gl/maps/7ABoYdyopz5jMWXx7) was so lovely.
**Osaka**
* Dotonbori gets all the love, but I absolutely loved the retro, gritty vibe of [Shinsekai](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4012.html). We played some Tetris and Tekken at the retro arcade. We even found a sex shop that had Real Dolls (I’ve never seen one in person before!)
* We easily spent over an hour in the 8-story [Edion Namba electronics store](https://goo.gl/maps/awP4twu9SRQk2Zn7A).
* If you’re into craft beer, [Craft Beer Works Kamikaze](https://www.instagram.com/cbw_kamikaze/) was pretty awesome (but pricey).
We’ve been back exactly a week now and I’m still feeling blue about it – would have absolutely loved to stay a whole month or more.
Happy travels!
2 comments
So glad to see someone else do the Nakasendo! It was the best part of my April trip. We’re you the one that asked for advice a while back about how to go about it that I answered and gave advice about?
Thank you! We are headed to the Kiso Valley on our trip next week for the hike. Appreciate the insights