In Japan, Two Picturesque Villages Lie at the Foot of Mount Kiso
Like two time warps in The Japanese Alps, Magome and Tsumago lie perched at the foot of Mount Kiso on the old hiking route between Kyoto and Tokyo.
Spending two weeks travelling around Central Japan was by far the most overwhelming trip I’ve taken—perhaps the reason why I’m only getting around to sharing a series of blog posts now (several years later..). Nevertheless, I still feel like documenting our itinerary, since I found Japan to be a difficult destination to research from home. I remember spending a lot of time tracking down useful articles, blog posts and tips online, but ended up putting my faith in printed guidebooks when on the road. Of course, city guides to Tokyo are plentiful (I also have one saved in drafts that will hopefully be online soon!), but inspiration to destinations across the region were harder to come by.
Our trip around the country with Shinkansen and local bus lines too us from Tokyo to Kiso Valley via Mount Fuji, onwards to Kyoto and Kobe, and finally The Art Islands, Naoshima and Teshima. Every destination had its own charm, but I still vividly remember the calmness of our early morning in Kiso Valley, drinking matcha tea and taking in the views.
Located by the foot of Mount Kiso in the Nagano prefecture, around a three hour train and bus ride from Tokyo lies the two villages Magome and Tsumago. Describing them as ‘off the beaten path’ would be promising too much, as tour busses arrive here in the morning and leave again in the afternoon. However, since we arrived in Magome late in the afternoon when the busses had taken off again, we pretty much felt we had the village to ourselves.
I still vividly remember the calmness of our early morning in Kiso Valley, feeling like the only people in the world with our matche teas and view of the Japanese Alps
We took a walk up and down the main street, found a little café with a terrace and enjoyed a light meal, took in the views, had a traditional Japanese dinner at the ryokan we stayed at (traditional guest house with simple rooms offering nothing but tatami mats as beds, but just perfect), went to bed early and were woken up by the house rooster crowing just outside our winding. After a local breakfast (having fish, rice, and miso soup early in the morning quickly becomes normal), we took the bus to the neighboring Tsumago. A popular activity in the valley is hiking between the two villages—due to some heavy rain, we decided to take the bus to Tsumago and spend the following day.
Tsumago felt slightly more busy than Magome; it might have been the fact that we arrived here in the morning when the crowds came in, but nevertheless, I’d recommend staying in Magome if you get the chance. Honestly, there’s not much to do here, so one night is very fitting, but getting in from Tokyo and its abundance of neon lights and many impressions, the quietness and not having a million to do’s on our list was just what we needed.
Despite the handful of shops and cafés mainly here for the sake of tourists, the valley—and Magome in particular—still felt untouched and slightly otherworldly. Since WWII, the towns have been restored to their original state as part of a preservation project in the area. Visitors can enter many of the buildings that also house a couple of temples, and I am sure the popular trail between the two towns offer some beautiful views of the surrounding valley. If you do venture out on the hike, make sure to enjoy a ‘gohei mochi’—grilled rice ball on a stick topped with sweet miso original and a matcha soft serve afterwards.
HOW TO VISIT KISO VALLEY
A train journey from Copenhagen to Switzerland