Magome, Tsumago and Narai

Even though it’s been more stressful the last two months compared to any other time in our lives, people still have birthdays and so does my husband. He was therefore treated with a little trip to the Japanese countryside, visiting a ryokan (Japanese style inn with meals and baths in natural hot springs) after a very interesting hike in the beautiful Kiso Valley.
We set off to Tokyo main station to take the shinkansen (Japanese speed train) to Nagoya. Once in Nagoya, we found another train and then a very small bus, via the really helpful staff at the tourist office at the main station, towards the old postal town Magome.

An interesting view from above parts of the hill (the walk was upwards in a close to 40 degrees angle), down the town of Magome.

The town itself is one of the old postal towns along a route from this part of the country to Tokyo (old name is Edo) and make the starting point of several walks along the Kiso valley. The route is through a landscape of slopes through the Magome pass. However, it’s a fantastic walk and a quite different sight from the Swedish view; instead of pine- and leafy trees, it’s bamboo and Christmas trees looking like bonsais from the Karate Kid. With the mountains being twice as high (at least) as in my home town Ulricehamn and flowers looking like roses in a mountain mist, it feels almost magical to travel back in time and walk through passes of wild sakura (Japanese cherry blossom) gardens. All the tress have blossomed a long while ago in Tokyo.

Fantastic cherry blossoms with the mountains in the background on the way to Tsumago.

After several hours we finally arrived in Tsumago and after some searching we found the Hanaya Ryokan. We had to rush in, since we were a bit late and at a Ryokan dinner is served 18.00 sharp for all guests. We didn’t have time to change before dinner, but the other guests seemed OK with the foreigners being confused.

Dinner was grilled fish, rice, miso soup, sashimi (raw fish), tea, pickles, dried fish parts, horse radish, mushrooms, buck wheat noodles, rice drum stick with peanut sauce, omelet, meat soup and sake.

After dinner, sitting on the floor, it was time to soak in the naturally hot springs of the hotel and then an early night on our futons (Japanese style foldable beds) on the soft tatami (hay/grass mat) floor, since all guests have a curfew at 21.00. Breakfast was then served the following morning at 07.00 and was comprised of more fish in various combinations, rice and green tea.
Unfortunately it was a bit rainy in the beginning, but we decided to continue walking towards Nagiso through several small villages with beautiful gardens and houses.

The scenery was truly breathtaking.

In Nagiso we stopped for picnic lunch and waited for the train to the old postal town Narai. It was quite crowded, since Narai is a very popular site, especially during Golden Week (Japanese holiday). We stayed and did some souvenir shopping, but mainly just walked around and looked in all the ancient shops. We learned that Narai is one of the villages from the Edo period, along with Magome and Tsumago, which has been preserved as much as possible to be similar to the way it was in the old days. After a meal with traditional soba (huge bowls with buck wheat noodles, fish stock and vegetables) we took another small train and then transferred to the big shinkansen towards Tokyo. Leaving the Kiso valley with its Nakasendo walk that we just had experienced, gave incredible views along the Kiso river. It was however kind of nice to return to civilization and not have to worry about being eaten by a black ‘moon-collar’ bear.

Kiso river along the rail road.