Nakasendo Historical Town and Hidden Craft Village Walking Tour

First, your guide will take you to Samegai juku, a post station town of the historic Nakasendo trail. Nakasendo was once one of two main trails that connected Edo (old Tokyo) and imperial Kyoto. A small crystal clear river runs through the heart of the village, fed by a nearby mountain spring, and also attracts summer visitors every year who come for the rare baikamo or water buttercup, an aquatic flower that grows only is very clean and clear waters.

1 Hours 30 Minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Enjoy a lunch of local delicacies at Higuchiyama, an authentic ryotei restaurant that was once a former honjin of the post town (the highest class of lodging, reserved for Edo officials). Dishes feature locally sourced ingredients, such as rainbow trout, raised in the waters nearby. The chef is great at adapting to dietary preferences, allergies, vegetarian or vegan meals too, but please be sure to be notify of such requests when you request reservation.

1 Hours 30 Minutes • Admission Ticket Free

After lunch, we'll embark on a refreshing 4 km walk to Kaminyu, where a resident of the village will show us around, give a peek into the community and workspaces, and opportunities to meet and talk with locals. Our guide will help translating as necessary. Visit studios of craftsmen to learn of their traditional craft, and the intricate methods of making butsudan (Buddhist altars), a 300-year-old local handcrafting trade.

2 Hours 30 Minutes • Admission Ticket Free