About The Kiso Valley and The Ina Valley

About The Kiso Valley and The Ina Valley

Kiso Valley

A person in a white training outfit climbs mountain steps with a staff, surrounded by lush greenery
A Japanese man and a foreign man with a camera talking about timber
A man with a backpack walking through a steep forested slope
The back view of a woman walking through a forest
The scenery of a valley gorge
Four men with backpacks hiking through a bamboo forest

Once described by the writer Toson Shimazaki as “the Entire Kisoji is in the mountains,” the Kiso Valley is a deep canyon cut through by the Kiso River.

Among the 11 local post towns set up along the Nakasendo Trail during the Edo period (starting in the early 17th century), Tsumago-juku and Narai-juku are particularly popular among international travelers due to local residents’ long-standing efforts to preserve local traditions, which are still deeply felt today.

Known as a valley for mountain worship, the 3,067m-tall Mt. Kiso Ontake is especially well-known as a place of devotion among common people, similar to that of the iconic Mt. Fuji.

The forest that comprises 93% of the valley has long been famous nationwide for high-quality timber such as Kiso hinoki cypress, along with numerous traditional crafts using wood and other natural materials.

This enticing adventure destination, found just off the Nakasendo Trail, features the deep nature of the valley, and the chance to experience the lifestyle of its people.
The Kisoji Route received a Japan Heritage designation in 2016.

Northern Ina Valley

Flying between mountains with a paraglider
A man speaking with his arms outstretched about the autumn leaves, while another man listens attentively like a student
Fields surrounded by mountains
A Japanese man teaching a foreigner the art of creating ancient craft of Wara-Zaiku
A couple wearing helmets is riding bicycles and pointing at a mountain while talking.
A woman with a red backpack lying down and peering over the edge of a cliff

Ina Valley

Surrounded by both the Southern and Central Alps, this immense valley spans a length of 100 km from north to south. From the Edo period, the area thrived due to the Ina Kaido (later known as the Sanshu Kaido) trade route connecting western and eastern Japan, as well as water transport along the Tenryu River leading toward the Pacific Ocean. Although the Ina Valley is relatively unknown outside of Japan, the northern and southern parts of the valley feature a great diversity of landscapes and cultural backgrounds, making it a fantastic place to engage in activities that let you experience rural Japan in all its variations.

Northern Ina Valley

This area features the vast open feeling of the sprawling plains shaped via the upper Tenryu River. With the Alps spreading out here on both sides, the panorama is extraordinary.

Rice cultivation is abundant, with Ina Valley rice famously carried to the Kiso Valley via the original Nakasendo Trail and the Gonbee Trail during the Edo period.

This new adventure destination features cultural resources including Takato Castle (designated as one of Japan's top 100 castles), and Takato masonry, once renowned for its superior techniques; as well as the development of new adventure tourism products featuring the best of the Central and Southern Japanese Alps' abundant natural treasures.

Southern Ina Valley

River rafting in the southern Ina valley
The stage of Nakao Kabuki performance
A traditional Japanese house with lit lanterns in a forest after sunset
Men wearing yukata and umbrellas, dancing at a festival
The back view of three people walking through a forest
A tengu causing mischief at Shinmei Shrine

Ina Valley

Surrounded by both the Southern and Central Alps, this immense valley spans a length of 100 km from north to south. From the Edo period, the area thrived due to the Ina Kaido (later known as the Sanshu Kaido) trade route connecting western and eastern Japan, as well as water transport along the Tenryu River leading toward the Pacific Ocean. Although the Ina Valley is relatively unknown outside of Japan, the northern and southern parts of the valley feature a great diversity of landscapes and cultural backgrounds, making it a fantastic place to engage in activities that let you experience rural Japan in all its variations.

Southern Ina Valley

The southern gateway to the Ina Valley, this region was influenced strongly by the urban cultures of Kyoto and Osaka. At its center lies the city of lida, whose elegant street scape was known as Little Kyoto until a large-scale fire struck in 1947.

During the Edo period, this region was bustling with traders, travelers, and pilgrims along the Ina Kaido (later known as the Sanshu Kaido) and the Akiba Kaido, and boats carrying lumber and fruit down the Tenryu River. The Southern Ina Valley, is linked to the Kiso Valley by the Odaira Kaido Trail.

Highlights of this adventure destination include traditional boat tours through the famous Tenryukyo Gorge, Edo period-style lodging at Odaira-juku amidst a variety of delicious fruits and ancient festivals, and many more cultural and scenic gems hidden in the deep canyons and secluded mountain hamlets of Southern Nagano.