A beautiful ancient forest road that connected Tsumago-juku with the Ina Valley
This tour takes place in Achi Village at the southern end of the Ina Valley. Achi is famous for its night sky and is ranked no.1 for star-gazing in all of Japan. It also has several luxurious onsen ryokan accommodations in the hot-spring resort of Hirugami Onsen. The village is bordered on the north and west by Nagiso Town and Nakatsugawa City, which are home to Tsumago-juku and Magome-juku respectively. The start point of this tour at Hirugami Onsen is just 40 minutes from Tsumago-juku and 50 minutes from Magome-juku by car, and the area has a strong historical connection to the Nakasendo.
On this tour, guests will hike along the Seinaiji-kaido, a path that once connected Tsumago-juku, in the Kiso Valley, with the southern end of the Ina Valley. It traverses over Nashino Pass with stunning views over the Southern Alps. The path is said to have been developed by local samurai for military purposes in the 16th century. After that, when the Nakasendo was developed in the early 17th century, the Seinaiji-kaido started being used by governmental officials and pilgrims en route to the sacred Mt. Ontake and Zenkoji Temple, as well as for transporting daily commodities.
The hike starts at Shimo-Seinaiji, a small village nestled deep in the mountains, where a checkpoint on the ancient road used to be. There wasn’t very much farmland and so the locals used what land there was to cultivate tobacco. In the winter they made wooden combs for a supplementary income. With abundant forests, timber was used to pay taxes instead of rice. The village of Seinaiji is famous for its handmade fireworks (designated as an intangible folk cultural property by Nagano Prefecture), a culture that has been handed down for about 300 years by the festival-loving villagers. These are the only locally handmade gunpowder fireworks in Japan and were used in the finale of the 1998 Nagano Olympics.
Today, the route is all but forgotten with very few people walking it. It is a relaxing day of hiking through forests of cedar, cypress, and red pines while listening to the soothing sounds of mountain streams. The route is full of ancient relics and local folk tales that travelers of yesteryear would have told one another.
Nature/Culture/Activity
・A great excursion from Tsumago-juku or Magome-juku on the Nakasendo. Please consult with us about staying at Hirugami Onsen (not included in the tour price), the largest onsen resort in Southern Nagano and known for its beautiful peach blossoms in April.
・This is a route known only to those in the know, with very few people walking it. Enjoy the unique beauty of the Japanese countryside as the trail traverses through tiny hamlets and soothing forests.
・Feel the rich history of the area as you hike past ancient relics such as statues of the Buddhist figure Kannon (Goddess of Mercy), and ancient stone road signs that travelers of yesteryear would have seen.
・Lunch is locally made onigiri (Japanese rice balls) wrapped in bamboo leaf.
16,000JPY / person for 4-5ppl
14,000JPY / person for 6-8ppl
08:00/16:30
08:00-08:20 Meeting at Hirugami Onsen Morning Market Parking Lot, briefing with your guide.
08:20-08:40 Move to Shimo-seinaiji Suwa Shrine by car
09:00-11:10 Walk from Seinaiji Checkpoint → Kannon-do → Anko-zawa → Nashino Pass
11:10-11:55 Lunch at Nashino Pass Lookout
11:55-16:10 Walk from Nashino Pass → Aoki Stone Monuments → Aoki Community → Gorin Stone Monuments → Futatu-yama Road Sign → Futatsu-yama Community Center Parking Lot
16:10-16:30 Move to Hirugami by car
16:30 Finish at Hirugami Onsen Morning Market Parking Lot
Hirugami Onsen Morning Market Parking Lot(30 min. from JR Iida Station, 40 min. from Tsumago-juku, 50 min. from Magome-juku (all by car))
Early-April ~ Late November
12 yrs and above
30 days prior
Minimum 4 Maximum 8
Clothing and shoes suitable for hiking and matching the weather conditions. Items may include rain gear (coat/pants), backpack, drinks (1 liter), trail snacks, gloves, hat, sunglasses, down layers, hiking poles, etc.
2
[Distance] About 13km
[Elevation difference] About 340m
A lot of the hike is unpaved and occasionally steep.
2
Some parts on the unpaved route can be slippery.
English speaking guide fee, lunch (rice balls wrapped in bamboo leaf), and transportation fee during the tour.
Transportation to/from the meeting point, insurance (please purchase travel insurance in your own country), and anything else not specified in “what is included” above.
(Bank transfer fees are the responsibility of the participants)
N/A
[Fees in case of cancellation on behalf of the customer ]
– Cancellation on or after the 10th day from the day immediately preceding the starting day of the tour: 20% of the tour price.
-Cancellation on or after the 7th day from the day immediately preceding the starting day of the tour: 30% of the tour price.
– Cancellation the day immediately before the starting day of the tour: 40% of the tour price.
– In cases where the contract is cancelled on the starting day of the Tour: 50% of the tour price.
-Cancellation after the start of the tour or the traveler does not participate in the tour without notice (no show): 100% of the tour price.
[Cancellation at the discretion of the organizer]
– In the case of the tour being canceled by the organizer, no cancellation fees will apply.
– In case of cancellation due to bad weather, we will contact you the day before the tour.
– The itinerary may be changed or the tour may be canceled after the program has started. In this case, we will pay an indemnity in accordance with the Standard General Conditions of Travel Agency Business, except in the case of a force major (natural disaster).