Tokyo
Osaka

NagoyaChubu Centrair
International Airport

Owari Domain and Timber

Nakasendo Highway: A Promenade
Filled with a Woody Aroma

Owari domain used to occupy what is now the western region of Aichi
Prefecture. During the Sengoku period, it produced powerful men suchas Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. After Tokugawa Ieyasu
won the Battle of Sekigahara and uniﬁed Japan, he moved Owari
Province from Kiyosu to Nagoya City. There, he appointed his ninthson, Yoshinao, as head of the Owari Tokugawa base. During his
ruling, Yoshinao took over the Kiso region known for its high-qualitywood.

During the Edo period, Japanʼ s politics, economy, and culture weremainly developed in Kyoto and Edo. Both of these cities wereconnected by two highways known as the Nakasendo and Tokaido.
A part of the Kiso regionʼ s Nakasendo Highway used to be in what is
now the southern region of Nagano Prefecture. Here, many craftsmen
and artists lived in the forest-covered mountains. At the time, Japanʼ s
Chubu region was vast, covering todayʼ s Gifu Prefecture, Aichi
Prefecture, and Nagano Prefecture.

Kisoʼ s Excellent Timber

The poet, Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), was drawn to “oﬀ the beaten” andunexplored paths. By wandering through the primeval forests ofcentral Japan, he was able to make many discoveries that sparked his
will to create.

The Kiso regionʼ s forests were a precious resource during the Edo
period. With its superb quality being recognized, the forest was put
under strict supervision of the Owari clan. Timber was sent down the
Kiso River to Nagoya so that it could be eventually shipped throughout
the country. This timber was also used to build Nagoya Castle as wellas its surrounding shrines and temples.
Nagoya Castle was built using wood from Kiso. Construction began in
1610 and lasted until 1615. In 1930, the castle and its tower were
designated as Japanʼ s ﬁrst National Treasure. However, during WorldWar II, a bombing caused it to burn down. After this, the castle tower
was rebuilt in 1959 while reconstruction of Hommaru Palace began alittle later in 2009. In 2018, the palace was completed and became once
again open to the public.

Mountain Guardians Prepare for the
Next 100 Years
Due to Kiso having such a long-standing history with forests and wood,itʼ s near impossible to separate the two when looking at the regionʼ s
traditions. A prime example of this are the mountain guardians who
maintain and preserve the forest. These guardians bear a very
important role. Guardians were ﬁrst appointed in the early-1700s dueto the depletion of resources caused by excessive hunting over thecourse of 100 years. Now, every 20 years, a ritual is held to pay respect
to the forestʼ s gods. The people of Kiso have kept the traditions
passed down from their predecessors and are continuously making
great eﬀorts to sustain the forest for the next 100 years.

Tsukamakishi/Iiyama Kensen

In Japanese, the sheath and design ofa Japanese sword is called“Koshirae” . While each Japaneseclan has their own original design,
the Owari clan developed the Owari
Koshirae.

In 1730, Tokugawa Muneharu became the seventh feudal lord of the
Owari Clan. While immersing himself in researching Japanese tea
ceremonies and ﬂower arrangements, he also promoted industrial
development and established new festivals. Moreover, he encouraged
the development of traditional Japanese performing arts such as Noh
and Kabuki. Due to his eﬀorts, the woodworking industry also
ﬂourished, quickly resulting in high demand for good-quality timber.
This initiated the Kiso River becoming the main means oftransportation for timber and other materials from the mountains to
the Owari region.
From the 17th century until today, the Kiso regionʼ s cypress trees
have been the number-one choice for many Karakuri craftsmen(craftsmen of traditional Japanese mechanized puppets). This isbecause in addition to cypress trees being extremely sturdy, they arealso slow to age.
Along with Karakuri puppets having mechanisms that enable them tomake complicated movements, one of their major characteristics isthat they are beautifully carved.

Moreover, at the Fukushima
Sekisho Museum (Kiso Town), you
can ﬁnd a recreation of the
Nakasendo Highwayʼ s checkpoint
gate.

“Fujimigahara in Owari Province” bya craftsman who carved wood tomake a barrel
from “Thirty-six Views of MountFuji” by Katsushika Hokusai

A Region Well-Known for theirThriving Manufacturing Industry
The Chubu region became a manufacturing hub because it had major
highways that made the region easily accessible, a woodworking
industry, and many festival cars that sold Karakuri puppets. Itʼ s no
surprise that present-day companies such as Toyota also originatedthere.

At the Tokugawa Art Museum(Nagoya), many tools passed downfrom the Owari Tokugawa family
are stored. These include the Owari
clanʼ s swords and their Owari
Koshirae.

Matsuo Basho

An Enku Sculpture of Searching for
the Perfect Tree on the Nakasendo
Highway

Nagoya Castleʼ s Hommaru Palace
has also been replicated using
Kisoʼ s cypress trees and masterful
techniques by traditional craftsmen.
Karakuri puppets

Nagoya City

〜 A City of Japanese Craftsmanship Passed Onto Today 〜
Nagoya City Prospers Through a Castle Constructed by
the Tokugawa Shogun

Gujo City

Osu Shopping District

Townscape of Arimatsu

Gujo Odori

Gujo Odori

Arimatsu Narumi Tie-Dyeing

Nagoya Meshi

Gujo Hachiman Castle

Sougisui Ritual

Nagoya Castle

Gujo Odri

Nagoya City, located in Japanʼ s center, has a population of over 2.3 million people. Acting as a hub for the Chubu regionʼ s politics,
economy, and culture̶itʼ s also a city that connects the three samurai involved in Japanʼ s reuniﬁcation.
Tokugawa Ieyasu, one of the greatest samurai in Japan, constructed Nagoya Castle and its surrounding castle town. During thebuilding process, high-quality wood from the nearby Kiso Mountains was gathered. The craftsmen who worked with this valuable
wood ending up staying in Nagoya, leaving behind techniques that contributed to the regionʼ s industrialization. In addition to this, thecharm of present-day Nagoya can be attributed to the culture and traditions protected by Ieyasuʼ s descendants and subordinates.
Upon building Nagoya Castleʼ s Hommaru Palace, there was a focus on using the most cutting-edge technology available at that time.
Initially a residence for Ieyasuʼ s son who was also Nagoyaʼ s ﬁrst feudal lord, the palace soon became lodging quarters for visiting
shogun. Since its destruction in World War II, itʼ s been faithfully rebuilt to emulate the glorious structure it once was.
Moreover, despite being one of Japanʼ s largest cities, Nagoya still oﬀers townscapes and traditional crafts from the samurai era.
This enables you to experience the atmosphere of old Japan. Itʼ s also a region known for Nagoya Meshi̶dishes using a fermented
soy bean paste called miso. This unique cuisine has been cherished as one originating from a city built by samurai.

Inuyama City

The City of Gujo is Japanʼ s Number-One City of Dance

Gujo Odori dances have been performed for over 400 years in Gujo Hachimanʼ s castle town. Designated as an Important Intangible
Folk Cultural Property, itʼ s also taught as one of “Japanʼ s Three Great Bon Dances” . Legend has it that, in the Edo period, the lordof the castle encouraged this festive dance to promote harmony among his people. Every year, during the two months of mid-July toearly-September, a “bon dance” (a dance to pray for the ancestral spirits) is performed for approximately 30 nights. During the Bon
festival, a special ceremony called the “Feast of Lanterns” takes place for four nights from August 13th to the 16th. During thisperiod, an “all-night” dance is performed until the next morning. Moreover, an enjoyable characteristic of Gujo Odori is that, whetheryouʼ re visiting or a local, everyone forms a circle to dance with each other. Because of this, Gujo Odori is said to be a dance you
participate it in̶not just watch.

Gero City

The City of Inuyama Watches Overa National Treasure

Gero Onsen (Beauty Bath) is One of Japanʼ s Three Famous
Hot Springs

Kiso River Ukai

Inuyama Festival

Gero Onsen Fireworks

Gero Onsen Nightscape

Lake Iruka

Inuyama Castle Town

Gero Onsen Gassho Village

Kinkotsu Footpath

Inuyama Castle

Inuyama City is located in northern region of Aichi Prefecture where the Kiso River ﬂows out to the Nobi Plain. It has long ﬂourished
as a hub for transportation, distributing goods, and politics. Although a battleground during the Sengoku period, it transformed into acastle town in the period of Edo. Because of this, it has left behind many trails of historical footprints. Inuyama Castleʼ s main tower
is one out of ﬁve in the country designated as a National Treasure. Additionally, Inuyamaʼ s castle town is called a “sougamae”̶theJapanese word to describe when a castle and its town is surrounded by a moat. Since the architectural structure of the town is stillintact, you can enjoy dining and shopping while taking in the surrounding landscapes.
Furthermore, another National Treasure of Inuyama City is the tea room “Jo-an” . Itʼ s one of the Three National Treasure
Teahouses built by Nobunagaʼ s brother, Oda Nagamasu (Urakasai). Starting with the entrance, every part of this National Treasure
Teahouse is decorated in a creative and unique manner. Here you can ﬁnd old Japanese calendars pasted onto paper sliding doors aswell as Uraku windows̶a type of window in which the outside is covered with bamboo pipes. With so much to see, thereʼ s no doubtyouʼ ll enjoy what Inuyama has to oﬀer during all four of its seasons.

Funsenchi

Gero City, also known as the city of hot springs and limpid streams, oﬀers several hot spring facilities with unique characteristics.
Some of these include Hida-OsakaHot Spring Village (Yuya Onsen, Shitajima Onsen, Nigorigo Onsen), Hidagawa Onsen, Minamihida
Mazegawa Onsen, and Hida-Kanayama Onsen.
Out of the hot springs available, Gero Onsen is one with a history of about 1,000 years. Itʼ s been highly regarded by both the Zenmonk, Banri Shuku, in the Muromachi period as well as by the philosopher, Hayashi Razan, in the Edo period. Moreover, Gero Onsen
has even been introduced as one of the top three hot springs in Japan̶lining up with other facilities such as Arima Onsen andKusatsu Onsen. Overall, itʼ s said to have acted as a curing hot spring for many samurai and merchants̶melting the exhaustion of
the day away.
Located in the south of Gero City is what once was the Kanayama region or the Owari clanʼ s northmost property. This region is longknown for being a post town. Itʼ s said that narrow paths were built between buildings in order to avoid crowds on the main roads of
Hida Highway. These retro pathways take you on a tour through the city−enabling you to feel as though youʼ ve taken a trip to thepast.

Nakatsugawa CityA Naturally Abundant City Where
Highway Culture and Forest Culture
Co-exist

Naegi Castle Ruins

Ochiai Cobblestone Path

Joshoji Temple

Hakusan Shrine

Bike-riding

Tsukechi Gorge

Iwade Kannon

Suhara-jukuʼ s Stone Lantern

Magome-juku

Atera Gorge Inugaeri-no-Fuchi

Nakatsugawa City is located in the naturally abundant, southeastern end of Gifu Prefecture where the Kiso River ﬂows. During the Edo period, theNakasendo Highway went through the area̶connecting Edo and Kyoto. Due to this, it has prospered as a transportation hub for people, products, andculture.
In this city, a post town that keeps the atmosphere of Edo while maintaining its unique highway culture has been passed down to the people of today. An
especially popular hiking trail among visitors from the States is the an eight-kilometer stretch that connects the post station Magome-juku with theneighboring post town of Tsumago-juku. Itʼ s also known as the “Samurai Trail” due to how frequently it was used among said samurai.
Furthermore, with about 80% of the Nakatsugawa City being covered in forest, it has long had many ﬂourishing woodworking industries. Itʼ s especiallyknown for producing high-quality Kiso-Hinoki trees. This abundant wood resource has supported the Owari clan since the beginning. With many
woodland landscapes available, the region has kept its culture of valuing their forests. Itʼ s also now a highly recommended spot for cycling.
Besides this, there are many spots to enjoy the great outdoors. This includes the nationally designated historic site of Naegi Castle Ruins̶which gives
you a sweeping view of both Mount Ena and the Kiso River, as well as Tsukechi and Yumori Gorge̶where the water is so clear, you can see all the way
down to the riverʼ s bottom.

Nagiso Town

Okuwa Village

A Beautiful Village Abundant with
Nature and Smiles〜 A Bountiful Village for the Future 〜

A Town Fragrant with Hinoki and History

Okuwa Village is located in the southwestern region of Nagano Prefecture̶on the southern part of Kiso Road. With 96% of its land being forest, itʼ srecognized as a mountain village. Due to the Kiso River ﬂowing through its center, settlements can be found on its basins, terraces, and in-between thesurrounding mountains.
Kiso Riverʼ s tributary, Atera River, ﬂows a beautiful and limpid emerald green through the incredibly scenic Atera Gorge. Along the banks of the river,forests ﬁlled Hinoki and Sawara cypress trees grow abundantly̶oﬀering beautiful views during all four seasons. Also, upstream the gorge, is one of
Shinshuʼ s famous and secret water spots selected for its beautifying properties. These waters ﬂow deep from inside the forestʼ s rocks.
Joshoji Temple, located inside Suhara-juku post town, has a main gate, main hall, and a monastery kitchen all designated as Important Cultural Properties.
Itʼ s also the oldest temple out of the Three Temples of Kiso. In addition to the mortuary tablet of Kiso Yoshimasa, a lord during the Sengoku period, youcanʼ t miss out on Daruma sitting statue made out of Kiso Hinoki.
Another Important Cultural Property in the area is Hakusan Shrine. Built at the end of the Kamakura period, itʼ s the oldest shrine in Nagano Prefecture that
follows Shinto architecture. Moreover, Iwade Kannon, otherwise known as Kisoʼ s Kiyomizudera Temple, is a Buddhist temple that hangs over a cliﬀ. This
temple is featured in the painting “Distant View of the Ina River Bridge” (drawn by Keisai Eisen) from the series “Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Road”.

Agematsu Town

A Town of Beautiful and Natural Kiso
Hinoki Trees Where Forest Bathing
OriginatedKakizore Ravine, Ushigataki Falls

Momosuke Bridge

Akasawa Natural Recreational Forestʼ s
Beautiful and Natural Kiso Hinoki

Akasawa Forest Railway

Ichikokutochiʼ s
Weeping Cherry Trees

Nakasendo Highwayʼ s
Cobblestones

Central Alps,
Mount Kiso-Komagatake

Visitors Enjoying the TherapeuticEﬀects of the Forest

Tsumago-juku, The beams of light of Waki-honjin “Okuya”

Nagiso Town is located in the southwestern region of Nagano Prefecture and on the southern edge of Kiso Valley. With a total areaof 215.93 square kilometers, about 94% of the land is forest. Whatʼ s more, 70% of these forests are nationally-owned. Along the Kiso
River that ﬂows through the townʼ s center and its river terrace are seven villages that total in approximately 3,900 inhabitants. Thesevillages include Yogawa,Hokubu, Midono, Tsumago, Araragi, Hirose, and Tadachi.
In the famous piece of Shimazaki Tosonʼ s literature called “Before the Dawn,” the opening line is “The Kiso Road is all in themountains.” This quote is realized with Nakasendo Highway. The roads in Nagiso Town tell stories of an older time and are an
important property that must be passed down to the next generation for the future.
Moreover, here you can ﬁnd many historical and cultural heritage sites while experiencing traditional Japanese landscapes. This canbe done through visiting the post town Tsumago-juku̶selected as one of the Important Preservation Districts in Japan for Groups of
Traditional Buildings, Momosuke Bridge̶designated as an Important Cultural Property, and the nationally designated historical roadthat is Nakasendo Highway.

Nezame no Toko (Bed of Awakening)
Agematsu Town has long prospered in the timber industry as one of Nakasendo Highwayʼ s post towns. Here, Kiso Riverʼ s scenic spot known as Nezameno Toko (Bed of Awakening) stands valiantly-beckoning travelers and poets to rest. In addition to this, itʼ s an area where you can ﬁnd some ofNakasendo Highwayʼ s rare dangerous sites. These include the remains of the bridge̶Kiso no Kakehashi, Ononotaki Falls̶which are also depicted in
Ukiyo-e works by Hiroshige ，Eisen and Hokusai, and Mount Kiso-Komagatake̶a mountain located on the eastern end of Japanʼ s Central Alps. Oﬀering
beautiful scenery, Agematsu Town enables you to visit ﬁve out of the Eight Picturesque Sights of Kiso.
During the Edo period, the Owari Clan had direct control of Kisoʼ s forests. By implementing strict forest protection policies such as “one life per one
tree”（logging a tree is a felony）, it has maintained natural Kiso Hinoki forests̶one of the three most beautiful forests in Japan. In the townʼ s westernregion, youʼ ll ﬁnd the national forest̶Akasawa Natural Recreational Forest. Here you can enjoy forest bathing among beautiful and natural trees thatare over 300 years old. Whatʼ s more, you can even take a train ride on a preserved forest railway̶once used when the timber industry was at its peak.
Lastly, specialties from this region include wood products, wild game meat, perilla products, and agricultural products. Itʼ s also the birthplace of theprofessional sumo wrestler,Mitakeumi.

Otaki Village

Kiso Village

A Village that Shines Like a Pearl in theHeart of a Mountain

A Cutout Picture of Sacred
Mount Ontake and Fireweed

A Cutout Picture of the Villageʼ sSoul Food̶Hoba-Maki

Traditional Craft, Oroku Comb

Yabuhara-juku

A Cutout Picture of an Otaki Kabura (turnip)
and a Gankoji (pack basket)

A Cutout Picture ofa Char from a Clear Stream

Cobblestone Steps at Torii Pass

Kiso River Headwaters, Lake
Okukiso (Misogawa Dam)

Lake Shizenko Kayak Tours

Otaki Village is located in the western region of Nagano Prefecture on a mountainous road past the main highway. Itʼ s also
important to note that once you arrive at the village, there are no roads leading to other towns. With all the more reason to takeadvantage of the its location deep in the woods̶here you can enjoy various sports throughout the year including mountain biking,running trails, and taking part in the lakeʼ s canoeing tour. Additionally, Japanʼ s mountain of faith known as Mount Ontake (altitudeof 3,067 meters), has a long pilgrimage path called Ontake Kodo, which is great for hiking. In the summertime, worshipers stop
mid-way to partake in a waterfall meditation.
Since long ago, the village has made a living oﬀ of sending timber to what was previously the center of the Owari domain̶now
currently the region of the Nagoya. As of today, not only is Otaki Village famous for their timber, but they also use their best
Japanese cypress to brew delicious local beer. The villagers are even experimenting with creating essential oils that enable you toenjoy the scent of Japanese cypress. Finally, in the wintertime, thereʼ s Ontakeʼ s ski resort to enjoy. Although Otaki Village only has
a small population of 700 people, it shines like a pearl deep in the mountains.

Kiso Town

Kiso Village is Home to the Headstream of the Kiso River

The Town of Kiso is Filled with the Smiles of its People:
Abundant Resources to be Used for a Brighter Future

Selected for Heisei Chosen Top One Hundred Exquisite Waters ofJapan, Mizukizawa Natural Forest

Kiso Village is a naturally abundant and mountainous area. Itʼ s also home to the headstream of Kiso River which stretches a total of
229 kilometers.
Surrounding the village are mountains with an altitude of 2,000 meters. On its eastern end, youʼ ll ﬁnd Torii Pass. This pass is thewater divide between the Kiso River that pours out into the Paciﬁc Ocean and the Shinano River (tributary) that pours out into the
Sea of Japan. The Kiso River runs through the townʼ s center, and its inhabitants live surrounded in a rural landscape of tree-covered
mountains.
At the village, you can enjoy the tastes of vegetables speciﬁc to plateaus such as Ontakeʼ s Chinese cabbage and corn. Itʼ s also a
region famous for agriculture and forestry as well as woodworking. In addition to producing traditional crafts like the Oroku comb,
Kiso Village produces 60% of Japanʼ s canvases. Thereʼ s also an abundance in seasonal tourist attractions such as the Kodamanomori
Camping Ground, the Yabuhara Kogen Ski Resort, and the Mizukizawa Natural Forest.

Shiojiri City

A City of Wine and Kiso Lacquerware with
Beautiful Nature, History, and Culture

Fukushima-juku

Mount Ontake

Kiso Lacquerware

Wine

Local Sake

Kiso Horses

Takabocchi Highlands

Hiraide Ruins

Fukushima Sekisho

Kiso Town is situated in the southwestern region of Nagano Prefecture. Spanning a whopping 476.03 square kilometers, itʼ s thelargest town and village in its prefecture. With 90% of its land being mountains and forests̶this town boasts an abundance of verdant
greenery. To the west of Kiso Town, youʼ ll ﬁnd the representative Mount Ontake, and to the east stands Mount Kiso-Komagatake of
the Central Alps. The Kiso Town of today is reminiscent of an old post town. It also used to be home of Fukushima Sekisho, one of
the four greatest checking stations in Japan. This checking station turned Kiso Town into a hub for politics, business, and culture.
In addition to this, the town of Kiso is ﬁlled with natural abundance. Using the limpid waters from the tributaries of Kiso River, sakebreweries that have been in business for more than 100 years oﬀer unique ﬂavors. Moreover, the town is also known for its fermented
food with one of its most unique dishes being pickled beet leaves fermented in lactic acid bacteria. This is called “Sunki.” Sunki arealso unsalted, which very rare for Japanese pickles. Other fermented foods include miso-red bean paste, cheese, and yogurt.
Furthermore, Kiso Town is where the Japanese native horse, the Kiso horse, is from. At the Kaida Highlands, you can interact withthese horses while fully enjoying seasonal changes in the great outdoors.

Narai-juku
Nagano Prefectureʼ s Shiojiri City is practically located in the center of Japan. Because of this, itʼ s long been a key city for transportation. To this day,the post towns near the old Nakasendo Highway, Sanshu Highway, and the Zenkoji Highway remain̶enabling you to the enjoy the atmosphere of thepast.
With the prior post town of Narai-juku having maintained the townscape of old Edo, youʼ ll ﬁnd rows of taverns spanning approximately one kilometer
alongside the Nakasendo Highway. Previously referred to as “Narai Senken (Narai of 1,000 buildings)” , it once was the busiest out of the 11 post towns
along the Nakasendo Highway in Kiso.
In the fall, the sweet aroma of grapes ﬁlls the city. Wine made from such grapes won the Grand Prize at the very prestigious International Wine
Competition in 1989. Through winning the competition, Shiojiriʼ s wine, Kikyogahara, became known worldwide̶causing the city to gain attention as awine region. Currently, there are 16 companies and one high school that act as wineries, working towards producing a wine ﬁlled with individuality.
Additionally, there are several other sites where you can truly feel the regionʼ s heart of hospitality. This includes the Hiraide Ruins̶where you canexperience ancient history, the Takabocchi Highlands̶where you get a 360-degree panoramic view of the surrounding landscape, and Kiso
lacquerware̶which boasts a history of over 400 years.

Map

Niigata

Aichi Prefecture

Kanazawa

Nagoya CityThe Tokaido Shinkasen connects
Japanʼ s three largest cities ofTokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka at a highspeed, high frequency, and withsuperb environmental performance.
For those abroad, reservations canalso be made online.

ToyamaInuyama City
Ishikawa

Gifu Prefecture

Takayama

Gujo City

Shirakawa-go

Gero City

NaganoPrefecture

Fukui

Nakatsugawa City
Nagano Prefecture
Gifu

Nagiso Town
Okuwa Village

Yamanashi

Agematsu Town
Otaki Village
Kiso Town

Shiga

Tokyo
Mount Fuji

Nagoya Station

Mie

Kiso Village
Shiojiri City

Tokyo Station

Aichi

Kanagawa

Shizuoka

Chubu Centrair
International Airport
Shin-Osaka Sta（Osaka Area）

Nagoya Sta(Nagoya Area)

Tokaido Shinkansen
50 minutes

Ise Grand
ShrineShinkansen
JR
Mietetsu

Tokyo Sta
(Tokyo Area)

Tokaido Shinkansen
1 hour 40 minutes

Nagoya Railroad

μ-Sky 28 minutes
Limited Express 37 minutes

CHUBU CENTRAIR International Airport