The Momiji Diaries – Part 10 – Kiso Valley
by Koi Oriental Admin on 17/09/09 at 10:16 pm
16th November, Kiso Valley
On a damp, mid November Sunday we travelled by train to Nakatsugawa via Nagoya and onward by local bus to Magome to experience travelling the old Nakasendo road between Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo). The old town of Magome is a ribbon development around the Nakasendo road which travels up a steep hill with all signs of modern traffic and street furniture banned. The road is lined by period inns, restaurants and shops selling local products. A stream runs alongside the road and many of the buildings have overshot water wheels to provide energy. The picture shows a small water wheel at a bend in the road.
As you emerge from the town there are wonderful views of Mount Ena (over 1650m/6500′), which was particularly atmospheric with the clearing cloud. The picture shows the misty valley towards Mt Ena with a small tea plantation in the foreground (left). The road steadily rises through the small hamlet of Magome-toge to the reach the pass at 670m/2650′, where there is a monument and a small tea house providing basic refreshments. The monument contains the following verse “These white clouds evoke memories of my long walk under fresh green leaves”
The descent down to the Kiso valley itself is through ancient woodland with gushing streams. The remains of a former barrier station is to be found, established to ensure that valuable timber was not smuggled out of the valley illegally. As a result, the Kiso valley is today a lush forest of cypresses, cedars, zelkovas and broad leaf trees. A small abandoned tea house is to be found by a weeping cherry adds to the charm. Further down the valley a small diversion takes you to the Odaki & Medaki waterfalls and on to the hamlet of Otsumago (Greater Tsumago) leaving the dense woodland behind. The path now joins a minor road with small traditional farms scattered both sides of the valley and finally descends into Tsumago itself. By this time the rain had cleared with the cloud lingering amongst the mountain tops. Tsumago consist of some sixty period houses, mainly commercial premises of shops, restaurants, inns and two museums. 
The picture shows the main road through Tsumago. At one end of the town is an original noticeboard used by the Bakufu government to announce new laws and prohibitions and a nearby inn with a lovely garden.
The picture shows the elevated notice board and inn garden beyond. We took a short journey on the last bus of the day to Nagiso and the train back through the valley to Nagoya and Kyoto. A note for potential travellers – Magome is about just under 500m/2000′ and Tsumago is 350m/1400′ above sea level hence it is much easier to travel in the direction described. The journey takes about three hours at a leisurely pace and allowing for an hour in each town it enables the walk to be conducted as a day trip from Kyoto. Despite the early hour of the last bus from Tsumago to Nagiso, it is only a further two miles down the valley for those more robust walkers with later return trains. A grand day out was had by one and all, well worth the effort.
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