2026 Ice and Snow Lantern Festival This enchanting event fills winter nights along Kiso Road with the warm glow of ice candles and bamboo lanterns handcrafted by local residents. Held at post towns and other venues across the Kiso area, it usually runs from late January through mid-February each year. A photo contest will also be held. We look forward to many entries! For details, please see the Kiso Tourism Federation website.

This is the autumn foliage at Nezame-no-toko in Agematsu Town. The vibrant colors add to the usual beauty of Nezame, creating an even more stunning scene!

Autumn Scenery in Nagawacho Mountains in the Wada area, Nagawa Town, and scenes from Nagakubo-juku. These are the autumn leaves you should see and feel in person at the spot. The Wada area has two campsites. Camping here in autumn feels especially wonderful 🍂⛺!! Miyashita Hills Auto Campsite http://www.miyashitahills.jp// TEL 0268-88-2915 Akakura no Mori Auto Camping Ground https://akakuranomori.sakura.ne.jp// TEL 0268-88-3126 Nakasendo Wada-shuku and Nagakubo-juku are particularly charming at this time of year. Please come and visit 😊❤️

Shiojiri-juku Location: Shiojiri City, Shiojirimachi The old Nakasendo route that crossed Misawa Pass, Ono-juku and Ushikubi Pass from Shimosuwa-shuku was abolished in 1613 (Keichō 18). From 1614 (Keichō 19) the Nakasendo was rerouted via Shiojiri Pass and the new Shiojiri-juku was established. The town layout work was overseen by Ogasawara Hidemasa, lord of Matsumoto Domain. He laid out the new Shiojiri-juku in an east–west plan southwest of the old post town. The honjin was one of the largest on the Nakasendo, and the post town also featured a noticeboard area and a Matsumoto Domain checkpoint. Plots in the post town were typically three to four ken wide. By 1843 (Tenpō 14) the town had 166 households, including 75 inns — the largest number among the 26 post towns of Shinshu, due to its position at a road junction below Shiojiri Pass. Major fires in 1828 (Bunsei 11) and 1882 (Meiji 15) destroyed much of the town, but the Ono family house, a National Important Cultural Property, still evokes the town’s former appearance.

[Torii Pass - toriitoge-] Overview A roughly 6 km mountain trail linking Narai inn on the Kiso Kaido with Yabuhara inn. In the Edo period it was famous as one of the Nakasendo’s toughest stretches, a place that made straw-sandalled travelers limp with pain. Today it is a popular, atmospheric trekking route. Hikers from Japan and abroad walk this pass in large numbers. From the summit you can look west to Mitakesan and east to Kiso Komagatake. Along the old road you will find numerous haiku and waka monuments and stone Buddhas, including those honoring Matsuo Bashō. The pass saw battles between the Kiso clan and the Takeda clan in the Sengoku era, and in the late Edo period Princess Kazunomiya passed through here on her marriage procession. Free loan of hinoki conical hats and bear bells! This service lets walkers experience the look of Edo-period travelers, especially those walking between Yabuhara and Narai on the Nakasendo. The traditional original hinoki (cypress) hats, hand-painted with kanji, make perfect travel companions and evoke the spirit of Edo travelers. They’re great for the experience and for photo opportunities. What is a hinoki hat? A hinoki hat is one of Kiso region’s traditional crafts. It remains popular with locals and visitors as a practical fashion item and as a sunshade that traces its roots to the Edo period. How to try them You can try them at the tourist information centers listed below. We refund the full deposit when you return the items. ⚠ The deposit will not be refunded if the item is lost or damaged. (Items may be wet without issue.) Loan locations: ① Narai-juku Tourist Information Center ② Yabuhara-juku Nigiwai Hiroba Enkan ③ Kiso Village Tourist Information Center Addresses: ① 497-3 Narai, Shiojiri City ② 1019-1 Yabuhara, Kiso village ③ Lot 196, Yabuhara, Kiso village TEL: ① 0264-34-3160 ② 0264-36-3020 ③ 0264-36-2543 Opening hours: ① 9:00–17:00 ② 8:30–17:00 ③ 9:00–17:00 Closed: ① During the New Year holidays ② Every Tuesday ③ Every Monday Refundable deposit: 2,000 yen per item Payment method: Cash only

Gohbara-juku (Gohbara-juku) Location: Gohbara, Hirooka, Shiojiri City Gohbara-juku was the first post town on the Zenkoji Kaido after it branched from the Nakasendo at Seba-juku. It was established in Keicho 19 (1614) when Hidemasa Ogasawara, lord of Matsumoto Castle, developed the Zenkoji Kaido (the Hokuriku side route) to connect Nakasendo’s Seba-juku with the Hokkokukaido. Rather than an existing settlement becoming the post town, Gohbara’s original village lay on the east bank of the Narai River in the Ueno land division. When the post station was laid out, the settlement was moved around Genna 5 (circa 1619) to its present site together with the Kataishi hamlet, which had been on the west bank, to create the new post town. Highlights of Gohbara-juku Houses were laid out with wide frontages of five to six ken, featuring main gabled roofs with the short side facing the street and sparrow deterrents on the ridges. Each house has a forecourt with planted trees, creating an attractive streetscape, and shop names are displayed at every residence. Sōetsu Yanagi, called the father of the mingei (folk craft) movement, praised Gohbara-juku in his essays, saying the entire post town was “a single splendid work of art.” On the north side of the post town stands Gofuku-ji, which served as a resting place for Emperor Meiji during his imperial tour in Meiji 13 (1880). Read more about the Nakasendo and the five post towns in the city here↓

Motoyama-juku (Motoyama-juku) Location: Shiojiri City, Soga Honzan Motoyama prospered as the gateway to Kiso Road and the exit from the Matsumoto Plain. Two-story houses with latticework fronts line the streets, preserving a strong sense of the past. The town is also introduced as the birthplace of sobakiri (cut buckwheat noodles). In Keicho 19 (1614), Shiojiri, Seba, and Motoyama were designated as new post towns on the Nakasendo. Unlike Shiojiri and Seba, which were formed by relocating people from neighboring villages, Motoyama developed from a medieval settlement. It was the 32nd station counting from Edo, situated 30 cho from Seba Post Town and 2 ri from Niegawa Inn (Niegawa-juku). The post town divided into Kamimachi to the south and Shimomachi to the north, with the honjin, wakimotonjin, and dispatch office at its center. South of the town stood Hachiman Shrine, Choukyuuji, and Joukouji; to the north was Suwa Shrine, and across the Narai River lay Ikeo Shrine, though some temples were later abandoned. Because Motoyama bordered the Owari Domain in Kiso, a checkpoint was located south of the town to inspect women and timber. In Tenpo 14 (1843) the town had 117 households and 34 inns. Compared with Seba Post Town’s three-ken frontage, many houses in Motoyama had four- to five-ken facades. The town suffered several great fires, but surviving buildings date from the late Edo to Meiji periods. Facing the street, they feature hirairi degekata construction and second-floor rooms with senbon-koshi lattices, retaining much of the post town atmosphere. Notably, three residences built around the Meiji era—the Akiyama Family (Wakamatsuya), the Tanaka Family (Ikeda family), and the Kobayashi Family (Kawaguchi Family)—are registered tangible cultural properties of Japan. The honjin, Kobayashi residence, hosted Princess Kazunomiya, daughter of Emperor Ninkō, when she married Tokugawa Iemochi in Bunkyū 1 (1861), and it later accommodated the Meiji Emperor during his tour in Meiji 13. Each house still carries its traditional shop name, offering a glimpse into the past. The town’s specialty is soba. A note by Unrin in Hōei 3 (1706) in the miscellany Fūzoku Bunsen records Motoyama as the birthplace of sobakiri. Historic sites include the Motoyama Castle Ruins on a small hill behind the town, said to have been guarded by the Motoyama Minbu branch of the Kiso clan; Ike no Gongen (Ikeo Shrine), known for votive plaques for rain rituals, sericulture, and eye disease cures, whose shrine grove is a Shiojiri City natural monument; and the Shitamachi Stone Figure Group, featuring Dosojin, Koshin stone monuments, and inscribed tablets. For articles on the Nakasendo and the city’s five post towns, click here↓

【Nakasendo and 5 Post Towns in Shiojiri City】 There are 69 Shukuba on the Nakasendo Road between Edo Japan Bridge and Kyoto Sanjo Ohashi Bridge. Although there are more hills in the Shiojiri City area than on the Tokaido, there was no long stay in the river, so we were able to pass as planned. There were five shukuba on the Nakasendo road in the Shiojiri city area: Shiojiri Inn, Washima Inn, Motoyama Inn, Niekawa Juku, and Narai Juku. (1) Shiojiri Inn -Shiojirijuku- (30th from Edo Japan Bridge) Shiojiri inn was set up in Sakai in the Matsumoto and Suwa territories to change Rice shells and contraband items, and the honjin and wakihonjin used for attendance shifts were established, and the number of hatagoya was the second largest in Nakasendo and the largest in Shinano at the end of the Bakumatsu shogunate. (2) Washima inn -Barajuku- (31st from Edo Japan Bridge) It is a Shukuba that corresponds to the follow-up of the Nakasendo Road and Zenkoji Temple Highway. The inn was equipped with one of only three Kanme Kaisho on Nakasendo. Most of the faces of the Shukuba were destroyed by the great fire in the early Showa period, but the stone lantern of the night light remains in the place where it hits. (3) Motoyama inn -Motoyamajuku- (32nd from Edo Japan Bridge) Motoyama inn is said to be the birthplace of Soba cutting. It flourished as the entrance to Kisoji Road and the exit of Matsumotodaira. Honjin became a Accommodation when the Imperial Princess Wagu married Tokugawa Ieshige and during the Meiji Emperor's visit in 1880 (Meiji 13). (4) Niekawa Juku -Niekawajuku- (33rd from Edo Japan Bridge) Niekawa Juku is the entrance to Kisoji 11 Inn. As a transportation hub on the Nakasendo Highway, the Kakegawa Checkpoint was located, and it developed in the Accommodation industry and remote area commerce. (5) Narai juku -Naraijuku- (34th from Edo Japan Bridge) The Shukuba was called "Narai Senken" and was crowded. Richly preserved of the faces of that time, it is now visited by many people as a popular Sightseeing spot.

MAUKA LANI GOAT FARM Announcement 🐐🎵 of Outdoor Live Events Saturday, October 4, 2025 An outdoor live Events will be Held in at Maukalani Goat Farm (Goat Farm) in the Hirose area! You can enjoy a gorgeous live performance inviting Hideko Chiwata, who wrote and composed the theme song "Butter-Fly" for the Popular Anime "Digimon Adventure", and singer-songwriter Dai Okajima, for free! Maukalani Goat Farm is a Hawaiian-inspired goat farm. Goats are grazing in a spacious pasture. The shop sells rare goat cheese, Original shop goods, Hawaiian drinks, and more! Please ✨ spend a relaxing time in the pleasant weather of autumn Pick up and drop off bus from JR Nagiso Station and Tsumago juku (🚌 1,000 yen one way) If you do not have a Car or are a student, please Use us. For reservations, please contact the Nagiso Tourism Association (0264-57-2727). For details, please check the Home page.

Tsumago juku Car is prohibited 🚗⚠ from 10:00~16:00 Recently, there has been an increase in the number of cars entering the Shukuba during the Time Slot / Time of Day when traffic is prohibited. It is prohibited for the safety of pedestrians and the protection of the historical landscape, so we ask for your understanding and cooperation. Please park along National Route 256 at the second Car or the central Car Car. Fee Car parking is 500 yen per day.

Chowa Town Nakasendo Eidaijinma Enforcement Office (reception area) Please don't take the trash Famous garbageless jizo in Chowa Town and Ueda district, "garbageless little boy"? It is tucked away in the parking lot of the Eternal Horse Enforcement Station (entertainment area) near Car Wada Pass. It is said that this place was established a long time ago by Kaseya Yobei of Edo Kufu Town, and in order to reduce the difficulty of traveling over the mountain pass, people and horses were provided with porridge, bonfires, and fodder free of charge. #Chowa Town #Nagano Prefecture #Nakasendo #Wada-juku #Eidai Jinma Enforcement Office #Garbageless Jizo

【Access】 Access to Nagiso Town is mainly by JR, local buses, and Taxi. We will inform you 🚌✨ of the timetable and how to get on the bus You can also check it on the HP Access page! Search for 🔍 "Nagiso Tourism Association" or "Burarinagiso" ▶︎ Bus ・ The number of trains is small, so please check the ⚠️ time in advance ・ You can check how to ride from the 7th image ・Bus tickets are on sale at the Tsumago Tourist Information Center! (Tsumagoro to Magoro or In the town range only) ・ You can pay the driver in cash when you get off the Car (2,000 yen bills, 5,000 yen bills, and 10,000 yen bills cannot be used) ・ In order to prevent congestion when getting off the car, please 🎫 purchase tickets in advance as much as possible ▶︎Taxi Nagiso Kanko Taxi🚕 Sales Office Tsumagoro First Car Parking Lot Business hours 7:00-19:00 (subject to change in winter) * Taxi is always stationed at Nagiso Station. * Please make a reservation in advance outside business hours. * There are that it may be difficult to arrange immediately during crowded Time Slots, so please come with plenty of time ▶︎JR Nagiso Station Ticket Sales Window 🎫 Business hours 7:50-16:05 Closed hours 11:10-11:30, 12:35-13:15 * IC cards are not supported. * Outside the business hours, please Boarding without a ticket and pay at the station where you get off Car (please take a numbered ticket when Boarding) * Use 💳❌ credit cards * Since there is only one ticket purchase window, it is very crowded, especially in the evening. We recommend that you purchase in advance during a free morning Time Slot / Time of Day or at another station * Nakatsugawa Station accepts credit card payments. * Use IC cards from Nakatsugawa Station to Nagoya Station ▶︎JR Nagiso Station / Information Center Business hours 8:00-17:00 Closed hours 11:10-11:30, 12:35-13:15 If you have any problems, please ✨ feel free to drop by

📍 Tenpaku Park Mitsuba azaleas and Oshima cherry blossoms: Best time to visit Flower peach: Bud to bloom for 5 minutes 📍 Tsumago juku Cherry blossoms: beginning to fall The weather has ☀️ been good since the morning Hiking customers, the local bus in the evening is very crowded. Bus Train (JR Nagiso Station) does not accept IC cards or credit cards Use. Boarding in advance and avoiding crowded times.

Chowa Town Karasawa no Dōsōjin Dōsōjin near Nakasendo Karasawa Ichirizuka. A testament to the fact that you have been watching over me for a long, long time. Pine trees grow 😮 between the steles

Nagakubo-juku Museums "Ichifukusho Hamaya" and Wada-juku Museums have started opening this season ✨ The camellia in the parking lot of Ichifuku Hamaya Car blooming beautifully ☻ The Ume Plum in Wada-juku Main Camp still had 💦 many buds Spring is a little further away...? 🌸

Nakasendo Ichirizuka Fifty-one ri from Edo The snow melted and we finally went 😊 The milestone mound in Wadakarasawa in Chowa Town has two large mounds left on both sides of the road. The mound was built as a sign for travelers on the Nakasendo Highway. It is a very atmospheric place that reminds me of those days.

Chowa Town Wada Silkworm Shrine "After a heavy rain, earthworms about a foot long died in a swarm due to the heavy water, and after that, an epidemic broke out in this area, and there was a great uproar. Perhaps because the silkworm has changed, it is called "Okin-sama". Worms of worms... 😘

Chowa Town Wada along Nakasendo Road A stone monument erected near a side road leading to the Silkworm Shrine. Do you see that it says "worm"? It's 😊 a very cute worm

Chowa Town Wada Dosojin 2 Spring Water along Nakasendo Road A husband and wife who 💕 huddle shoulder to shoulder There is spring water beside it... A warm-hearted region 😊 with abundant water

Chowa Town Wada Dōsōjin along Nakasendo Along the Nakasendo Road in the Wada area, you can see 😊 several Dōsōjin Are they children who enjoy lion dances? A very cute look 🥰💕

Nakasendo Ichirizuka Fifty miles from Edo A milestone monument at the Kajiashi intersection in Chowa Town Wada. The stone monument next to it reads, "Matsuzawa Trail on the left, Suwa Highway on the right." On the right is the old Nakasendo road. Fifty-one milestones are There is a Chowa Town Wada Karasawa, There are still mounds of earth on both sides of the road.

📍 Tsumago juku Souvenirs for your loved ones and memories of your trip. As a proof of your visit, you can buy local products and artists' items. Every time I look at it, it brings back memories, which is the charm of souvenirs. Now it is said that it is more about experience consumption than things, Cherish your heart's crush ... 💗💭

Nakasendo Ichirizuka 49 ri from Edo A monument of the ruins of a milestone between Nagakubo-juku and Wada-juku in Chowa Town. On the side, there is also a haiku monument with "Mt. Asama" as the top five. However, I'm curious about the cute 🏠 building at the back of the milestone monument. 🙄 By the way, Fifty Rizuka is located in Chowa Town Wada. Forty-eight milestones are Located in in the neighboring town of Tateshina Town.

【Ice and Snow Light Festival 2025】 On Saturday, February 15th, the "Ice and Snow Light Festival" will be Held in in Tsumago juku again this year! About 600 ice candles are lit, and a fantastic scene different from the daytime Unfolds. This year, in addition to the store's night business hours, there will be a free service of pork soup and hot lemonade at the tourist Information Center, and the sale of fried chicken and pizza in front of There are Fureaikan! There will also be colorful ice art by the Tsumagoro Women's Club and an exhibition of ice by Local Sunan High School students. On that day, Nagiso Kanko Taxi is open until 20 o'clock. Enjoy the annual Festival! If you are a photographer, please 📸✨ apply for the Kiso Tourism Federation's photo contest Date: Saturday, February 15, 2025 Time: 17:30 Ignition Location: Nagiso Town, Tsumago juku (399-5302 Nagiso Town, Kiso-gun, Nagano Prefecture Azuma Tsumago juku)

📍 Tsumago juku The small New Year's decorations "Mayudama" and "Mochi Flower" were made! Vinca trees are decorated with eyebrows and kumquats, and bamboo is decorated with mochi flowers. We also received ♩ a large decoration in front of the Tsumago Tourist Information Center The decoration is scheduled to be until 2/2 of Setsubun. Enjoy ✨ the scenery of Tsumago juku unique to this time of year

📍 Nakasendo This is ❄ the Scene of the Nakasendo of 2025.1.8 (馬籠峠~Tsumago) 1-3: Magoro Pass 4: Ichiseki Tochi Stand Tea House 5: Entrance to the pass 6-10: Male Waterfall Female Waterfall 11: Kooshinzuka-mae Thereare snow ❄ cover If you are walking on the Nakasendo Road, please prepare sufficient winter equipment such as snow boots, gloves, knitted hats, socks, etc. In particular, mountain passes, male waterfalls, and female waterfalls require caution of ⚠ snow and freezing

📍 Momosuke Bridge and shopping street in front of the station The Taosuke Bridge is a symbolic bridge ✨ in Nagiso that students and residents of Sunan High School in Local regularly Use The snow-covered Momosuke Bridge is powerful and cool. With the snow that has been falling since last night, the whole towns is a silver world! Fun the ❄ winter scenery

Happy New Year! Broadcasting and sharing Tourist Information of Nagiso Town again this year as well, so thank you for your ✨ support Today, new Spring wolf smoke was held in various parts of Kiso. Smoke is smoke that is raised high using firewood or gunpowder, and in the past, it was used as a signal or landmark during wartime / emergency. In other words, it was a means of transmitting Information. The New Spring Wolf Smoke Festival, Held in every year on January 4 in Kiso, began in 2007 with the call of the Tsumagoro Love Association to strengthen the sense of solidarity in Kiso Valley and revitalize Kiso. The photo shows a Scene at the Tsumagoro Ruins of the Castle in Nagiso Town, where the Cypress trees of the Kiso tree and the leaves of the Kouyamaki tree are burned to create 🌲 smoke This year, too, the smoke Gari vigorously rose under sunny skies. May 2025 be a happy year full of smiles... 🐍✨

📍 Tsumago juku (12/28 13:30) It's ⛄❄ piling up JR and buses are operating normally for now.

We will deliver Tourist Information of Nagiso Town! 📍 Kakizore Canyon (Oyster) It is said to be one of the most beautiful Valleys of Kisoji, and it is a scenic spot where the huge granite rocks that fill the deep valley weave beautiful waterfalls, streams, and abysses. The beautiful emerald green color of the water does not become turbid when it rains. You can also enjoy ✨ azaleas and rhododendrons in Spring, and Autumn leaves in autumn In general, from JR Jujikane Station, you can walk 4.5 km from JR Jujikane Station through the Nature Trail to Ushigataki Waterfall, and further down the forest road. For a stroll, we recommend the 300-meter promenade from the Koiji suspension bridge to Ushigataki Waterfall. The view of Ushigataki Waterfall, where the main stream of the Kakizore River falls through the granite, is spectacular. If you walk along the forest road for about 40 minutes, you will There are the exhilarating view from the Observation decks Kirigataki Waterfall, Nijiga Falls, and Thunder Falls. We ask for your cooperation in environmental maintenance costs. Located in at the entrance of Kakizore Canyon, please put it in the brown post. access ・ Car: About 10 minutes from the traffic light of National Route 19 "Kakizore Canyon entrance" There are 2 free parking lots Car ・JR: Get off at JR Nagiso Station and take a taxi for about 25 minutes Get off at JR Jujikane Station and walk for about 1 hour (taxis are not stationed) other ・ There is a flush toilet in each Car parking lot ・ There is a vending machine near the cars parking lot ・ Pamphlet (map) can be downloaded from the Official website of the Nagiso Tourism Association "Burari Nagiso" request ・ Camping, Barbecue, etc. are prohibited in Kakizore Canyon ・We ask for your cooperation in taking your trash home with you. ・Do not approach the river in rainy weather or when there is a lot of water ・ If you are playing in the river, please Enjoy it with due attention to safety