[Image1]【Nakasendo and 5 Post Towns in Shiojiri City】There are 69 Shukuba on the Nakasendo Road between Edo
[Image2]【Nakasendo and 5 Post Towns in Shiojiri City】There are 69 Shukuba on the Nakasendo Road between Edo
[Image3]【Nakasendo and 5 Post Towns in Shiojiri City】There are 69 Shukuba on the Nakasendo Road between Edo
[Image4]【Nakasendo and 5 Post Towns in Shiojiri City】There are 69 Shukuba on the Nakasendo Road between Edo
[Image5]【Nakasendo and 5 Post Towns in Shiojiri City】There are 69 Shukuba on the Nakasendo Road between Edo
[Image6]【Nakasendo and 5 Post Towns in Shiojiri City】There are 69 Shukuba on the Nakasendo Road between Edo

【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.

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Oct. 26, 2025
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↓
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Oct. 21, 2025
[Mt. Kiritou] Mt. Kiritou rises to 1,305 meters and is a popular destination for day hikes. It sits near the middle of the Central Divide that runs east to west across Nagano Prefecture. From the summit you can take in wide views of Matsumoto, Ina, and the Suwa area, as well as the Northern and Southern Alps, MtOntake, Yatsugatake, and even MtMyoko on the far horizon. From late April into May, delicate reddish-purple okinagusa flowers greet hikers. [Hiking Routes] Mt. Kiritou has three main hiking routes, each with its own appeal. Choose the route that suits you and give Mt. Kiritou a try! 1. Shimotonishijo Course 2. Ono Course (commonly called the Kattori Course) 3. Central Divide Course Note: In winter, crampons and other cold‑weather mountaineering gear are essential. 1. Shimotonishijo Course Access by car: about 15 minutes from Shiojiri IC on the Nagano Expressway Access by train: nearest station JR Midoriko Station Parking: about 40 spaces Toilets: one men’s and one women’s toilet at Yamanokami Nature Garden Related: Yamanokami Nature Garden, okinagusa This route starts at Shimonishijo to the north of Mt. Kiritou. From the Yamanokami Nature Garden parking area it takes about 1 hour 45 minutes. From the parking area you walk along forest paths through the Nature Garden and past Tamarazu no Ike toward the trailhead, warming up your legs before the climb. 2. Ono Course (commonly called the Kattori Course) Access by car: about 20 minutes from Shiojiri IC on the Nagano Expressway Access by train: nearest station JR Ono Station Parking: about 10 spaces Toilets: temporary toilets available (closed in winter) Related: Mt. Kiritou winter sample itinerary This route starts from Ono to the south of Mt. Kiritou. The trail passes historic spots such as the Kattori Castle Ruins and a stone monument to Ontake Daigongen. It takes about 1 hour 10 minutes from the parking area, and it is the steepest of the three courses. 3. Central Divide Course Access by car: about 15 minutes from Shiojiri IC on the Nagano Expressway Access by train: nearest station JR Midoriko Station Parking: about 10 spaces Toilets: none Related: Oshibayama, nirinso (two‑leaf anemone) The trailhead lies slightly toward Shiojiri from the watershed park at Utou Pass. The route climbs via Oshibayama to Mt. Kiritou and takes about 2.5 hours. The scenery and terrain change rapidly on the way to the summit, offering a varied mountain trail. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Requests for a safe and enjoyable climb of Mt. Kiritou Please protect plants for nature conservation. Take your trash home to help protect the environment. The Mt. Kiritou area experiences frequent lightning, so monitor the weather carefully. Do not enter any prohibited areas. Never start a wildfire. Be aware of dangerous wildlife such as bears, hornets, and poison‑sumac species.