Hiking isn't for me but I'll drive if we can go on a roadtrip

Hiking isn't for me but I'll drive if we can go on a roadtrip

The year was 2019 and I was working as a self-employed business consultant. I helped fellow expat(riates) to manage and market their small businesses.

One client had a side-business that involved native Japanese timbers. I became obsessed with tree-spotting. Somehow I managed to convince two of my other clients to come along with me to the Kiso Valley area in Gifu / Nagano. The huge forests covering this area are incredible. 

You may have heard of the historical road that connected old Tokyo, Edo, with Kyoto? It's called the Nakasendo, which means the central route. Parts of this route include what they call post-towns or juku. These towns have been lovingly preserved and operate as tourist attractions. 

So I have to confess that I like the outdoors but I do not like hiking. You might have heard of people in Japan "hiking the Nakasendo" which is totally possible and probably really enjoyable. However we chose to drive between each post so our trip was a really fun roadtrip! I was the driver. 

We took this trip in April / May 2019 during Golden Week. Two of our party came from the Kansai area and one other friend joined us from Kanto. I said these people were my clients but at the point where we are traveling together I think we can call ourselves friends!

Our first stop was Nagoya, a good meet-in-the-middle point. From there we travelled in the direction of Gifu where we stopped in a town called Ena to pick up our rental car. 

And that is where we started to connect up with the Nakasendo. We spent our days walking around the post-towns, doing a little bit of hiking up hills or down valleys but driving between the towns rather than hiking. Actually when it came to hiking up to the top of the castle ruins I think only one of us made it all the way up. I also elected not to hike down to see the waterfall. I really don't like hiking or climbing up steep stairs so if you ever invite me to be outdoorsy and you suggest hiking I might not agree to come along unless there will be a lot of driving involved and I can do the driving. 

I HIGHLY recommend this part of the country should you get the chance to visit. Each town provides plenty of opportunity to stroll leisurely about with lots to see and photograph. There are cute traditional eateries and cafes too.

It has been five years since we visited but these towns had existed for hundreds of years before we got there so I can't imagine much has changed, except perhaps their popularity with tourists post-covid. That said, if you have a car then you are free to deviate off the main tourist routes and see some absolutely stunning countryside. 

We visited Ena, Magome-juku, Nagiso, Narai-juku and a few other places around this area. We stayed in an affordable "business hotel" in Nakatsugawa. 

Note: I took this trip before I launched this business, North South Stewart. There are no photos of me wearing our lovely outdoor woolen goodies although it was cool in the mountains especially on the days it was drizzling rain. It was a very inspiring trip.

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