Travel / Tourism Spots in Kisoji Area

  • Narai-juku (post town)
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    4.5
    354 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Shiojirishi Narai
    Long ago, the Nakasendo was an important highway connecting Edo and Kyoto, and many travelers stopped at the post town of Narai-juku before or after crossing the Torii Pass following this route. The post town once prospered due to the many people moving along the highway, and the town was even described as “Narai Sen-ken” (1,000 buildings of Narai). Narai was quite large, and divided into three districts—uptown, midtown, and downtown, and today the townscape remains mostly unchanged from its heyday. In 1978, the post town was designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.

    It was great to get to Narai-juku early in the morning before all the shops opened & the arrival of bus loads of tourists. We parked our vehicle for 500 yen @ the train station. Convenient & clean...

  • Kozenji Temple
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    4.5
    156 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Komaganeshi Akaho 29
    Kozenji Temple contains ten halls and is widely revered as the dwelling place of many deities of the South Shinshu region. It was established in 860 by Honjo Shonin and was mainly built to worship Acala, the God of Fire. The temple is undergoing renovations and maintenance until 2020, so some pathways have been changed. Make sure to confirm in advance. It’s about 10 minutes by car from the Komagane Interchange on the Chuo Expressway.

    We came to see the weeping sakura but were impressed by this temple. Very tranquil temple with a well-laid out garden backed up to the natural mountain forest. The sakura are of many, many varieties...

  • Tsumago-juku
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Kisogunnagisomachi Aduma 2159-2
    One of the Nakasendo (old route from Tokyo to Kyoto) post towns which still retains the appearance of a post town from the Edo period. Tsumago-juku is known as the first post town in Japan to preserve its old town atmosphere and it has been designated as an important architectural preservation site and a regional conservation area. The town is full of places to see such as Koi-iwa (Carp rock), one of the three famous rocks, the Waki-Honjin Okuya (a National Important Cultural Property), Nagiso Museum of History with displays on the history of Nagiso Town and the Kisoji Road, and the preservation of Tsumago-juku.
  • Roadside Station Kiso-Fukushima
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    4.0
    64 Reviews
    Transportation
    Nagano Pref. Kisogunkisomachi Fukushima 4061-1
    A roadside station standing on the Nakasendo Highway in Fukushima, Kiso Town, Kiso County. The station sells local specialty products such as produce, processed foods, liquors, and crafts. The station's restaurant serves soba noodles and set meals made with local ingredients like Shinshu salmon and Shinshu Ogon Shamo chicken.

    長野県木曽町、国道19号線沿いにある大型道の駅。お土産、特産品が充実、レストランも完備、平日ランチ時の訪問でしたが駐車場・施設内も結構な混雑で昼食は諦めトイレ休憩。

  • Roadside Station Narai Kiso no Oohashi
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    3.5
    57 Reviews
    Transportation
    Nagano Pref. Shiojirishi Narai 1346-3
    This roadside station is on the Nakasendo Road in Narai, Shiojiri City. The arched hinoki cypress Kiso-no-Ohashi bridge spans the Narai River, and crossing from the Nakasendo Road side you'll find yourself at Mizube Park, which has toilets and an information area. There are no shops at this facility.

    This bridge is so beautiful and in the night time it is illuminated which makes it very much photogenic.

  • Roadside Station Okuwa
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    4.0
    39 Reviews
    Transportation
    Nagano Pref. Kisogunokuwamura Nojiri 160-27
    This roadside station is on the Nakasendo Road in Nojiri, Okuwa Village, Kiso County. They sell agricultural products like fruit, wild and seasonal vegetables, and Kiso special products such as woodwork. In addition, a snack corner offers gohei mochi sticks, noodles, and more. There is also a restaurant with dishes like set meals featuring Kiso beef and bread products.

    道の駅大桑は、国道19号線沿いの木曽路の大桑村にありました。駐車場も比較的広く、いくつかの棟で構成されている道の駅です。 レストランもありましたが、私たちは各地の道の駅の物産品コーナーを見て歩くのが好きなので、物産品コーナーに向かいました。近くで採れた農産物や木曽の加工品に交じって、木工製品が充実していました。確かに、木曽の山間にあるので、木曽ヒノキを使った製品がたくさん並んでいました。上質の...

  • Ontake Ropeway
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    4.5
    33 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Kisogunkisomachi Mitake 1
    This ropeway travels 2,330 meters between Kanose and Iimori Kogen Stations with a difference in height above sea level of 580 meters, taking 15 minutes each way. Located at around 2,000 meters above sea level in a mountainous area, the service may be suspended depending on circumstances due to changing weather conditions. In the Kozan Botanical Gardens at the summit, you will find lovely flowers including Potentilla fruticose var. mandshurica, Phyllodoce nipponica, clubmoss mountain heather and Rhododendrum dauricum. There is also an observatory restaurant from which you can look at the superb view while enjoying pasta or sweets created by the chef.

    国道19号からはなかなか長い道のりで、ロープウェイの駅は山の中腹にあるので、結構登ります。 ロープウェイはなかなかの料金ですが、個室で安心かつ気兼ねなく乗れるし、展望台は20度前後の涼しい気温。避暑にはぴったりです。 みちすがらもロープウェイの駅にも飲食店はないので、お昼どきは開田高原かどこかで食べてから登りましょう。山上の駅には喫茶店があります。

  • Wakihonjin Okuya
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    4.5
    39 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Kisogunnagisomachi Aduma 2190
    This is one of the facilities of the Nagiso Town Museum located 10 minutes away by bus or taxi from JR Nagiso Station in Nagano Prefecture. This building was built in 1877 using plenty of hinoki (Japanese cypress) wood that had been forbidden to use., and served as an inn and warehouse throughout the generations. It is also where Yufusan, Shimazaki Toson’s first love, came to live after her marriage. It became a nationally-designated Important Cultural Property in 2001. The museum is composed together with Tsumago-juku Honjin and a historical museum, and you can tour them both with a common ticket.

    This historic musuem gave us a peek into how the locals live during the Edo period. The Honjin and Waki-honjin were luxurious buildings constructed along the post towns of the Nakasendo highway for...

  • Komagane Silk Museum
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    4.0
    16 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nagano Pref. Komaganeshi Higashina 482
    "This silkworm and silk museum is located in Komagane City, Nagano Prefecture. In the permanent exhibition on the first floor, they exhibit the history of silk and the process of weaving raw silk. In addition, there is an experiential workshop where you can come into contact with silk, and you can have various experiences such as ""cocoon crafts."" On the second floor, there is a museum shop, all-you-can-eat restaurant and other facilities, making it a place to enjoy yourself all day long."

    孫娘たちと駒ヶ根に行った折に立ち寄った。久しぶりに繭を見た。孫娘たちは、はしゃぎながら創作に取り組んでいた。

  • Fukushima Sekisho Museum
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    4.0
    15 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Kisogunkisomachi Fukushima Seki cho 5031-1
    You’ll find this archive in Fukushima Sekimachi of Kiso Town. It has been situated on a key point along the Nakasendo, one of the five major highways radiating from Edo, for about 270 years, and it features a faithful restoration of the Fukushima checkpoint, one of the four major checkpoints. You’ll find exhibits with documents related to the checkpoint, as well as historical transport restrictions such as the “iriteppo” and “deonna” policies.

    Very historic place .The important Sekisho which is the control gate of old Edo era road Nakasendo. Even the princes of the emperor had passed here to go to Tokyo in the 18th century. The people here...

  • Nakamura Residence
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    4.0
    15 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Shiojirishi Narai 311
    The wood manufacturing industries such as comb manufacturing and lacquerware flourished in Narai-juku during the Edo period. The “Nakamura Residence”, which was the residence of Nakamura Rihei who ran a comb wholesalers in Narai-juku is a typical Narai-juku merchant’s style building with the feature of the second floor slightly jutting out (overhanging beam structure). It has been registered as a Tangible Cultural Property of Shiojiri City, and the residence is open to the public as a museum.

    [奈良井宿]に《国重要文化財》指定の建築物が 2件あり その内の1件です[他の1件[手塚家住宅(上問屋史料館)]]。こちらで印象に残ったのは 外観的;[奈良井宿]の建築物の特徴である《鎧庇》と《猿頭》の説明文(添付 写真参照)が掲示してあり 2階から 1階を眺めると《鎧庇》と《猿頭》が良く見え [奈良井宿]の建築物の特徴が良く理解出来ることです。又 小さな入口から 腰をかがめて内部に入ると江戸時代...

  • Shinano Wine
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    4.0
    14 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Shiojirishi Seba 783
    This is a winery representing Kikyogahara built in 1916 in Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture. Passed on by between three generations of parent and child, the high quality wine has been well received at competitions at home and abroad. The grapes grown in the natural extreme heat and cold of Kikyogahara have a flavor only this region can make. Using grapes from their own plantation and contracted field, the wine is not just brewed in traditional fashion but in a number of free variations. In the shop one can enjoy wine samples, and even have a look down in the underground cellar (groups of 10 or more need prior booking).

    都内では普通の活動が塩尻では駄目なようです。試飲、地下セラーの見学はコロナの影響で出来ません。売店が開いているだけです。

  • Kiso Living Craft Center
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    4.0
    13 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Shiojirishi Kisohirasawa 2272-7
    At Kiso Living Craft Center you can learn about the techniques and history of traditional crafts such as wood culture and lacquer work. On the second floor is a craftsman gallery where crafts people are introduced and products are put on display and on sale. In the restaurant you can try the main course Japanese dishes which are made with local ingredients. And in the cafe owned by a person from Finland you can see their own hand crafted items on display. Also on sale are selected specially made products from Shiojiri and Kiso such as pickles, local sake, and Shiojiri wine. Visitors are welcome to have a go at creating their own traditional craft works when booking in advance. (Reservations are required two weeks in advance)

    漆器は勿論、白木の木工製品やワイン、地酒などお土産が揃います。サクッと地元のお土産を買いたい時には便利です。

  • Kamidonya Museum of History
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    4.0
    12 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Shiojirishi Narai 379
    The Kamidonya Museum of History was designated an Important Cultural Property in 2007. It was a wholesale dealer from the start of the modern era until the Bakumatsu period, and toward the end of the modern period it also served as village headquarters. The displays showcase old documents, daily articles, and various tools from that period. There are approximately 100 written articles and 300 tools. It’s open from the beginning of March through the end of December, and it’s about 15 minutes on foot from JR Narai Station.

    [奈良井宿]にある《国重要文化財》指定の建築物が2件あり その内の1件です(他の1件;[中村家住宅(櫛問屋...

  • Daihoji Temple
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    3.5
    13 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Shiojirishi Narai 423
    This temple is a Myoshin-ji Temple of the Rinzai sect and was established in 1582 in Narai, Shiojiri City. Jurojin, one of the seven deities of good fortune, is worshipped here, and this is also a sacred spot visited by those making pilgrimages to various temples. There is also a Maria Jizo, whose shattered head serves as a famous symbol of the suppression of Christians in the Edo period. It is a popular spot for azalea viewing in June and the changing of the leaves in autumn.

    《マリア地蔵》があるとのことで訪問しました。 《マリア地蔵》と呼ばれるものとして[埼玉県幸手市]にもありますが こちらの《マリア地蔵》は 子供の持つ蓮華の先が十字状(添付 写真参照)になっており よりこれが 隠れキリシタンの為の地蔵尊ではないかと 印象付けられます。

  • Niekawa Sekisho
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    3.5
    12 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Nagano Shiojiri-shi Niekawa 1568-1
    A five-minute walk from Niekawa Station on the JR Chuo Main Line. Standing at the northern entrance to the section of the Nakasendo Road known as the Kisoji road, this ancient checkpoint barrier was built as a substation of the Fukushima Sekisho, considered one of the three most important checkpoint barriers in Japan. Before it was demolished in the early Meiji period, the barrier was used as a guardhouse to monitor the comings and goings of people and property on the Nakasendo Road, and to control the movement of runaway wives and shipments of unfinished lumber. The barrier was rebuilt on land owned by JR based on a large number of documents; even the layout and plot size have been faithfully recreated. Inside, visitors can view exhibits on the barrier as well as pottery and stone tools dating to the Jomon period discovered as part of archeological excavations in the Kiso area.

    開館前に到着したが、親切に案内解説してくれて感激しました。岩倉具視の恋文?など、当時の位ある者はやたら女に声掛けた話は「さもありなん」。ただ期待していた 周辺遺跡の考古資料の展示は人気が無い?早々に撤去されたのは残念でした。その手の情報は無く、臨時休業なども管理者が独断で決めている?又、電車の本数がやたら少なく中山道歩くには程よいが一般旅行者には「二度とくるな」扱い(日本中JRは縮小して車以外は不...

  • Komagane Farms
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    4.0
    11 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Pref. Komaganeshi Akaho 759-447
    "This tourist facility nearby Komagatake Ropeway is located in Komagane City, Nagano Prefecture, and has gained popularity for their soft-serve ice cream using ""Suzuran milk."" It has a direct sales shop that sells local specialty products and fresh seasonal vegetables and the ""Ajiwai Kobo"" where you can taste Nanshu beer, making it a place to buy a variety of souvenirs. It is used not only by tourists to Mt. Komagatake but also many local residents."

    観光案内所と菅の台バスセンターのロープウェイ乗り場付近はfree wi-fiがありますが日によって接続が悪い場合があります。

  • Nakasendo Suhara-juku
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    3.5
    11 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Kiso-gun Okuwamura Suhara
    The inn was originally built in the Warring States Period and moved to its current location in 1717 after it was damaged by flooding, making it the newest inn on the Nakasendo Highway.

    須原宿は水船の里で、奈良井、馬籠、妻籠宿に比べて見どころはないです。昔の宿場の面影はあります。ほかの宿に比べて国道沿いはお店が多いです。

  • Yoshinaka-yakata
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    3.5
    10 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Kiso-gun Kisomachi Hiyoshi 290-1
    A museum located in Hiyoshi, Kiso Town, Kiso County, Nagano Prefecture. The museum contains exhibits on late Heian period military commander Minamoto no Yoshinaka (also known as Kiso Yoshinaka), who was raised in Hiyoshi from childhood, presenting the man's life and achievements via documents and other historical materials as well as dioramas and mannequins. The museum also adjoins the Tokuonji Temple, the location of the graves of Yoshinaka and Tomoe Gozen, a female samurai who was one of the warriors to serve under the commander.

    歴史的には平清盛と源頼朝がどうしても注目されますが、忘れてはいけないのが同じくらいの勢力を誇った源義仲。木曽の山奥から平氏打倒を目指した熱い想いがよく分かります。資料も豊富で興味深いです。

  • Rinsenji Temple
    rating-image
    3.0
    11 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Nagano Kiso-gun Agematsumachi Agematsu 1704
    A Buddhist temple located in Agematsu Town, Kiso County, Nagano Prefecture. The grounds encompass an observatory with a commanding view of Nezame no Toko, a picturesque destination on the Kiso River which has also been designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty; and a treasure house museum whose exhibits include a fishing rod said to have belonged to the legendary Urashima Taro. Each month on the 29th (excluding in winter), the Nezame Market is held on the grounds, and here you can purchase local specialty products.

    お寺の中に寝覚の床への入り口があるとのことだったので、こちらを経由して行きましたが、どうやら他の場所からも寝覚の床へ降りることができるようでした。(遠いのかもしれません) お寺自体は、見応えがあるような感じではありませんでしたが、入場料200円となっています。

Nagano Areas

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Nagano prefecture is an exciting mix of mountains, hot spring monkeys, and preserved Edo history. At the heart of the Japanese Alps, Nagano is one of the country’s most popular destinations, whether in winter for its snow sports and the much-loved Jigokudani Monkey Park or in the warmer months for discovering the undulating hills on foot. For fantastic Edo architecture, head to the Kiso Valley for a 60-kilometer stretch of quaint wooden buildings that marked the Nakasendo route 200 years ago.

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