Скачать или смотреть Japan: Tsumago to Kiso Valley scenic drive 4k

A scenic drive along Kiso Valley from Tsumago.

July 17, 2023

"When you arrive in Tsumago in the Nagano Prefecture along the legendary Nakasendo Way, time seems to rewind and you rediscover all the charm of ancient Japan.

The dark wooden buildings stand tall. Narrow alleys. No telegraph pole or television antenna in sight. The locality has made it a point to preserve a traditional setting, authentic as in the time of the samurai who visited Tsumago hundreds years ago.

Tsumago is one of the best places to visit along Nakasendo Way!

Tsumago is located on the historic Nakasendo route connecting Kyoto and Edo during the Edo period.

Have you heard of Nakasendo before? If you want to see the historical and authentic Japan, then this is one of the best places to discover! We first learned about Nakasendo while watching a documentary about Joanna Lumley in Japan. You can find it on Netflix.

he Nakasendo or “Central Mountain Road” was one of the five main roads of Gokaido serving the ancient city of Edo. The path wound through the Japanese Alps, a distance of 534 km, between Edo and Kyoto.

Lords, samurai, porters, merchants, etc. used the Nakasendo for centuries. Over time, post towns were created to provide accommodation for travellers. These historical stages where the inns continue to receive today hold an important role in the preservation of the history and culture of the region.

The first weekend of June is the Ochasubo dochu festival. This tradition dates back to the Edo period, when all the local daimyō met in Kyoto and went on a procession to Edo, using the Nakasendo, to offer tea to the Shogun. The event and the parade take place in a new form these days but still remembering this tradition!

Tsumago is was once a very wealth post town.

During the Edo period, it was the 42nd relay among the 69 postal towns of the Nakasendo which linked the capital Edo to Kyoto.

The decline of the Nakasendo Way and all its post town came after the creation of the Chuo Main Line which bypassed it. Tsumago slipped away, its economy sank and much of its infrastructure fell into disrepair…

However from 1950, the inhabitants decided to restore the image of their city. They joined forces to rehabilitate Tsumago’s historic sites and buildings.

In 1971, they managed to restore about twenty houses and to establish a charter with the government according to which no place in the locality could be “sold, rented or destroyed”. Finally in 1976, Tsumago received the status of an Architectural Preservation Site of Japan.
--https://afuncouple.com/tsumago-japan/


"The Kiso Valley (木曽路, Kisoji) is located in Nagano Prefecture, and runs alongside the mountains of the Central Alps. An ancient 70 km trade route called the Kisoji was developed along the valley and served as a very important means of commerce in the area.

The Kisoji became even more important from the beginning of the Edo Period, when it was amalgamated with other routes in the formation of the 500 km long Nakasendo. The Nakasendo ("path through mountains") was one of the two main routes that connected Edo and Kyoto. It contrasted with the other principal transportation route of the time, the Tokaido, which ran along the sea shore.

Because of restrictions by the shogunate, travelers were almost always forced to make their trips on foot. As a result, "post towns" developed every few kilometers to provide travelers with places to rest, eat and find nightly accommodation during their arduous journey.

Along the Kiso Valley, a few post towns, particularly Magome, Tsumago and Narai, have been preserved to look as they did when they served travelers of the Nakasendo. Visitors are able to enjoy the stone paths and wooden buildings of a bygone era."
--https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6075.html