A Journey Through the History
and Culture of Kiso Village

Discover Japan’s hidden heartland on this private, fully guided tour

A journey to fully enjoy the nature
and culture of the Kiso Road

Join us on a journey to the Kisoji?that ancient road stretching along the Kiso Valley in the very heart of Japan. Awe-inspiring natural wonders, a unique and fascinating culture, and sake steeped in thousands of years of history.

At Yukawa Brewery we'll learn about their traditional brewing methods and get the chance to meet their master brewer. At Mt. Ontake we'll retrace pilgrims' journeys to the spiritually purifying Kiyotaki and Shintaki falls. And in Yabuhara post town we'll hike over the famous Torii Pass, and visit an artisan woodworker's workshop to try our hand at their delicate craft.

A journey to fully enjoy the nature and culture of the Kiso Road

Here are the highlights of the trip

This is an experiential tour with a private guide.

You can experience traditional Japanese culture and trekking
You can choose a 2-day or 3-day course depending on your preference.

Sake brewing experience
Sake brewing experience
Torii Pass trekking
Torii Pass trekking
Traditional food experience
Traditional food experience

Tour itinerary

DAY1

11:30
Meet in Shiojiri
12:30
Orientation at Yukawa Sake Brewery
13:00
Bento box lunch
14:00
Visit Mt. Ontake
18:00
Dinner with sake brewers

DAY2

8:30
Hike Torii Pass
12:00
Arrive in Narai post town,
Lunch
Hino-Seiyaku herbal medicine tour
15:00
Yukawa Brewery
18:00
Arrive back at accommodation

DAY3

8:30
Yukawa Brewery
10:00
Kiso Village Folk Museum
10:40
Oroku Comb Workshop Visit
12:10
Lunch (Oginoya soba restaurant)
13:00
Leave Yabuhara
14:00
Tour finishes in Shiojiri

DAY1

11:30
Meet in Shiojiri
12:30
Orientation at Yukawa Sake Brewery
13:00
Bento box lunch
14:00
Visit Mt. Ontake
18:00
Dinner with sake brewers

DAY2

8:30
Hike Torii Pass
12:00
Arrive in Narai post town,
Lunch
Hino-Seiyaku herbal medicine tour
15:00
Yukawa Brewery
18:00
Arrive back at accommodation

DAY3

8:30
Yukawa Brewery
10:00
Kiso Village Folk Museum
10:40
Oroku Comb Workshop Visit
12:10
Lunch (Oginoya soba restaurant)
13:00
Leave Yabuhara
14:00
Tour finishes in Shiojiri

Tour Dates (3 Days, 2 Nights)

  • November 26-28
  • December 2-4
  • December 5-7
  • December 8-10
  • January 7-9
  • January 21-23
  • February 4-6

Tour Pricing

Price ¥ 330,000
per person (for groups of 4)

Fully guided, 100% private tour with a knowledgeable and passionate guide that is proficient in both English and Japanese

All travel outside of walking routes done by private car

Unique activities to enjoy during the tour

  • Visit to Yukawa Brewery, with the chance to meet the brewers (including Yukawa’s master brewer)
  • Sake tasting event
  • Nakasendo Trail hiking over the Torii Pass
  • Walking at Kiyotaki falls and Shintaki falls, on the slopes of Mt. Ontake
  • Hands-on traditional herbal medicine workshop
  • Hands-on Oroku comb workshop
  • Multiple chances to try delicious local cuisine

Meals during the tour

You’ll have the chance to enjoy traditional, seasonal meals made using high-quality local ingredients, including the same simple, yet delicious home-cooked dishes eaten by locals throughout the Kiso region.

Number of meals provided
Breakfasts: x2　Lunches: x3　Dinners: x2

* This price does not include your airfare, or the cost of your travel to the tour’s starting point in Shiojiri

The tour begins in at Shiojiri Station in Shiojiri city, Nagano prefecture. You will need to make your own way to Shiojiri Station.

How to get to Shiojiri:

You’ll have the chance to enjoy traditional, seasonal meals made using high-quality local ingredients, including the same simple,
yet delicious home-cooked dishes eaten by locals throughout the Kiso region.

* Please be aware that not all trains stop at every station, and some trains may be significantly slower or faster than others.
Make sure to check the names of trains listed below, and plan your trip carefully to avoid any issues.

From Tokyo(Time taken: about 3 hours)

Tokyo Station ⇒ Shinjuku Station (via JR Chuo Rapid train)

Shinjuku Station ⇒ Shiojiri Station (by JR Azusa Limited Express train)

From Osaka(Time taken: about 3 hours 30 min)

Osaka Station ⇒ Shin-Osaka Station (via JR Kyoto Line)

Shin-Osaka Station ⇒ Nagoya Station (via JR Shinkansen Nozomi train*)

Nagoya Station ⇒ Shiojiri Station (via JR Shinano limited express train**)

From Nagoya(Time taken: about 2 hours)

Nagoya Station ⇒ Shiojiri Station (via JR Shinano limited express train**)

* While Nozomi trains are the fastest shinkansen trains between Osaka and Nagoya, those using a JR Pass may not be able to make use of Nozomi trains. Please make sure to check carefully before your journey. Other shinkansen trains (such as Hikari and Kodama) can also be used, but will take longer.

** The JR Shinano limited express is also sometimes referred to in official JR branding as the Wide View Shinano.

Google Map

Sake tasting at Yukawa Brewery

Yukawa Brewery has been brewing sake in the mountains of Kiso for over 370 years, ever since the far-distant days of the Edo period when samurai and feudal lords walked upon the cobblestones of the Kisoji.

During your visit the brewery's master sake brewer will teach you all about the sake-making process, and introduce you to the distinctive blend of traditional and modern techniques that have earned Yukawa Brewery widespread acclaim. You'll also be treated to a sake tasting session perfect for both sake aficionados and complete newcomers alike. With a varied selection of handpicked high-quality sake, you’ll develop an ever-deeper understanding of not only Yukawa Brewery's long history, but the art and culture of Japanese sake as a whole.

Torii Pass guided walk

For centuries travellers along the Kisoji have made their way over the Torii Pass, which served as a vital route through steep mountains between the towns of Yabuhara and Narai.

On this tour you'll follow the footsteps of these historical travellers, walking the Torii Pass alongside a guide who will teach you all about the history of the Nakasendo, as well as the religious beliefs and practices surrounding nearby Mt. Ontake. As you reach the heights of the 1,197m pass, you'll be treated to panoramic views that have inspired countless artists and haiku poets over the centuries?the Kiso Valley far below draped in delicate cherry blossoms in the spring, or covered in a sea of reds, yellows, and oranges come autumn.

Hino-Seiyaku Corporation herbal medicine tour

Mt. Ontake has long been an important site for sangaku shink??or ‘mountain worship’?an ancient Japanese faith that sees mountains as places of power and spirituality. In the early days of the Edo period (1603-1868) huge numbers of pilgrims began visiting Mt. Ontake, and word spread far and wide about a local herbal medicine called hyakuso (translatable into English as 'one hundred herbs').

Hyakuso is still manufactured and sold to this day by Hino-Seiyaku Corporation under the brand name Hyakusogan. On this tour you'll visit Hino-Seiyaku's store, which still retains the charming ambience of a traditional medicine seller's workshop. There you’ll learn about its long history, and get a chance to see how this traditional medicine is made.

Trip to Kiyotaki and Shintaki falls

Throughout much of history, only those who had carried out 75 days of strict ritual purification of body and mind were permitted to summit Mt. Ontake. However, in the Edo period this requirement was relaxed, allowing ordinary worshippers to climb the mountain?after first purifying themselves beneath the freezing waters of Kiyotaki falls. Over time Kiyotaki falls soon became well known as a site for meditation and spiritual purification.

Nearby Shintaki falls has long served as a site of worship for a host of important Buddhist deities. Less well known than Kiyotaki falls, it has a beauty all its own, and at times seems positively infused with a hushed, otherworldly atmosphere.

About Kisomura

Located in southern Nagano prefecture at the headwaters of the Kiso River, Kiso village is blessed with both beautiful natural scenery and a long, fascinating history. It has long been known for its abundance of high-quality wood, and the village is still home to a number of skilled woodworkers to this day.

Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of seasonal sights and activities, as well as the chance to see a side of Japanese culture?including centuries-old festivals and workshop visits with world-class artisans?that most tourists never get the chance to see. It's also far from the hustle and bustle of so many other tourist hotspots, allowing one to rest and recuperate, and return home feeling refreshed.

Sightseeing Spots

Yabuhara Shrine

Yabuhara Shrine is located by the Kiso River, in the heart of the village. Its history stretches back all the way to the Heian period (794?1185), and the kami?a kind of shinto deity?enshrined there is revered as a protector of the entire Kiso region.

The grove of cedar trees surrounding the shrine give it a hushed, tranquil atmosphere, as if it were cut off entirely from the modern world. The shrine is beautiful all year round, but the autumn leaves around the shrine are particularly impressive.

Held annually in July, the Yabuhara Festival is home to traditional music and dances, as well as a parade of two huge floats adorned with fearsome lacquered masks representing shishi?mythological creatures associated with lions.

Torii Pass

The Torii Pass connects Yabuhara post town in Kiso village with nearby Narai post town. It is still a popular hiking course for those with an interest in nature and history.

The pass is home to many sites of historical interest, and at 1,197 metres above sea level, it affords panoramic views of the Kiso Valley below, with the autumn leaves a particularly special sight.

Narai post town

Narai is one of the Nakasendo trail's best-preserved and most beautiful historical post towns. As well as the sights, visitors to Narai can also enjoy delicious local food, history, and culture, with numerous shops selling local woodwork, lacquerware, and other handicrafts.

A festival is held in Narai every year in June. The town is particularly lively during these festivities, but with everything there is to see and do, Narai is without a doubt a must-visit spot any time of year.

Yabuhara Shrine

Yabuhara Shrine is located by the Kiso River, in the heart of the village. Its history stretches back all the way to the Heian period (794?1185), and the kami?a kind of shinto deity?enshrined there is revered as a protector of the entire Kiso region.

The grove of cedar trees surrounding the shrine give it a hushed, tranquil atmosphere, as if it were cut off entirely from the modern world. The shrine is beautiful all year round, but the autumn leaves around the shrine are particularly impressive.

Held annually in July, the Yabuhara Festival is home to traditional music and dances, as well as a parade of two huge floats adorned with fearsome lacquered masks representing shishi?mythological creatures associated with lions.

Torii Pass

The Torii Pass connects Yabuhara post town in Kiso village with nearby Narai post town. It is still a popular hiking course for those with an interest in nature and history.

The pass is home to many sites of historical interest, and at 1,197 metres above sea level, it affords panoramic views of the Kiso Valley below, with the autumn leaves a particularly special sight.

Narai post town

Narai is one of the Nakasendo trail's best-preserved and most beautiful historical post towns. As well as the sights, visitors to Narai can also enjoy delicious local food, history, and culture, with numerous shops selling local woodwork, lacquerware, and other handicrafts.

A festival is held in Narai every year in June. The town is particularly lively during these festivities, but with everything there is to see and do, Narai is without a doubt a must-visit spot any time of year.

About applying for a tour

VIP service with private guide,
Enjoy a special trip while gaining a deep understanding of local customs and traditions.

Please check the link below for tour application and details.

View tour details

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a minimum number of people for the tour?

No. We are happy to accept both groups and individual customers.

How difficult will the hiking be?

The hike over Torii Pass is about 6km (roughly 3.7 miles), and takes about 3 hours. While there are sections with steeper inclines or slightly uneven footing, it is suitable for beginner hikers. Our guide will match your pace, and we can take breaks as frequently as is necessary.

In short: as long as you can walk without issue for 3-4 hours, you should be able to join us on the hike.

Please note that since the hiking path can become a little slippery after periods of rain, we do recommend you wear hiking shoes (or any other type of shoes with a good grip).

Do I need to do anything special to prepare for the tour?

No special preparation is necessary, but please make sure that you have shoes and several sets of clothes that are suitable (and comfortable) for longer periods of walking.

Additionally, we recommend you bring a raincoat and any other rainwear you may need. Warm clothing is also recommended if you are joining us in early spring or late autumn.

Will the guide speak English?

Yes. All guiding along the tour will take place in English. Our guides are all proficient in both English and Japanese, and will translate for you when necessary (for example, when talking to local people during the tour).

Will the tour itinerary change if it rains?

Depending on the severity of any poor weather, your guide may decide to alter some parts of the tour (for example, if there is any risk of danger, or if poor visibility would significantly impact your enjoyment of the sites). If this occurs, another activity will be chosen.

Can I still join the tour if I have mobility issues, or other disabilities?

We will do everything we can to accommodate any special needs you may have. There may be cases where this is more difficult, however, so please inform us of any disabilities or other issues you think may be relevant when making your initial tour reservation.

Can I still join the tour if have an allergy/dietary restriction?

We will do everything we can to accommodate dietary restrictions. There may be cases where this is more difficult, however, so please inform us of any dietary restrictions when making your initial tour reservation.