Kiso, which flourished as a post town along the Nakasendo Highway, still retains the appearance of those days and is an area where visitors can enjoy a casual stroll through history. The townscape, which is in harmony with nature, is popular among both Japanese and foreign tourists.
The Kiso area offers tourist attractions such as Tsumago Inn, Mt. Ontake, and Kaida Kogen Plateau, tourist events such as OSJ Ontake Sky Race, Kiso Music Festival, and Ontake Super Triathlon, and local delicacies such as horse meat dishes and soba noodles.
Kiso is famous for its rich nature and inn towns. Kiso flourished as an inn town along the Nakasendo Highway, and some of these inn towns still remain today, with Tsumago Inn being particularly famous. The harmony of nature and the old-fashioned inn towns with beautiful cherry blossoms, hydrangeas, fresh greenery, and blue skies will make you feel as if you have time-traveled back to the Edo period. Visitors can also hike around the inn town and enjoy nature, seeing waterfalls, mountain passes, and water mills along the way.
Local cuisine is also available. In particular, buckwheat noodles, produced by taking advantage of the difference in temperature during the summer, are highly reputed for their rich flavor and sweetness. Also, while Nagano is famous for its pickled nozawana, here in the Kiso area, there is a pickle made from turnip stems called "sunki," which is fermented without salt using only lactic acid bacteria. It is attracting attention as a healthy food unique to this area.
Tsumago-juku is a beautifully preserved post town along the historic Nakasendo highway in Nagiso Town, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture. It was the 42nd of the 69 post towns established along the Nakasendo, the important route that connected Edo, present-day Tokyo, with Kyoto during the Edo period. Located at the southern end of the Kiso Valley on the eastern bank of the clear Araragi River, Tsum...»
Mount Ontake is a 3,067-meter-high active volcano in central Japan and is known as the country's second-highest independent peak after Mount Fuji. Surrounded by magnificent mountain scenery, the area attracts hikers, mountaineers, nature lovers, and winter sports enthusiasts throughout the year. Mount Ontake is also recognized as one of Japan's 100 Famous Mountains, the New 100 Famous Mountains o...»
Katsudon with a special sauce made with carefully selected "local foodstuff from Komagane." Katsudon usually referrers nikatsu with eggs, but this katsudon is flavored with a sauce and is known as the origin of katsudon. It is said to be invented by a student of Waseda high school, Keijiro Nakanishi and his friends, and it was served for students at cafeterias then, and was spread nationwide....»
Matsukawacho is located in the northern end of Shimoinagun.Fruit cultivation of apples and pears flourishes, and the Black pork grown with the local apples and plums is slightly sweet and thus very tasty! "Goboton don" was born using the Black pork together with burdocks which is another local delicacy of Matsukawacho. There are quite many restaurants of Chinese cuisines, kappo (Japanese) cuisines...»
"Sakura don" is a local delicacy of Iijimacho using high-grade sakura meat (horsemeat) made for everybody to become familiar with it. High-grade horsemeat is called "sakuraniku" because of its cherry pink color. Horsemeat is eaten on a daily basis in France, and is very popular for women as well since it is as low in calories as chicken breasts, but contains glycogen and high in good quality anima...»
Hoba-meshi, Hoba-kowameshi, Hoba-musubi, Hoba-sushi, and Hoba-maki were made at a mountain village of Kisodani and the Shimo-ina south using the sterilizing power of bokuha. A made home became little, but Hoba-maki and Hoba-mochi are handed down from generation to generation as an event food of a seasonal festival in May 5th, and production is sold the time at a snack shop in Kiso-ji....»
A nimono dish served for ceremonial occasions in Kiso area. It is made in a large pot with lots of ingredients such as saitoimo, shirataki, chickens, carrots, daikon, mushrooms, etc. flavored with soy sauce....»
Tame sushi with the char of ingredients the inside in a mountain. It develops as a New Year's dish and an event food. I take internal organs of char (Other river fish are also fine.), stuff salt soup stock and vinegared rice in 1 month before which is pickled and eaten with many salt, put a stack arrangement weight in the barrel and ferment. It's handed down from generation to generation only at a...»
A Scenic Destination Where the Mountains, Kiso River, and Historic Kiso Road Meet Kiso Town is located in the central part of Kiso District in southwestern Nagano Prefecture. Surrounded by magnificent mountains and crossed by the clear waters of the Kiso River, the town is one of the communities belonging to the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages in Japan. Kiso has long developed as an i...»
Roadside Station Kiso Fukushima is a popular roadside facility along National Route 19 in Kiso Town, Nagano Prefecture. Located near the center of the historic Kiso Road, it offers an excellent setting from which to admire the majestic form of Mount Ontake. The facility includes a shop filled with local specialties, fresh agricultural products, traditional crafts, and regional foods, as well as a...»
Roadside Station Hiyoshi Kiso-Komagatake Kogen is a popular roadside station along National Route 19 in Kiso Town, Nagano Prefecture. Set against the magnificent backdrop of Mount Kiso-Komagatake in the Central Alps, it is an ideal place to take a break while traveling through the historic Kiso Valley. The facility brings together the natural beauty, history, and food culture of Kiso. Visitors ca...»
Fukushima-juku was the 37th of the 69 post towns along the Nakasendo, the historic highway that connected Edo, present-day Tokyo, with Kyoto. Located in what is now Fukushima in Kiso Town, Nagano Prefecture, it developed as an important center of transportation, culture, and commerce in the Kiso Valley. The town is particularly famous for Fukushima Checkpoint, one of the most important checkpoint...»
Yamamura Daikan Residence and Fukushima Checkpoint are two important historic sites in Kiso Town, Nagano Prefecture. Both are closely connected with the Yamamura family, who governed the Kiso Valley during the Edo period, and with the checkpoint that controlled traffic along the Nakasendo. These sites offer a fascinating look at the political administration, transportation system, and everyday li...»
Kozenji Temple is a historic temple of the Myoshinji school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism, located in Fukushima, Kiso Town, Nagano Prefecture. Its mountain name is Banshozan, and together with Chofukuji Temple in Kiso Town and Josenji Temple in Okuwa Village, it is counted among the three great temples of Kiso. The spacious temple grounds are surrounded by ancient trees and filled with a profound sense ...»
Chofukuji Temple is a historic temple of the Myoshinji school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism, located in Fukushima, Kiso Town, Nagano Prefecture. Its mountain name is Ryugen-zan, and together with Kozenji Temple in Kiso Town and Joshoji Temple in Okuwa Village, it is counted among the Three Great Temples of Kiso. The peaceful grounds are surrounded by old trees and the mountains of Kiso, creating a beaut...»
Tokuonji Temple is a historic temple of the Myoshinji school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism located in Hiyoshi, Kiso Town, Nagano Prefecture. Its mountain name is Nissho-zan. The temple is also one of the pilgrimage sites of the Kiso Seven Lucky Gods, where Bishamonten is enshrined, and is the 22nd temple on the Chubu 49 Yakushi Pilgrimage. Tokuonji is particularly famous for its connection with Kiso Yos...»
Mitake Ropeway is one of the best ways to experience the spectacular natural beauty of Mount Ontake, carrying visitors from the mountain foothills to a highland world at an elevation of 2,150 meters. Located in Kiso Town, Nagano Prefecture, the ropeway connects Kanose Station at 1,570 meters with Iimori Kogen Station at the seventh station of Mount Ontake. The route stretches for approximately 2,...»
Goryokan is a historic building in Fukushima, Kiso Town, Nagano Prefecture, and is known as the oldest surviving Western-style building in the Kiso Valley. With its dignified appearance and deep connection to the region's forestry history, the building is designated as a Tangible Cultural Property of Kiso Town. Its official cultural property name is the Former Kiso Branch Office of the Imperial F...»
Fukushima Sekisho was one of the four most important checkpoints established along Japan’s major highways during the Edo period (1603–1868). Located almost halfway along the Nakasendo, it stood at a strategically important point in the Kiso Valley. The checkpoint was protected by the Kiso River on one side and steep mountain slopes on the other, making it an ideal location for controlling traffic....»
Mount Kiso-Komagatake rises to 2,956 meters above sea level on the border of Agematsu Town, Kiso Town, and Miyada Village in Nagano Prefecture. It is the highest peak of the Central Alps, also known as the Kiso Mountains, and is celebrated as one of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains, the New 100 Famous Mountains, and the 100 Famous Mountains of Flowers. Known locally as Kiso-Koma, the mountain has lon...»
Ono Falls is a beautiful waterfall in Ono, Agematsu Town, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture. Also written as “Ono-no-Taki,” the waterfall is a graceful 15-meter cascade located on a tributary only about 100 meters from the main stream of the Kiso River. Its waters originate on Mount Kazakoshi, one of the mountains of the Central Alps. Known since ancient times for its tranquil beauty, Ono Falls is...»
Rinsenji Temple is a historic temple of the Myoshinji school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism in Agematsu Town, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture. Its mountain name is Nezamezan, and the temple stands beside the spectacular natural landscape known as Nezame-no-Toko. With its dramatic rocks and clear waters, Nezame-no-Toko has long been celebrated as one of the great scenic places of the Kiso Valley. Rinsenj...»
A Scenic Wonder Created by the Kiso River Nezame-no-Toko is one of the most spectacular scenic sites in Kiso, located in Agematsu Town, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture. It is counted among Japan’s Five Great Gorges and was designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty on March 7, 1923. Here, the clear waters of the Kiso River flow between enormous granite formations, creating a dramatic landscap...»
A Birthplace of Forest Bathing Akasawa Natural Recreation Forest is a vast national forest in Agematsu Town, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture, managed by the Chubu Regional Forest Office of the Forestry Agency. Also known as the Akasawa Primeval Forest, the area is famous for its beautiful natural stands of Kiso hinoki cypress. Towering trees, some more than 300 years old, fill the forest with a ...»
A Peaceful Mountain Village Where Nature and History Meet Okuwa Village is a beautiful mountain community in Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture, located in the southern part of the Kiso Valley. The broad Kiso River flows through the village, while steep mountains, clear streams, and deep forests surround the settlements. Okuwa has also played an important role in the history of the Nakasendo, the ...»
Ohtaki Village is a beautiful mountain village in the southwestern part of Nagano Prefecture, in the Kiso region. Nestled at the foot of majestic Mount Ontake, the village has long been regarded as a sacred place for Ontake worship, attracting pilgrims and mountain travelers for generations. Surrounded by the blessings of nature, Ohtaki is a place where the history of forestry, traditional mounta...»
Nagiso Town lies at the southern end of the Kiso Valley in southwestern Nagano Prefecture. Much of the town is covered by forest, while the clear waters of the Kiso River flow through its center. For centuries, local communities have lived in harmony with this mountainous environment, preserving traditions and skills shaped by nature. Nagiso is best known for historic post towns such as Tsumago-j...»
Momosuke Bridge is a beautiful wooden suspension bridge spanning the Kiso River in the Yomikaki district of Nagiso Town, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture. Completed in 1922, during Japan's Taisho era, the bridge was built under the direction of Fukuzawa Momosuke, then president of Daido Electric Power Company. The bridge was originally constructed to transport materials needed for the development...»
A Scenic Collection of Waterfalls Surrounded by Pristine Forest Tadachi Falls is a spectacular group of waterfalls deep in the mountains of Nagiso Town, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture. Rather than a single waterfall, the site consists of more than ten waterfalls of various sizes, flowing through a rugged mountain valley surrounded by pristine forest. Thanks to its dramatic scenery and natural ...»
A Sacred Shrine at the Foot of Mount Ontake Otaki Ontake Shrine is a historic Shinto shrine in Otaki Village, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture, and one of the principal centers of Ontake Mountain worship. It is also known as Otaki-guchi Ontake Shrine or Ontake Shrine Otaki-guchi, reflecting its location along the Otaki-guchi trailhead on the southern side of Mount Ontake. Mount Ontake has long b...»
Joshoji Temple: A Historic Zen Temple in Kiso One of the Three Great Temples of Kiso Joshoji Temple is a historic temple of the Myoshinji school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism located in Suhara, Okuwa Village, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture. Its mountain name is Jokaizan, and it is regarded as one of the three great temples of the Kiso Valley, together with Kozenji Temple and Chofukuji Temple in Kiso ...»
Suhara-juku is a historic post town in present-day Ōkuwa Village, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture. It was the 39th post station along the Nakasendo, one of the Five Major Highways of the Edo period connecting Edo, present-day Tokyo, with Kyoto. Located almost in the center of the Kiso Valley, Suhara-juku once welcomed travelers, merchants, and officials making their way along the mountain road. ...»
Nojiri-juku is the 40th post station along the historic Nakasendo, the major highway that connected Edo, present-day Tokyo, with Kyoto during the Edo period. Located in present-day Ōkuwa Village in Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture, it once served as an important resting place for travelers making their way through the rugged Kiso Valley. Among the eleven post towns of the Kiso Road, Nojiri-juku h...»
Atera Valley is a spectacular gorge carved by the Atera River in Okuwa Village, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture. Stretching for approximately 15 to 18 kilometers, the valley reaches depths of up to 1,000 meters in places, creating a dramatic landscape surrounded by the mountains of Kiso. The gorge lies along the Atera Fault, which runs near the border between Nagano and Gifu prefectures. Its gra...»
Kiso Village is located in the northeastern part of Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture, surrounded by mountains rising to around 2,000 meters. Situated at the source of the Kiso River, the village has long been regarded as the “origin of Kiso,” a place where abundant forests and pure mountain water have supported local life and culture for centuries. With beautiful scenery changing throughout the s...»
Yabuhara-juku is a historic post town in Kiso Village, Nagano Prefecture, that flourished as the 35th station along the Nakasendo, one of the major highways connecting Edo, present-day Tokyo, with Kyoto during the Edo period (1603–1868). Located near the heart of the Kiso Valley, Yabuhara became an important center of travel, commerce, and cultural exchange as travelers and merchants passed throug...»