Japan’s Kiso Valley in Nagno Prefecture lies near the Japanese Alps.

History of the Kiso Valley

Kiso Valley has been important to Japan for at least the past 1,500 years. There are records that mention the Kiso Mountain Road opened in 702 to connect current Nagano Prefecture to lands to the south. The region has been heavily disputed from then until the Meiji Era (1868 – 1912), constantly changing hands between different provinces and domains due to its strategic location and ability to control trade through the mountains.

The Kiso Valley was especially important in this area as it is much flatter and less steep than other valleys, meaning that it was easier for travellers and caravans to traverse.

Kiso Valley’s importance increased yet again in the Edo period (1603 – 1868) due to the Nakasendo – the central mountain route – that connected the imperial capital, Kyoto, with the seat of governance, Edo (now Tokyo). Merchant caravans, trains of nobility and pilgrims all used the path, leading to the development of post towns along the route. If you see a name with “-juku” (e.g. Shinjuku) or “-shuku”, these were post towns where travellers could rest and relax after a hard day’s journey.

The importance of the valley declined at the end of the Edo period and with the Meiji Restoration in 1868 as new technologies were introduced to Japan. The relatively safe Nakasendo became obsoolete with cars and trains, leaving the post towns to decline.

Today the area has returned to its original state – small villages nestled within a beautiful valley amongst the soaring mountains of the Japanese Alps.

Hiking In the Valley

The Nakasendo runs the length of the Kiso Valley as it was meant to be easy to traverse. It runs through places such as Kiso-Fukushima and Agematsu, both of which are former post towns.

If you go off the Nakasendo trail, the path is much more steep as others climb up the sides of the valley and even the mountains. There are many trails that you can choose from. The most difficult ones run between the peaks of the mountains that define the valley, such as the Mount Kiso-Komagatake – Kisokoma Kogen Loop, which takes approximately 12 hours to complete and is rated very difficult. An easier and much shorter trail is the Otaki/Metaki Falls – Tsumago, which can be done in a couple of hours and is rated medium.

There are also several trails through the forest. Here are some photos that I took while hiking a small one from Kiso-Fukushima:

Getting to the Kiso Valley

From Tokyo Station take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya, then transfer to either the Shinano Limited Express or the local Chuo line. The Shinkansen-Shinano Limited Express combination will take you approximately 3.5 hours. The Shinkansen-Chuo Line version will take longer; the exact time depends on which version of the Chuo line train you take (local or express) and whether you need to change halfway down the line.

Alternatively you can take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano and then switch to the Shinano line heading south. This will also take about 3.5 hours depending on the wait time in the middle.

Each of these routes will cost you between ¥12,000 and ¥14,000 (as of December 2025, $76.75 – $89.51 USD, £57.55 – £67.14 GBP, €65.88 – €76.86). Make sure you buy paper tickets for at least the Shinano Route! Kiso Fukushima Station does not use IC cards and is not in an IC area. This fact is also true for stations that are in different IC areas; you can not go from one area to another using the same card on one trip.

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