Tips on Hiking Nakasendo Way – All Things to Know for Hikers

Hiking on Nakasendo Way is a challenging activity in Japan, as the whole trail is very long and the majority of trekkers often try a section only. Here are warm tips from experience shared, hoped to be helpful especially to your hiking trip through the mountains.

Hiking on Nakasendo Way

Preparation & Necessities to Pack

  Please check the local weather before hiking. If an unfavorable weather occurs, put off your trip. In particular, don’t go for a hiking on Nakasendo Way when it heavily rains or a typhoon passes over, in which case, it’s not safe to trek in the forests.

  Comfortable hiking shoes are crucial. Protection gear for outdoor sports, such as knee pads, leg guards, elbow pads and wrist guards, can be worn, in accordance with your exercise habits and physical agility.

  A trekking pole would be useful to hike on the mountains on Nakasendo Way. If you have one, you can take it. But it doesn’t matter if you don’t have one. There are a number of branches or bamboo sticks provided for free on the way. These sticks are usually placed in a bucket by a guideboard with map or in a local tourist information center, have been used by numerous hikers. You can utilize the stick if necessary on your journey, and return back at the next bucket if you don’t need it.

A Trekking Pole is necessary.

  Sunscreen cream, sunglasses, and more to protect your skin and eyes from strong sunshine are necessary for your hiking trip.

  Mosquito repellent is also a necessity for hiking, as you are exposed in the wild.

  A first-aid kit can be taken if you don’t have much baggage. At least, band-aids and some common medicines should be put into your backpack.

Tips on Your Way

  Local guide maps are available at each tourist information center, from which you can get to know more information there.

  When you read a map, you may find that the name of post town comes with a postfix “juku” or “shuku”, which just means post town or lodging place. For example, the post town of Magome may be used as Magome-juku on the maps, road signs, etc.

Cash Only on Nakasendo

  It is easy to get supplies on the most sections of Nakasendo Way, except that you may face a crunch in the Kiso Valley surrounded by mountains. Thus, you’d better make a timely replenishment every time when you get to a convenience store on the rugged sections.

  Please take enough cash with you. At most post towns in the mountains, only cash can be accepted. Although credit card can also be used sometimes, it is not always practicable.

  Watch your steps when the trail is covered with mosses. It would be slippery especially on the way down a hill.

  In few cases, there might be some garbled old guideposts on some sections of Nakasendo Way, which indicates a dead end and the next post town in the same direction. If you feel confused, just follow your map app and ignore it. If on the popular section, there are quite many travelers who would tell you the right way.

  It’s possible to encounter a bear on Nakasendo Way, even though it’s unlikely to happen at most cases. When you see the bell hanging by the trail, you can ring the bell to keep off bears. Meanwhile, you can take a bell by yourself. Anyway, please go across the area quickly when you see a warning board of bear or bear bell trailside.

  If you come across Japanese macaques on Nakasendo Way, keep quiet and watch them from a distance if interested.

  You may be beset by mosquitoes in the wild, but what’s more dangerous is, it is unlikely but not impossible to come across blood-sucking land leech, snake, centipede, or bumblebees on some deserted section. Don’t worry, there won’t be these creatures on the parts with a lot of travelers.

  Don’t stay in the forests or some places far away from the post towns after nightfall. It gets dark so as not to walk safely, while some animals haunt around.

At a Post Town

  Most restaurants and stores at post towns in Kiso Valley would be closed just before sunset, which is as early as at 17:00 pm or so perhaps. So your hiking plan should be reasonable to reach the place to stay overnight a little earlier, to purchase supplies or for other things more expediently.

  In mountains, the rooms of lodges and homestays may be not as good as hotel rooms in cities, with no TV and Internet probably.

  It’s hard to connect the Internet in mountains on Nakasendo Way, public WiFi is usually accessible at post towns. But anyway, you may prepare a pocket WiFi, particularly during the long hiking for days.

  You may download a translation app on your phone beforehand, for there is a poor popularity of English as well as other foreign languages at these post towns in mountains.

Ryokan with WiFi

About Booking of Accommodation

  It’s advised to make a reservation for accommodation at the post town you’ll arrive, if you would hike on Nakasendo Way for more than one day. The rooms are in a great demand in the peak seasons like good days in mild spring and autumn.

  On the contrary, for hiking beginners, it’s not suggested to book the accommodation for each day in advance, unless you have an experienced guide or fellow. Otherwise, there is a possibility that you could not reach the lodges for physical tiredness beyond your expectation or some reasons out of consideration. Thus, you have to make a complete plan beforehand. It’s irrational for beginners to take a long hiking tour as well.

  Nevertheless, accommodation on some sections of Nakasendo Way is rarely available online via the booking apps. It requires a reservation on spot or via the official channels provided. For example, some homestays can be booked via the local tourist information center, while some can be contacted for a reservation by phone call or official email.

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