Accommodations in Nakasendo Kiso Valley

Hello,

I am travelling to Japan on March 29-Apr 7th of 2015 and between Apr. 1 - 5 I will be on the Nakasendo trail. I seem to have trouble finding online bookings for the following towns:

Kiso-Fukushima
Narai
Karuizawa.

Cheaper accommodations are better ;)

I'm also looking for travel companion. and another question.

Anyway I can avoid bears on the trail? T_T

Thanks,
Alvin

we just came back from Karuizawa. We stayed at Ryokan Tsuruya, and I'd have to say it was brilliant. Great food, big rooms, good onsen, and really accessible for westerners, even with English menus. The position is good, too. It isn't cheap, but you wont be paying for breakfast and dinner outside.

For Kiso area, last December we stayed at hotel Kisoji. I could take it or leave it. I thought that the whole Tsumago/Magome trail thing was very underwhelming, and that Tsumago was uninteresting, Magome wasn't any more interesting than the old section of Takayama, except that it was on a slope. Just my opinion, I think I was expecting it to be much better and had built it up in my mind. I wouldnt do it again.

You wont see bears on the trail, but if you are worried you can carry a bell. We had one at our recent trip to kamikouchi (which I thought was infinitely more interesting than Tsumago) where there are bears, not that we saw any. We did however see lots of monkeys and a big snake which we weren't expecting at Kamikouchi, and a tanuki at Karuizawa together with the most dogs in prams that I have ever seen.

Hi Lazy Pious, I'm wondering if you thought that other parts of the Nakasendo trail were better than the Magome - Tsumago area? Or if the whole thing was over-hyped? What specifically about Kisoji Hotel was so-so?

Dale

Hi. I don't want to piddle on it too much, but essentially I probably had it in my head that the walk would be like stepping back in time, and really it isn't. Magome is a street. It is pretty and interesting for 15 minutes, but that is pretty much it. It is no more interesting, and IMO much less interesting, than the old part of Takayama. Now I would say that Magome was the scene of my greatest crime. I walked out of the town about 1km (the steepest part) then realised I hadn't paid for my coffee, and had a crisis about whether or not I should walk back (which laziness won). So I was plagued with guilt for the remainder of the walk, in fact I might have welcomed being eaten by a bear.
But the path itself is really just a big bush walk. There is very little of "tactile" historical significance there, even the paved bits. The waterfall is nice, the whole thing is nice, but it wasn't a significant thing for me. Then I got into Tsumago which on a Monday is as dead as a doornail. No open restaurants, barely any people, it isn't especially attractive, and you have to walk for ages to get to a car park with a taxi because to walk back to Kisoji after the walk from Magome would be like death. Uphill death.
Kisoji itself is nice. The onsens are good, the rooms are good. The food was below par, IMO. There is a buffet, but there wasn't much that I enjoyed save for the pork and miso soup which I thought was really good. And it isn't that I am not adventurous, I will try pretty much anything in Japan and usually enjoy it, it just had a bit of a factory atmosphere to it all. There is a Japanese restaurant there that is spectacular, though, now that I think of it. We had a pretty good time, but we actually enjoyed Hikone (which we had just come from) and Matsumoto (which we went on to) much more. And We just went to Karuizawa (Hotel Tsuruya) and Kamikouchi (Onsen Hotel) and absolutely loved them. Or Takayama which I think gives you a better feel of history.

Feel free to ask anything else, I am full of opinions whether they are right or wrong.

Actually I would just add that the N (whatever) trail comes through to Karuizawa and there is a hike from Tsyurura hotel (at the top of the Ginza shopping street) to the Kumamo Shrine with views into Gunma prefecture, and I believe that this hike follows the trail. We walked that. Aside from getting every insect in Karuizawa buzzing around my face, I thought it was a lot of fun.

Hi,

I'll be staying at Hanaya Ryokan in Tsumago, I liked it cause it's 17th century (and cheaper) however I'm still looking for Ryokan/inn/hostel for Kiso-Fukushima, Narai, and somewhere in Karuizawa~ (cheaper the better) I want to go to the least known places with some history rather than walking the usual tourist path. And yeah, I'll try to bring a bell or pepper spray, and a hiking pole haha. all the info you all posted have been veeeery helpful! I'd love to see more replies from people. :)

hrmmm you say Magome is not that interesting? How about Tsumago, Narai, and Karuizawa? so My plan goes like this..

10 days: Osaka-Kyoto-Nara-Kyoto- Magome - Tsumago - Kiso Fukushima - Narai - kiso hirasawa - matsumoto - karuizawa - then Tokyo.

Hmm I've heard and read that Narai is interesting. Is it possible for me to change this up a bit and go to Takayama as you have mentioned.?

Thanks for the info. I'll BUY a cup of coffee in Magome for you.

We plan to walk from Magome to Tsumago mid summer, and then take a taxi to Kisoji Hotel. I understand your "factory" reference. It's ok with us, since we'll be in Kinosaki Onsen the next night at Nishimuraya Honkan.

Where, in Tsumago, can you get a taxi?

Dale

It depends on the day. On the weekend it's pumping, so you wont have a problem. During the week you have to walk further down, past the first few car parks to the carpark where the bus terminal is (on your left as you walk further down away from the entry to Tsumago), then keep walking until you get to the end of it where there is a kiosk. I jagged a taxi there. It would be about a kilometre from the start of the town, so it is a fair hike, especially after you've done the other walk. But make sure you do the deviation off to see the waterfall even if you are a bit knackered, it is really nice. And thanks for buying the coffee. The scene of my greatest crime...

Found I can go spend a night @ Takayama. I can take a bus from Matsumoto and it will run for about 2 hours. :)