Nakasendo hiking

I wonder how best to arrange our trip to the Kiso valley. We will be coming back from a visit to Okinawa via Nagoya airport (Centrair) on a Sunday afternoon and it will take us about two hours by train to get to either Nakatsugawa or Nagisa, we should be able to make it by 5 p.m. The plan ist to do the walk between Magome and Tsumago the next day and stay another night in the area, after which we will make our way back to Tokyo to return home to Europe (yet another day after). Could anyone advise on where to go first and where to stay overnight? We are quite used to hiking so we don't mind which way we do it, but I find it quite difficult (not being able to decipher Japanese) finding accommodation. Also, on a website about the baggage transfer, I found a note regarding bells which are rented out to keep the bears away??? Are there really bears or is that Japanese humour? Thank you in advance for any help you might be able to give.

Hi. If you are OK to take a taxi it isnt far from the train station to Tsumago, so I'd look to stay there. We stayed at Kisoji for a few days which is more of an onsen resort I suppose but it is a fair way out of town. Tsumago itself is pretty well signposted and if you are in a taxi you'll get to your accomodation no problem.

The walk itself isnt amazing in a historical sense but it is very pretty as a bushwalk. Make sure to go off to see the waterfalls on the way. Everyone says to start at Magome and walk to Tsumago because it is more downhill that way but really I think it would be better to start at Tsumago and end at Magome and that way you can enjoy the town at the end.

There are signs around for bears, I havent heard of anyone seeing one there but there is no harm having a bell anyway which you will be able to get in town. I think you'd be more at risk of stepping on a snake, so regardless making a bit of noise as you walk is a good thing.

I found it busy on the weekend but virtually deserted during the week, although that was about 4 years ago.

Thank you very much for your help!