Japan’s legendary SAMURAI Route 🇯🇵 Hiking the NAKASENDO Trail

Japan’s legendary SAMURAI Route 🇯🇵 Hiking the NAKASENDO Trail

Good morning. I’m so excited for this video. Today we’re going to be doing some part of the Nakasendo Trail. This is an historical hike here, which is also a pilgrim trail that used to be done by samuris. Today we are in Nakatugawa. We have spent the night here in the AB hotel and they’ve been kind enough to hold our belongings for a couple of days so we can actually explore a little bit the area. As we saw and we mentioned with the video before, you need to be very very very cautious when it comes to accommodation because everything is fully booked. So we have managed to score only one place to sleep in Mome tonight. So we are going to take the transport to then walk the most famous part of the trail which is from Sumago to Mome. The journey from this town to the trail is fairly simple. The train ride from Nakatugawa to Nagiso is short, just about 15 minutes. It’s not flashy, so no bullet trains here, boys and girls, but it feels right. There are so many tourists. Once you arrive in Nagiso, the path to Sumaguyuku starts. One of the coolest things of why this trail is still so popular is because some of the parts of the trails uh they are still intact. So can you believe that like samurai were living in these type of houses hundreds of years ago wow and one of the coolest things that we have now with technology is even though we don’t know Japanese uh we have translator so we can actually check what it actually says most of the sign and this is the grave of the Katsuna [Music] family. Who’s [Music] there? This seems to be the Sumago Castle Ruins. It’s a tiny little detour uh from the normal trail, but at least you get a very nice uh view from Sumagago town, which tells us that we are there fairly soon. Sumako is a small, beautiful town on the Nakasendo Trail in Japan. Long ago, it was an important stop for travelers, including samurai walking between Tokyo and Kyoto. The town is full of wooden buildings with traditional Edo period architecture carefully kept just like in the past. Zumago shows how people, even samurai, lived in old Japan and is protected as a cultural treasure. It looks like coming from a movie. It is so wonderful. Everything here seems like so perfectly dropped on the right spot to make this as harmonious and beautiful as it is. You’re going to grab an ice cream and a little snack. walk a little bit around town before we head to Mome cuz now we’re going to have to make the biggest chunk of the trail. That’s yours. Oh wow. Good. Mhm. Super good. We got peach flavor and chestnut flavor. Every few miles, travelers stopped in towns like Sumago to eat, rest, and talk about the latest ado drama. Marvel response. Kind of like the Twitter of the 1600s, but with soba noodles. And of course, for safety. Wow. It is so peaceful here that it makes it so difficult to actually speak to the camera and make a fuss cuz everybody’s super quiet. It’s such a mind-blowing place. The Nasendo was once one of Japan’s five major routes, guiding travelers through peaceful mountains instead of busy highways. A slower path on purpose. Does it feel enjoyable to be back in nature? Yeah. Katuna has been in Japan before. I haven’t. This has been on the top of my list since I started to travel. So, the number one country that I ever wanted to visit, take on the list. I don’t know what comes after. I think what I like the best about uh these types of trails in Japan is the the humbleness of it. There’s no bright shining colors, no neon signs. It’s very serene. It’s very calm. It’s very quiet. Japanese people are very quiet. So, it’s very peaceful. in every way, in every stimuli. I like that. So quiet. [Music] Cold. Steepest part of the trail. Oh my gosh. Let’s hope this is okay. On the way down, the trail waves through forests, old villages, and quiet mountain passes. Nature and history sharing the same gentle rhythm. I find this so magical with the snow. Like all this trail looks so pretty. The Nasendo wasn’t just a road. It was a lifeline between east and west. A mirror of everyday life in old Japan. Small steps, big progress. Now, we’re trying to push a little bit harder because in Magome and Sumago, most of the restaurants and the cafes close in between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. It’s something that unfortunately because I didn’t research that that much, we didn’t know. So, we had a few snackies and we are aiming to arrive between 4 and 5. So, at least we can have a very nice warm meal before we head to our lovely stay. Oh, wow. [Laughter] Volunteering. There you are. I have to say you’re great at it though. I know. After 10 cups, I Thank you. Thank you so much. This makes me so happy. here. This place has been standing here on the middle of the Nagasendo Trail for 250 years and they’re offering free tea to the people walking around. If this is not the cutest thing ever proper Japanese style house that I have been inside. All right, Magome Pass. From here, we just have a sweet, sweet 2.2 km downhill. Sun comes to us. It’s been a while. Wait, wait. The temperature when you’re on the sun here is super nice, but on the forest with the snow, the rivers, with the frozen water passing, it is redonkously freezing. Now we are back to the lovely little roads filled up with wonderful houses. [Music] Yay! I’m about to cry. Agome makes time travel looks like a budget experience. Even with tourists, the town keeps a quiet dignity. In a world that seems to be rushing forward, it invites you to slow down, to walk, to listen, and to look around. This isn’t a place for fast travel. Look at the details and everything. Oh, and the sun is perfect. Oh, really, babe. Out of joke, this could perfectly be my favorite town ever. [Music] these little places to buy. All the stores are closing at 5:00. So, we are taking advantage now that we have like 15 minutes left going through every single bar trying to grab as many goodies as we can. No. Can I get two of these? Okay. On the left. Uh, please wait. Yeah. Okay. The camera seriously does not show how tremendously gorgeous this place is. I want to leave here. All right. One of the first thing is that is the only thing that we could not properly wrap is this Wagyu beef type of sushi with What is this cracker? You tried it, right? Uh yeah, I ate half of it. And it’s good. Meant to be the most expensive meat in the world. We got three little less slices in total and it was close to $10. Oh, this is a nice spot. Very yummy. Very yummy. Wow. I’m finally making it to the sunset spot. You can enjoy the last bit of heat of the day some Japanese goodies. [Music] Yeah, they’re so good. Strawberry. So, living life to the fullest. Cheers. Let me hold that. [Music] I work as a bartender for many years and I am familiar with alcohol. I have tried sake a few times but it was never my taste. But everybody says that like in Japan you have hundreds of of types of sake and that eventually you will find one that you really like. So I’ve never tried it so far since we arrived. And we’re celebrating this wonderful experience with a little bottle of sake and the sunset on the other side. Cheers. Oh, yum. Uh-huh. That’s nice. Mhm. Nakas Brewing Company. If you want to try a good sake in Nagatugawa area, please come and get this nag sag. This is delicious. It’s very appleley. Yeah. So nice. Time to head to our rian. [Music] I’m such a nerd of One Piece. And one of the things that pleases me the most is that everywhere here. One piece. One piece. One piece. Okay. Nice. It’s a toilet shower here. And number one, and two bed. Perfect. Thank you so much. This is the cheapest place that you can find in Nag. It’s called Magome Chayu. And it’s basically a dormatory room, you know. So you have loads loads of beds here, but it’s kind of divided more like rooms. So we can have our court over here. So then we can have a little bit more privacy. And then we have our banquet here. This looks very tatami bed. One of my absolute favorite parts of staying on Japanese hotels or Rioan is that most of them offers you what we would call a pajama. much. I feel so [Music] [Laughter] [Music] badass. Kikiwa, beautiful people. I don’t really want to go from this place. This is so cozy. But life goes on. So why don’t we first start some breakfast and get some energy to continue with the day. As we did the same trail in the other direction, a thought kept coming to me. There is something about this place. The silence, the history, the feeling that time hasn’t left. It made me slow down. Not just my steps, but my thoughts, too. to the honors. This wasn’t just a walk through Japan. It felt like a walk through something deeper. And honestly, it got me more than I thought. What a beautiful place to rest. Thanks for coming with me. There’s more of Japan to see, but this stretch of the Nakasendo, I will always carry it with me. Don’t forget to subscribe, lovely people. See you in the next week.

Step back in time as I hike one of Japan’s most legendary historical routes — the Nakasendo Trail, from Tsumago to Magome. 🇯🇵
Once walked by samurai, merchants, and travelers, this ancient road through the Kiso Valley is filled with stunning scenery, traditional wooden architecture, and a quiet charm that’s hard to find in modern Japan.

In this video, I share my full experience walking this peaceful part of the Samurai Trail, including beautiful street views in Tsumago, forest paths, and the scenic climb into Magome. Whether you’re planning your own trip or just curious about Japan’s hidden gems, I hope this journey inspires you.

📍 Route: Tsumago to Magome (Nakasendo Trail)
📍 Region: Gifu & Nagano, Japan

🎥 Shot in 4K | Travel vlog style | English narration with subtitles available
👇 Subtitles: 日本語字幕も自動でご覧いただけます！

00:00 We are doing the Nakasendo Trail
00:42 Nakatsugawa to Nagiso (train)
01:01 Trail begins!
02:19 Tsumago post town
03:46 Nakasendo trail
05:32 Book in advance!
06:07 250 years old tea house!
07:33 Magome, the most beautiful post town
08:33 All types of Japanese food!
09:49 Magome sunset!
10:33 Sake baby!
11:42 Cheapes Ryokan in the Nakasendo Trail
13:09 My final conclusions

#NakasendoTrail #JapanVlog #Tsumago #Magome #SamuraiTrail #JapanHiking #KisoValley #JapanTravel #HiddenJapan

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https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/isksf5

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