The Nakasendo Like You’ve Never Seen Before | Van Life Japan
The Nakasendo was an old highway in the
Edo period connecting Tokyo and Kyoto with 69 post towns along it where travelers would
rest. However, only three of those post towns, all located here in the Kiso Valley
in Nagano and Gifu Prefectures, have become popular with tourists for how well
they’ve been preserved, while the rest of the Nakasendo and other nearby sites, have been
forgotten. In this video, I check out some of those tourist hotspots while also venturing
off the bean path in search of hidden gems, with a couple of guest appearances. I’m Ryan and
this is part of my van life adventures in Japan. After a quick morning coffee, my first stop
was the 33rd post town along the Nakasendo. Niekawajuku. Although it looks more or less like a
typical countryside village now with the exception of a couple Edo era buildings, it does have a
museum replica of an old security checkpoint. When I paid my entry and signed in, I saw only
two other visitors had come through all week and neither were foreigners. The man at the counter
was pretty excited to see me and was kind enough to show me around the museum and explained how
the checkpoints worked. During the Edo period, the Tokugawa Shogunate created these
checkpoints to ensure merchants would have proper permits (especially lumber here
in the Kiso Valley), they were not smuggling illegal goods such as firearms, and also
to ensure the wives of feudal lords were not escaping Edo since they were kept there as
hostages to prevent any potential uprisings, particularly in faraway regions where the
shogunate didn’t retain as much control. After a very informative visit at the checkpoint,
I decided to see if Niekawa had anything else to offer and just wandered. I actually happened
to be running out of cash, but lo and behold, there was my bank, which is pretty surprising
considering Niekawa has around 80 residents. For those of you considering living in Japan,
I will say Yuch Ginko is quite convenient since it’s literally everywhere, which was the
main factor in me choosing it since I’m always on the move. Not an ad, just thought
it could be useful for some of you watching. There didn’t seem to be much else that was
historically significant, but it’s always crazy to me what you can stumble upon with no plan,
a sense of adventure, and a bit of curiosity. [Music] Continuing down the Nakasendo, I turned
onto a forest service road that me meandered up the mountain until I lost phone
service. In my research of the area, I came across something I had to check out. I’m going to bring is bear spray and bear
bell just in case. This is an abandoned mountain village. Although I could hardly find
any information on this forgotten settlement, it doesn’t seem like it would have had
any connection to the Nakasendo despite its proximity and probably only existed in
the 20th century until it was abandoned in what I assume would be the 80s or ’90s,
judging by the possessions left behind. [Music] [Music] [Music] Only a few houses remained standing, but there
was obviously enough of a population to even sustain a school, so I imagine many of the houses
are already lost to the hands of time. Out of respect to the past residents, I won’t mention the
name of this place, but like any place I visit, those that truly want to find it will be able
to with a bit of research. Well, that was an interesting but slightly terrifying experience.
So, uh let’s get back to some civilization, shall we? And back to the Nakasendo I went,
but not to the next post town quite yet. Although it is a stop along the Nakasendo, Kiso
Hiasawa was not a post town, and that’s because it was more dedicated to craft than hosting
travelers, which we’ll see in a bit. First, I wandered the streets, which I had all to myself
other than a couple locals. I was amazed by the preserved streetscape. I couldn’t believe
this place is not talked about more. [Music] Man, I’m absolutely dying right now. I must
be like mid 30s, I gotta find some shelter somewhere. To take shelter, I found a lacquerware
shop, the specialty craft in Kiso-Hirasawa. If you’re wondering what lacquerware even is,
it’s most often wooden objects coated in many layers of sap from lacquer trees, making the
objects more durable. After a few minutes looking around, I was greeted by the shop owner
who apologized for the fact that there were no cafes or restaurants to take refuge from the
brutal heat and insisted on giving me some iced matcha. She then invited me to check out
their warehouse where they make the lacquerware and their craftswoman was able to tell me more
about the extremely complex process. Learning about these traditional crafts always amazes me
because one, how did anyone ever figure this out? And two, I think it’s amazing people still
value these handmade crafting techniques, even if it comes at a much higher price than
their mass-produced counterparts. My visit was unfortunately cut short as the afternoon
thunder seemed to arrive just overhead. So, I needed to get back to the van.
Started raining on me a little bit here. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Starting to get rained
up. Time to run it back to the van. That was really Oh my god, look at these. It’s
hail. That’s crazy. That was uh some really a really close call cuz I almost got caught up in
this. Just barely made it back to the van. Wa! The storm passed and left a moody atmosphere
with clouds hanging low in the mountains. So, I headed to the famous 34th
post town, Narai-juku. [Music] Okay, so I parked at the Michi-no-eki,
the roadside station at Narai-juku, so I could basically just hop out in the
morning and get here before the tour buses and stuff get here, assuming they do come
here. And uh yeah, I think I’m coming across here the main shot that everyone sees of
Narai-juku. Not bad. Hardly anyone here. Narai-juku was considered the midway
point between Edo and Kyoto and the richest of all the post towns. Sometimes
referred to as Narai of a thousand homes. You can see why as the buildings line the main
avenue almost uninterrupted for a kilometer. [Music] I will say I’ve seen probably a million photos of
Narai-juku, but it’s usually that same shot I just showed at the beginning. Uh, and seeing in person
is actually incredible. It’s one of those places you just you just got to see in person. At this
hour, it was very tranquil, but no shops were yet open. So, I wandered the side alleys, making sure
to visit the shrines and temples along the way. [Music] [Music] Well, that about does it for Narai-jjuku.
I spent a good couple hours wandering the streets and exploring every little
temple and shrine that I could find. So, it’s time to head over to the next post town.
But because of the geography of the region, the Narai River actually originates in the
south. So the valley kind of veers off. And so travelers making the journey between Tokyo and
Kyoto at the time had to make a traverse over this pass called Tori Pass, which apparently at
the time was one of the most treacherous of the whole journey. And I anticipate that it will
be pretty treacherous for me too in this heat. But the good thing is I don’t think there will
be many tourists, if any at all, up there. So, I’m quite excited to retrace the steps of the
travelers at the time. You can actually access it from right here in Narai-juku. But because
I’m here with the van, I’m not going to make the pass. I’m going to drive around to the next
post town, hike up, and then hike back down. [Music] Well, there you have it. I’m at the midpoint of
Tori Pass. I’m going to head down to the next post town after Yabuhara-juku, which is Fukushima-juku.
Well, as soon as I got to Kushima Juku, it started raining on me. Those thunder clouds that I could
hear rumbling in the distance seems to be a trend that every afternoon uh they roll in and it starts
raining, but it’s not as hard as it was yesterday. So, I’m going to take my chances and uh try to
go explore. Maybe it’ll still be a nice vibe. Kiso-Fukushima doesn’t always make the cut when
people are choosing their Nakasendo itinerary, but it’s well worth the stop. Back in the day,
it was home to one of the four main “sekisho” or security checkpoints, which I visited a couple
days prior. And you can go to the museum here as well to learn more about it. Otherwise,
Kiso-Fukushima is a quaint little town and also has some beautifully preserved streets.
So, there’s actually a “ashiyu” right there, a foot bath, so, I’m going to check it out.
Even though I don’t really feel like putting my feet in hot water right now, despite the sun
now being gone, it’s still not cold. Oh, well, just kidding. It’s closed. But, uh, maybe
it’s only open in the winter. I’m not sure. But this would be sweet when the weather
is cold. Enjoying the view of the river. Oh boy, we got lightning real
close. I just saw I hope it’s not going to start dumping
on me like it did yesterday. [Music] [Music] So sick. I could be wrong, but I think
the storm is above me now. [Music] The next day was quite a bit different from
exploring the old post towns. I met up with my friend and fellow van life enthusiast
Hayato to get some relief from the brutal July heat. Continuing down the Kiso Valley
where the post town of Nojiri used to be, we turn into a narrow river valley
by the name of Atera Keikoku. Even though they’re both hiaces, Hayato’s
“Mars rover” absolutely dwarfs mine. they used to see bears here. Alright, we just find found a sick spot. Water’s so clear.
It’s a perfect clip jumping spot. We just need to find a way uh back up. Flowers blooming
here. Like, what the heck? Is this paradise? [Music] [Music] We back flipped like probably
seven times into the same spot, but uh now we’re going to go try to
find a different spot to dive in. All right, we came back to get a different mode
of transport so we can explore more freely. Woo! [Music] Bye-bye. [Music] We’re bad influences. We roped these
people into cliff jumping with us. Woo! Woo! Woo! All right, next we are going to this
Name Nezame-no-toko. It’s just 20 not even 20 minutes away from Atera Valley,
but I don’t actually know how you get down there. [Laughter] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Man, we’ve had such an insane day of
adventure, but rain has just started uh falling a little bit. We found a free
free campsite, I think. Uh so we’re going to go check it out now. Hopefully that’s
the case. Uh it seems really nice, too. We got monkeys. Hello, monkey. Okay, we’ve arrived at the free campsite
and we cannot believe it’s free. We got draft beer here. That’s crazy.
But we already bought beer. And then a soft cream machine. Might indulge in that later. [Music] When I last posted Hayato’s van on my Instagram, I had several requests for a van tour since it’s
so cool looking. So, here’s a quick one. Hayato runs his own business converting vans, and he
converted his van out of an old fire truck. So, he’s got all the lights, too, from the
old firet truck. So, these Oops, so bright. Got that really bright at night. Obviously, it’s
daytime, so you can’t tell. And then there’s lights on top, too. One right there.
That also is like a revolving light. So, for movie nights out in the wilderness,
this would be crazy. And on the inside, got a couple seats here with his
workspace. Got a hammock here, which I was uh chilling in last night.
And then big mattress too, and a TV. Bye-bye. See you. I stuck around the campsite
for a couple more days getting work done since there’s reception, they
have outlets, there’s a river nearby, and this is also when I hiked Kiso Kagatake,
which you can find in my last video. This campground and any other free
park up I’ve been to is painted in my Ultimate Van Life Japan map available
on my Patreon. Link in the description. For the last portion of my Nakasendo
adventure, I met up with my friend Stephen, a fellow van lifer who has also recently
started YouTube documenting his adventures. This section between Tsumago-Juku and Magome-Juku
is the most popular as we soon find out for very good reason. Yo, Stephen, what do you think about
this? This place is crazy. It is so beautiful. All these Edo style houses. It feels like probably the
most authentic one that I’ve been to so far. Yeah, personally, I think already we’ve been
here for 10 minutes and it’s already my favorite out of Narai-juku, Fukushima-Juku,
all the Jukus we visited in the past few days. [Music] [Music] Luckily, Steven is also into exploring the
lesser scene spots because before commencing our 8 km walk over to Magome, we snooped
around looking for cool nooks and crannies, eventually finding ourselves enveloped by
bamboo forest in a Tsumago Castle Ruins Park. [Music] [Music] Oh boy. I’ll be
right. 8 km. Are you ready? Let’s go. Try one. Uh, maybe wild kiwis. They’re probably
not very ripe, though. Take a bite, man. [Music] The walk is simply breathtaking. It’s everything
you imagine the Japanese countryside would be, and the experience is enhanced even further with the
historical significance of this route. Although only 8 km, we stopped countless times to take in
the sights and to take breaks as the temperatures were in the mid-30s. Steven was looking like
he had just gone for a swim fully clothed. Alright, we’re freaking starving, so we’re going
to get some soba and mochi. [Music] All right, we got our magomeuku
specialty, gohei mochi. Ooh. [Music] Basically just like rice
clumped together. That’s what mochi is, bro. But actually, you can see the
grains of rice in this one. Yeah, it’s not quite mochi-like. It’s not mochi mochi,
but it’s still good. [Music] We’re in Gifu. Finally, the adventure ends in the 43rd post town,
Magome. And I think I can speak for both Steven and I when I say it quickly became our favorite
out of all the post towns. Although we saw a lot of people on the trail and many in Magome as well,
it was pretty much empty by 5:00 p.m. [Music] There you have it, guys. Thank you so much for
watching. I hope you learned or saw something new that you haven’t yet seen from all the other
photos and videos on the Nakasendo out there. And a special thank you to my Patreon subscribers,
it’s a huge help in continuing my journey. And if you’ve been following along, you know that I
had a bit of visa issues and I had to go back to North America for over a month, but I’m finally
back in Japan and I can’t wait to get back on the road with this thing and see the parts of the
country I haven’t yet seen. And it’s now fall, my favorite season in Japan. So with
that, I’ll catch you next adventure.
Join me as I explore the Nakasendo, Japan’s historic Edo-period route connecting Kyoto and Tokyo. While towns like Magome-juku, Tsumago-juku, and Narai-juku are famous, many of the surrounding post towns remain hidden, relatively untouched, and rarely visited by tourists.
In this video, I take you off the beaten path around the Nakasendo trail to discover secret spots most travelers miss, all while living the van life in Japan. Expect quiet streets, beautiful nature, local culture, and the raw beauty of the Japanese countryside away from the crowds.
Whether you’re planning to hike the Nakasendo, travel Japan by van, or just love finding places off the tourist trail, this adventure shows you a side of Japan you probably haven’t seen before.
Hayato’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camera.hayato
Hayato’s Camper Van Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/campingcar.hayato
Stephen’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@StephenTench
Stephen’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevetench
🫶 Subscribe to my Patreon to support my journey! My Ultimate Van Life Japan Map is also available for sale here.
https://www.patreon.com/RyanBednar
📷 My Gear:
Video: Sony ZVE1 https://amzn.to/432R9TM
Photo: Sony A7iii https://amzn.to/3HwPaR4
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🎬Chapters:
0:00-0:36 Intro
0:37-3:15 Niekawa-juku
3:16-4:59 Abandoned Village
5:00-7:16 Kiso-Hiarasawa
7:17-9:34 Narai-juku
9:35-11:54 Tori Pass
11:55-14:18 Fukushima-juku
14:19-17:35 Atera Valley
17:36-19:58 Nezame no toko
19:59-22:54 Free campground
22:55-28:01 Tsumago-Magome Walk
28:02-28:43 Outro
▶️ Related keywords:
#nakasendo
#vanlifejapan
#vanlife
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#lifeinjapan
#livinginjapan
#cinematicvlog
#japantravelvlog
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⚠️ Disclaimer: The content shared on this channel, Ryan Bednar, is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. The creator, Ryan Bednar, documents personal experiences, thoughts, and travel adventures through Japan while living a minimalistic van life.
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Ryan Bednar
45 Comments
Exploring just "Kiso-Kaido" (the portion of the Nakasendo that runs through the Kiso valley) makes me wonder if there are any of the other 69 post towns that have remnants of the Edo period.. You know what would be cool? Walking the entire Nakasendo from Tokyo to Kyoto 🤔.
The scenery at the end of summer is beautiful 🤩
Ryan!!! Sublime content man ❤ you’re producing the best travel content on YouTube at the moment. Your production, storytelling and creative choices are top tier. I wish you the greatest of good karma and continued success. 🙌❤️😎🇯🇵
Wow I love your video. Where is the next?
So good to see you again… I missed the channel so much that this video almost feels like a fever dream. There's so many information and I am so shocked that how you show us abandon houses to back flip in river then your signature scenery walking…. Loved it…. Missed it…. And I am so damn satisfied to see you enjoying again…. All the very BEST!!! Tbh it feels so personal to see you back like I belonged here. Thank you for making me feel this much cozy. Also I got a question have you named your van? I can't remember if you did tho…. I would like to call her Mira-chan😂❤.
Happy you are baaaaack. 😊
Spectacular images…you always seem to be at the right place at the right time with all the artful skill of a photographer and his equipment. The Post station tour was beautiful and the weather ….invigorating ! Thanks for your enthusiasm!
毎回すばらしいですね
熊も怖いですが、秋はスズメバチも凶暴になります
もし襲われたとき用に、白い布を持っているとダメージを格段に減らせます(スズメバチは白いものをほとんど認識できないので、白い布を頭からかぶると刺されにくくなります)
廃屋にもよく巣を作るので、秋は気をつけてください
Heading here in November for the fall foliage. Definitely got to add another few things to the list to do
Love how you tell a bit of history about the place.
Amazing composition!
日本人なのに知らない場所や歴史に出会えるのが毎回楽しみです😊
これから紅葉の季節ですね🍁🍁🍁
くれぐれもケガには気をつけて、旅を続けてください。
did i hear some kansai-ben from your friend? 😏
This has become my literally favorite channel there past days. Basically you’re living the dream of mine, Ryan. Keep up the great work.
Nice timing for the rainy scenes! The summer vibe is intense and my weather is hot and humid before typhoon struck
I never thought chill and adventure could be in one video 😌A perfect pair with a Saturday morning coffee
Hayato has the right outlook on life! Must have been a blast going around with him. I remember stopping by that chaya on the Magome-Tsumago route having no clue what it was, is the caretaker still there? One of the coolest people I met during my trip, he was straight outta the Edo period. I also remember being mesmerized by the scenery, which was covered in snow at the time, but my partner kept walking like it was just another day in the park haha. Thanks for sharing another dope video!
The abandoned village was hauntingly beautiful. I loved the photos of the decaying cars
Wonderful to have another video. The Nakasendo looks like a slice of heaven. ❤
Great you’re back 🤗 Ryan! Thanks for taking us on a not often seen yet beautiful part of Nakasendo. The waterfalls are an 11 out of 10 😍! Correct me if I’m wrong but I thought the foot bath where you visited in Kiso Fukushima – aren’t you meant to remove the wooden cover whenever you want to use it and replace it back after using??!! I was just there in March and there was still snow but the covers were all in place on the foot bath as no one was using it so I thought it was meant to be removed, use, then replace back.
Isn’t that so 😂 ??!
Also walking the Nakasendo all the way from Tokyo to Kyoto – yessss please. I’ll be waiting for it ❤
Excellent man
Bro how much do you need to move to Japan and do what you are doing???
If you ever decide to make a book about your Japan adventures and find a publisher – or publish it yourself – I would definitely buy it.
The last time I was there was 30 years ago as a young traveller. It was very serene then. I was told that it was left behind in the post war development as there was not money or priority. Glad that predicament kept some old village traces from modernisation/destruction that the government had been driving in denial of the past.
We really enjoyed the video and know how much effort it takes to create something of this quality. It made us want to walk the Kiso Kaido and visit some of the post towns even more! 😉
Top tier video as always buddy, mad respect!
We crossed our ways today, in Hida's Family Mart 😀
私も８月に長野旅してきました、中山道の奈良井宿と福島宿を巡っり゙ましたょ〜😊残念ながら雨だったので『寝覚めの床』は川も濁って上から見る事しか出来なかったけど晴れた日の川岸風景はやはり美しいですね✨️ 水が美味しいから食べ物も最高でした。来年も夏に長野に行きます⛰️いつも美しい映像を、ありがとうございます😊
Another super video, Ryan. Each one of the towns looked so idilic. Japan looks so amazing through your lens. Love the drone shots of the rivers. The water so clean and clear. I need to research the abandoned Subaru in the abandoned village, Being a car person. and it is always fun to see all the Kai cars. Keep the adventure going :O)
Love your videos, as usual! So glad, you're back! 👏💯
You always have a cool, relaxed demeanor. More Japn countryside content, please. Good job, Ryan 👏 👏 👏
Thanks!
Enjoying watching your video. It’s really relaxing to see the rural areas of Japan and your voice, too, makes my mood calm and just at peace. I was amazingly watching your escapades with your friends and also the countryside views and then you said bye. What? It’s the end? I wanted to see more because it’s been a while since you went home to your country. But then tsugi ga tanoshimi. Looking forward! I know it’s not easy to make your videos but you seem to enjoy your works so, until the next one!😊 13:32
Must be so good to have this much fun man. Another great one Ryan, much awaited !
Man your thumbnails are always fire ! Would love to walk some of the Nakasendo someday soon
Great to see you back in Japan!
Such beautiful videos and pictures. Thanks for the great atmosphere in the video. I love all the spots you showed.
nice to see you back bruh, doing the Lord's work for country side… didn't know hail was a thing in Japan 😄 6:45
Hey Ryan! Thanks again for another great video. The picture at 3:13 with the torii gate and the light through the trees looked fantastic, just like all the other photos in the video. The colorgrading really makes it look alive. I also liked the abandoned village at 3:42, seeing abandoned places that are still like they were when people left and not vandalized is so cool. For all the places i'v e seen in real life that has not been the case, probably partly due to a difference in culture between Japan and Europe and partly because the only times I am in an abandoned place it's near busy areas. The lacquerware shop was interesting as well, it might be more expensive but I think the fact that it's made locally makes up for that. When I got back from my Japan trip I had quite a few souvenirs but most were made in China and that is fine, but it just doesn't feel the same as something made in the place you've visited. The drone shot at 7:06 was also stunning, low hanging clouds over mountains look so good! We had the same type of view this year on vacation and because we don't get that at home (no mountains or hills in the Netherlands) we took full advantage of it and went hiking in the rain. The houses at 12:32 and in the close-ups after that looked really unique, they remind me a bit of the aesthetic of Kowloon walled city in Hong Kong, with the way all different floors and buildings change in style. The pictures of the clouds at 13:42 looked really pretty as well. There is so much to like that i'm running out of unique ways to start a sentence so i'll just switch back to "I also liked" the water at 15:33 and the way the music comes on when you guys start jumping. Just the whole cliff jumping segment in its entirety was awesome. The pictures of Nezame no toko 18:33, stunning, again with the light and shadows. The van setup and tour was nice. And the Tsumago-Magome walk looked great too, also with the food. I'll wrap up here because it's becoming a ridiculously long comment. So once again thanks for the video and have a great day!
日本の美を美しく撮って下さりありがとうございます。
日本人自体は、日本の自然などは過小評価する傾向があります。美しい場所などみると、「日本じゃないみたい」なんて言い方をします。
過小評価のために、ぞんざいに扱うのか、ほぼ日本人登山者しかいな時の富士山なのゴミだらけでしたし、今も都市はゴミが落ちてなく綺麗だと言われますが、山林行けば家電やらタイヤやら（映像では廃車もありましたね）不法投棄などいくらでもあります。
最近では阿蘇や釧路湿原に太陽パネルが大規模に設置されたりしてます。自然を穢してます。
そんな連中に、ライアンさんの映像を見せて、「いかに美しいか」を気づかせてやりたいとこですが、まあ、そんな感性はないかもしれません。
Loved it! I like you put short clips of nature and rice fields and etc inbetween. Very much looking forward to your new episodes in Chugoku-area, I'm from Tottori😄
Thanks for the very informative and cool video!
Even though I’ve been to Nakasendo once, your video made me want to try it one more time, in a sunny day 😊 great summer vibe.
sometimes i wonder if i can l have a moment like this in life (btw great video keep it up :D)
Totally loved it❤
Love how you go off the beaten path as much as possible. Kiso valley is one of our faves!