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Located just a short distance from Tsumago post town and Nagiso station, the Kijishi-no-Sato neighbourhood of Nagiso town is one of the Kiso valley’s best hidden gems – perfect for a visit if you’re interested in learning more about traditional crafts, or are looking to pick up a unique memento to take home with you (also a perfect choice for when the weather’s taken a turn for the worse and you don’t particularly fancy a hike in the pouring rain!)
The tour includes a visit to a traditional woodworking workshop, as well as a laid-back stroll through this charming, picturesque mountain community. Fashion your own plate on a woodworker’s lathe; weave strips of fragrant cypress wood into delicate works of art; visit artisan workshops and see the masters at work.
This tour has half-day and full-day options.
more details below
Recommended seasons to visit:
Spring
・Quiet, relaxing activity away from crowds, even in the busier travel seasons.
Summer
・A great way to escape the summer heat.
Autumn
・Quiet, relaxing activity away from crowds, even in the busier travel seasons.
Winter
・A cozy indoor activity to enjoy next to a warm wood burning stove.
Tour Information:
- Starting at: Nagiso station, Tsumago, or Magome
Ending at: Nagiso station, Tsumago, or Magome
(see detailed travel info) - Time Estimate: Half-day tour: 3-4 hours, Full-day tour: 5-7 hours
Accommodation – where to stay:
The most convenient areas for this tour are: Nagiso (plentiful accommodation options) and Nakatsugawa/Magome, but Okuwa, Kiso-Fukushima, or anywhere in the Kiso valley is just fine.
You can find more detailed suggestions for accommodation in and around the Kiso area here.
Highlights of the Tour:
・A guided tour of one of the Kiso valley’s most impressive woodworking workshops.
・A chat with one of their artisans, who will be happy to discuss both their work, and life in rural Japan.
・A hands-on woodworking activity that’s approachable and entertaining for absolute beginners (including kids!), but still plenty of fun for experienced woodworkers.
・A completely unique memento to take home with you – your own hand-crafted wooden plate.
・The chance to get away from the hustle and bustle (and undeniable crowds) of Japanese tourism, and go somewhere 99% of tourists visiting the Nakasendo will never even hear of.
・(on the full-day version of this tour) the choice of: a relaxed stroll through the Kijishi-no-Sato neighbourhood and its picturesque mountainside surroundings, or a second hands-on activity making Hinokigasa (more details below)
Tour Options:
Half-Day Tour:
A Taste of Nagiso Woodworking
Our guiding fee: from ¥46,000
Additional fees: ¥5,500 per person
The half-day version of this tour consists of a guided tour of one of the valley’s best woodworking workshops, along with a hands-on activity where you’ll make use of traditional lathing tools and techniques to finish your own unique wooden plate.
While it can be enjoyed by itself as a half-day tour, we’ve found that our customers really enjoy when this tour is combined with another local half-day tour to make a single full-day tour. You can find some suggestions for this below.
・Roughly 3 hours total (1-2 hours for the workshop visit + hands-on activity, plus 1-2 hours for travel, lunch, and seeing the rest of the woodworker’s village)
Full-Day Tour:
A Full Day in the Woodworker’s Village
Our guiding fee: from ¥46,000
Additional fees: ¥5,500 per person
The full-day version of this tour focuses exclusively on the Kijishi-no-Sato neighbourhood. In addition to the guided workshop tour and hands-on lathing activity, we’ll ask you to choose one of the following options:
(1) A second hands-on activity nearby, where we’ll learn traditional local weaving techniques used to make Hinokigasa – conical hats made of thin strips of hinoki cypress wood. (additional fees required)
(2) A relaxed stroll through the Kijishi-no-Sato neighbourhood and its picturesque mountainside surroundings.
We’ll also have time for lunch at a local restaurant, and optional visits to one or two other local woodworking shops for those interested in shopping around for their perfect 100% locally made souvenir.
・Roughly 5-6 hours total (1-2 hours for the workshop visit + hands-on activity, 1-2 hours for the second activity, plus 1-2 hours for travel, lunch, and seeing the rest of the woodworker’s village)
Combined Full-Day Tour:
Nagiso Woodworking
&
Natural Indigo Dyeing Tour
Our guiding fee: from ¥46,000
Additional fees:
・Woodworking: ¥5,500 per person
・Indigo Dyeing: ¥3,500-¥7,000 per person
This option combines the shorter version of the woodworking activity above with the chance to try your hand at traditional indigo dyeing.
After an introduction to the history and techniques of indigo dyeing from a friendly, knowledgeable expert, you’ll get stuck in dyeing something of your own to take home with you.
・Roughly 5-6 hours total
Combined Full-Day Tour:
Nagiso Woodworking
&
Kakizore Gorge Walking Tour
Our guiding fee: from 46,000
Additional fees:
・Woodworking: ¥5,500 per person
This option combines the shorter version of the indigo dyeing activity above with a visit to the secluded Kakizore gorge.
Not too steep, and not overly long, this walking route nevertheless boasts both stunning waterfalls and serene pools of crystal-clear water straight from the mountains.
・Roughly 5-7 hours total
Combined Full-Day Tour:
Winter only
(December-March)
Nagiso Woodworking
&
Washi Paper-Making
Our guiding fee: from ¥46,000
Additional fees:
・Woodworking: ¥5,500 per person
・Paper-making: ¥3,000 per person
This option combines the shorter version of the woodworking activity above with a visit to Nagiso’s traditional, volunteer-run washi paper-making workshop, as well as the chance to make your own Japanese washi paper completely by hand (which you can take it home with you when you’re finished)
・Roughly 5-6 hours total (2.5-3 hours for the shorter woodworking activity, plus 3 hours for the paper-making activity)
Combined Full-Day Tour:
Nagiso Woodworking
&
Traditional Soba-Making
Our guiding fee: from 46,000
Additional fees:
・Woodworking: ¥5,500 per person
・Soba-making: from ¥1,500 per person
This option combines the shorter version of the woodworking activity above with a fun, guided lesson making soba noodles the old-fashioned way, before getting stuck in once again with your chopsticks and enjoying the results of all your hard work.
・Roughly 5-6 hours total (2.5-3 hours for the shorter woodworking activity, plus 2.5-3 hours for the soba-making activity (and lunch!))
The half-day version of this tour can be combined with a variety of other half-day tours, including ones that are not listed here—feel free to check our other Walking Tours and Cultural Experience Tours.
Pricing:
Full-day Course:
1-2 people: ¥46,000
3-6 people: ¥50,000
7+ people: ¥55,000
+¥5,500 yen person for the hands-on workshop itself
or: +¥500 per person for those just visiting the workshop
Half-day Course:
1-2 people: ¥36,000
3-6 people: ¥40,000
7+ people: ¥45,000
+¥5,500 yen person for the hands-on workshop itself
or: +¥500 per person for those just visiting the workshop
- Bringing your hand-made souvenir home with you:
You can take your finished wooden plate home with you on the day and apply the oil finish yourself (we’ll make sure to tell you how).
However, if you’d like them to finish it for you professionally then this will take a few days. When they’re done they can send it to you (domestically or internationally), but this will cost a little extra (price dependent on shipping destination).
- The above fees don’t include any of your travel costs, museum entrance fees, or any meals you may buy on the day.
- Payment is required upon confirmation of your reservation. If you decide to cancel your reservation at a later date, refunds will be determined in line with our cancellation policy.
*Please note that 100% of these fees for the workshop visit and hands-on experience above go to the craftsperson (to pay for their time, necessary materials, etc.). We never receive any money from any of the craftspeople or businesses we work with. We want these tours to be sustainable—both for us and for the local area—so we don’t believe in taking any money away from the local people who make these experience tours possible.
Recommended Follow-up Tours:
Many of our customers string together several of our day tours for a guided multi-day trip along the Kiso valley. We’d generally recommend 3-5 days to get the most out of the area.
Any of our tours are easily accessible from either Magome or Tsumago, but we think the following are especially good for a follow-up tour (or for a tour the day before this one):
Nakatsugawa to Magome
(Full Day)
Perfect for anyone staying in Nakatsugawa or Magome, this tour takes you through city, suburb, farming hamlets, and bamboo forests on our way to the historical town of Magome. A sake tasting sessions and a visit to a traditional Japanese sweet shop in Nakatsugawa post town can also be easily arranged as part of the tour.
Kakizore Gorge Walking Tour
(Full Day)
Hidden away in the mountains between Nagiso town and Okuwa village, the Kakizore gorge is a perfect option for anyone looking for a follow-up to the Magome-Tsumago tour. Not too steep, and not overly long, this route nevertheless boasts both stunning waterfalls and serene pools of crystal-clear water straight from the mountains.
Akasawa Forest Relaxation Tour
(Full Day)
This, more so than any of our other tours, is a chance to relax and take a well-earned rest. Alongside a qualified forest therapy instructor, we’ll take a laid-back stroll through this peaceful forest, as well as learn all about its history, its culture, and its deep connections to Japanese religion and spirituality.
Travel Information:
This tour can easily be done as a day trip from Nagoya or Matsumoto. Guests travelling from Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, etc. can make it work in a single day, but we’d generally recommend staying overnight somewhere in the Kiso area before and/or after the tour.
Where the tour starts:
This tour can start at Nagiso station (on the JR Chuo line).
Alternatively, we can start the tour in Magome or Tsumago.
Our advice on getting to these spots
Where the tour finishes:
The tour finishes back at Nagiso station. Alternatively, we can finish at Magome or Tsumago,.
You can find Google Maps information for Nakatsugawa station, Magome, and Tsumago below.
Extra Information:
Recommended places to stay:
You can find suggestions for accommodation in the Kiso area here. Convenient spots for this tour include: Nakatsugawa, Magome, Tsumago, and Nagiso.
Cancellation policy & other info:
Please see our full cancellation policy, as well as other information, here.
How to get your luggage around:
You can find information on local luggage transportation companies here.
Travel insurance:
Please note that we do not provide travel insurance – we recommend you purchase your own.
Uncharted Nakasendo 