Our Japanese Hiking Experience

14 October 2008

Driving in Japan on a bank holiday weekend is probably not the wisest idea. Of course we knew that beforehand, but after thoroughly considering all the pros and cons of train versus rental car, we still opted for the latter. We had anticipated there would be lots of traffic and had planned for a big time margin, but we certainly did not expect to be on the road for close to seven hours on our way back, for a route that should normally have taken us three and a half (and, as a consequence, we missed a friend’s party back home in Tokyo). Another reminder of just how densely populated this country is…

Anyways, although we usually really like using the ever-so-fast Shinkansen train, there was no other viable option than taking the car to see the beautiful Kiso valley in the mountains somewhat north-east of Nagoya (where we stayed the night before continuing to our destination). Getting there by public transport would not only have cost us twice as much as the rental car, but train an bus times to the area are really a bit awkward, so that we would probably not have been able to enjoy our leisurely hiking tour just as much.

Despite the hassle, the trip was definitely worth it. The Kiso valley offers some beautifully preserved villages originally dating back to the Japanese middle ages, and becoming prosperous during the Edo period (17th to mid-19th century). These former post towns are connected with a path along the Kiso river, now a hiking trail, which back in the days used to be part of a major travel and trade route between Kyoto (the former capital) and the increasingly important Edo (today’s Tokyo). I find the history of trade quite a fascinating subject, so this is one of the reasons the Kiso valley drew my attention, in addition to the fact that such picturesque villages are indeed a rare sight in Japan.

On Sunday the sky was not quite spotless, but the weather was fairly nice and the temperature just perfect for hiking, so of course we were by far not the only ones with this idea. The trail was well frequented, and even more so the shops and restaurants in the villages. But this is Japan – you don’t really expect to find a lonely spot (unless you travel to rural Hokkaido). The path was full but not congested though, and we actually really enjoyed our pleasant walk through the densely wooded hills, where trees were just starting to change their colours (I don’t even want to imagine the crowds that come to watch the autumn colours once they are in full "bloom"…).

Strolling through Tsumago and Magome, the two villages we visited, was really nice, too, and of course the trip would not have been complete without doing like the Japanese and try some of the local specialties, and buy different sweets to take back home. The valley is famous for its chestnut trees, and indeed you see fallen chestnuts all along the way (and hope not to be hit by one), so during the current season most of the sweets, from cookies to red-bean-roulades to ice cream, are based on chestnuts.

So what are our lessons learned from this trip? 1: to avoid taking the car on weekends whenever possible (we knew that before, but this was a confirmation!); 2: the Japanese characters for traffic jam (having seen them on so many road signs I have definitely memorized them); 3: a package of chestnut cookies can really make your day (they certainly sweetened up our long drive back home).

With all our weekend tours I have hardly had any time for any mentionable cooking lately (I’ve mainly been cooking simple every-day-food, prepared so quickly and spontaneously that I didn’t bother to measure the amounts and write them down). But there will be a new recipe next week, I promise!

Walking Along the Kiso Valley