Nakasendo Guidebook

Really Rural Japan have written the ultimate guidebook to the Nakasendo. It includes history, maps, directions, photos, travel advice, and more. You can buy a PDF from the website, or a physical copy on Amazon or in person in the Kiso Valley.

Tsumago Nakasendo Nagiso Kiso Japan Countryside

Nakasendo Guidebook

Calligraphy Nakasendo Nakatsugawa Ochiai Temple Japan Kiso

Autumn in the Southern Alps (Ina Valley)

Kozenji Temple, Komagane City (Ina Valley)

Atera Gorge, Okuawa Village (Kiso Valley)

A view of a tree with orange persimmons hanging from its branches against a clear blue sky. The background shows distant mountains and green forested hills.

Sanno-Ike Lake, Mount Ontake (Kiso Area)

Nezame-no-toko, Agematsu Town (Kiso Valley)

A young child with red hair wearing blue denim overalls, a pink shirt, and colorful rain boots standing on grass overlooking a landscape of mountains and valleys under a cloudy sky.

A narrow stone path through a dense forest of tall trees with green foliage, some rocks with moss along the edges, and a small signboard in the background.

Multiday Tours

Nakasendo Self Guided Tours

Nakasendo Semi Guided Tours

Day Tours

sign post tateba tea house ichikokutochi sakura spring nagiso Nakasendo kiso valley ina nagano Shinshu river minami travel hiking walking Japan rural countryside ontake tsumago magome trekking history edo period shukuba post town daimyo samurai

Nakasendo Hiking Tours

Ina Valley hiking tours hirugami onsen seinaiji kaido japan countryside rural mountains nagano

Ina Valley Tours

Kiso Valley Tours

Izu Self Guided Tours

Straw Warazaiku wara shokunin master craftsman traditional craft nagano iijima tsumago magome trekking history edo period hike walk trek local guide

Who We Are

Welcome to Really Rural Japan. We are a locally-based, eco-tour operator in the Kiso Valley and Ina Valley of southern Nagano. I am the founder Mike, I specialize in hiking, nature, history, and rural life in the mountains of central Japan. I am also currently the only foreign master craftsman of wara-zaiku, a traditional Japanese craft that makes items out of rice straw. I love the Japanese countryside and want to share with you this beautiful place that I am lucky enough to call home.

Really Rural Japan are a licensed travel agency based in Nagiso Town of the Kiso Valley. We know the Nakasendo so well, we even wrote a book about it. We caught the writing bug and are currently writing more travel and hiking books to help you discover rural Japan.

Why Choose Us?

Local Business

We proudly live and operate our tours from Nagiso Town of the Kiso Valley, Nagano Prefecture. We guide tours ourselves and only ever hire local guides. Most companies running tours in rural Japan or the Nakasendo are registered in other countries and none are based in the Kiso Valley. We truly believe in revitalising the Japanese countryside that we love so much, and to us, that means living there too.
Private Tours

We are strong believers in micro-tourism. That is why our tours are always exclusive and private. From our self guided tours to guided hikes. And with us nothing is ever pre-booked. That is a promise. There is a worrying trend of some companies block-booking all of the rooms in small inns and monopolising the Japanese countryside. We do not and will not do that. With us everything is custom booked just for you.
Customizable

As nothing is pre-booked, everything we do is extremely flexible and can be designed to match your needs, dates, fitness levels, interests, etc. You won’t be on a tourism conveyer belt doing the same thing as everybody else. We will get you deeply immersed in the Japanese countryside. Staying in tiny local inns that you couldn’t find without us, or experiencing traditions with a local guide. We pride ourselves on going deep.