Nakasendo Way, Tokyo - Kyoto, Japan

[mick53]

Does anyone know of a good source of information (in English or readily translatable) on this ancient walk from Edo/Tokyo to Kyoto, (about 530km)?
We would want to walk it end to end on our own and not as a short guided commercial walk.
My wife and I have walked the entire 88 Temples Pilgrimage (for which there is a fantastic English website and guidebook) and would love to do another long walk in Japan.

 

[RNC]

Apologies. Can’t help you out on Edo/Tokyo guide.
However was wondering if you can advise English language website and guidebook for the 88 Temples Pilgrimage? (Have been looking for English self-guide info without success)
Thanking you in advance
RNC

Does anyone know of a good source of information (in English or readily translatable) on this ancient walk from Edo/Tokyo to Kyoto, (about 530km)?
We would want to walk it end to end on our own and not as a short guided commercial walk.
My wife and I have walked the entire 88 Temples Pilgrimage (for which there is a fantastic English website and guidebook) and would love to do another long walk in Japan.

 

[mick53]

Apologies. Can’t help you out on Edo/Tokyo guide.
However was wondering if you can advise English language website and guidebook for the 88 Temples Pilgrimage? (Have been looking for English self-guide info without success)
Thanking you in advance
RNC

 

[mick53]

For RNC and others looking for the 88 temples site.....

Pilgrimage on Shikoku Island

www.shikokuhenrotrail.com

If you send me your email I can provide more info ....

 

[mick53]

Also there us a whole thread on the 88 Temples on this Forum

 

[Bradypus]

@RNC The main English language guidebook for the 88 temple route on Shikoku is an excellent and genuinely pocket-sized small paperback which is mostly detailed maps. Difficult to buy outside of Japan as it does not seem to have international distributors. But it can be bought by mail. This website explains how: https://henro.co/route-guide-book/

There is also a very active Facebook group for the Shikoku pilgrimage. A great source of up-to-date advice including a number of local residents - both Japanese and expats. Well worth joining. https://www.facebook.com/groups/30817087712/

I walked the full 88 temple circuit within the past 18 months. If I can be of any help to you in your plans please feel free to send me a personal message.

 

[jl]

There is an English Cicerone Guide written by Kat Davis on the Kumano Kodo - not as long a path as the 88 Temples, but reasonably challenging from the look of it. There are several routes for this one, and the Tababe tourist office website has maps and a guide to several of them on their website. (I think that you can get a hard copy before beginning too). A friend and I are planning the Nakahechi and the Kohechi (a mountain trail reccomended for experienced hikers only) routes in October. We booked out accommodation through the Tanabe Tourist office. - http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/kumano-kodo/

For those who are not aware - this is a UNESCO world heritage path and is twinned with the Camino Frances. Proof of walking both routes can earn you a dual pilgrim pin.

 

[barnettstakeagiantstep]

Apologies. Can’t help you out on Edo/Tokyo guide.
However was wondering if you can advise English language website and guidebook for the 88 Temples Pilgrimage? (Have been looking for English self-guide info without success)
Thanking you in advance
RNC

My son in law did the 88 temple walk with no guide. You won’t believe how very beautiful the “passport” book and stamps are. Good luck and Yoi Camino!

 

[Bradypus]

A friend and I are planning the Nakahechi and the Kohechi (a mountain trail reccomended for experienced hikers only) routes in October.

I have walked both routes - the Kohechi in May this year. I agree completely. I did not find the Nakahechi too strenuous but the Kohechi is a very different matter. Constant ascents/descents of close to 1000m for three consecutive days. And some difficult surfaces. Not one for first-time long distance walkers.

 

[SFletcher]

Back to the original question on the Nakasendo - I walked the well - promoted section from Tsumago to Magome in 2015, about 4 hours walk. I have not found anything about the full distance from Tokyo to Kyoto apart from one blog whose author walked it in 2017. He said the walk is a major challenge to find resources (food and accommodation ) in the mountain areas. He also mentioned an app in Japanese only.

 

[jprogers]

In March this year I walked 2 short days on the Nakasendo way. My resources were from a friend plus looking at various guided site itineraries. I haad spent a week mainly in Kyoto but I had a couple of days to fill in before heading to Tokyo. I caught a train to Nagoya and then to nakatsugawa station. From nakatsugawa I walked up to magome (I had booked accomodation) which was about 4 hours and then I stayed overnight from there I walked down to tsumago and then caught a bus to the train
Station and back to Nagoya and on to Tokyo. I had planned this short walk before I got Japan and on a friend's advice sent my main luggage from Kyoto to Tokyo and took a very small pack for my walk. Luggage forwarding is very common in Japan and very cheap I think it was $12 AUD for the luggage to be sent from Kyoto to Tokyo. And at certain times of the year you can have your luggage forward from nakatsugawa station on to tsmago and just do it as a day walk. I will try and check my sources and I'm pretty sure somewhere there is a day-by-day blog of this walk from Kyoto. The information bureau at Nagatsugawa helped with directions and also the information bureau at tsumago had the bus timeetable to connect to the train. This part of the walk is the most popular it is very well signed but I cannot say about the other parts. I'm pretty sure there's a Blog somewhere in English about walking this and I need to check my resources. I will try and add a photo.

 

[jprogers]

Here is a link

Post Towns

www.nakasendoway.com