Experience Ukiyo-e World on Nakasendo Way Tour in Japan

If you travel to Japan, maybe you would like to experience many things such as taking part in a tea ceremony, visiting shrines and temples, eating Japanese sweets, seeing traditional scenery, and much more. If you take the Experience Ukiyo-e World on Nakasendo Way Tour, you can experience the world of ukiyo-e, which is popular all over the world. You can also experience the popular Nakasendo Way. Nakasendo has been in Japan since the Edo period. It has been popular since it was introduced a few years ago in Lonely Planet. You can have a special local experience of riding an e-Bike through the Ukiyo-e world of Nakasendo, where people still live.

Nakasendo Way

Nakasendo was one of the five roads of the Edo period (Samurai period). This road connected Tokyo (Edo) and Kyoto since 1601. Along the trail, there are many shukubamachi (post towns) which is where travelers would stay.

Nowadays, there are many places that still have the same townscape and environment as at the time. Recently popular tourist spots in Japan are very crowded, but on this tour you can visit less well-known, but equally as impressive and historic, places along Nakasendo.

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Ukiyo-e Floating World

Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese traditional painting. Ukiyo-e described the life of common people (especially during the Edo period) and included portraits of Kabuki actors and landscapes of famous scenery. It is said that there are many painters who are attracted by Ukiyo-e in the world, famously including Van Gogh and Claude Debussy.

Many famous Ukiyo-e painters were born in Japan including Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige. They painted the scenery of some of the places on these tours. Visitors can travel into the past of the Ukiyo-e period.

Tour concept

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Travel into the past

This tour includes many historical places along Nakasendo and Ukiyo-e. Visitors can experience the same scenery, air, townscape and nature as in the Edo period (Samurai period). Of course, there are places all over Japan where you can see traditional Japanese architecture and townscapes, but there are not so many places where you can walk along traditional roads, cycle on an e-Bike, or talk to local people.

Many kinds of Experience

The era of sightseeing just to see is over. Sightseeing in the future is to have an experience! On this tour, you can make traditional Japanese paper, pick fruit, and participate in tea ceremonies. What you can experience differs depending on the tour, and can be customized to order. This tour is designed for those who want to experience a lot of Japanese culture.
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Relationship with Residents

A local guide will accompany you on the tour. You can enjoy your travel experience more by receiving explanations of history and culture from your guide. Not only will you understand the history and culture from the guide’s description, but you can also talk to the local people as you cycle via e-Bike from one attractive location to the next. Through this communication with residents, you can experience the realities of countryside life in Japan, which cannot be appreciated with regular, superficial sightseeing.
The Best 16 Things To Do in Japan-Mainly Nakasendo Activities-
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Choose Tour Plan

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Tateshina Area Tour

Tateshina area is surrounded by three popular sightseeing spots in Nagano Prefecture: Suwa, Karuizawa and Ueda. This area is rich in nature and has a long history. You can enjoy Nakasendo and the world of Ukiyo-e in a half-day tour!
Booking & More Detail
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Shimosuwa Area Tour

Shimosuwa area features a restored and preserved Edo period townscape along the Nakasendo. Moreover, there is also the Suwa Grand Shrine which is of Shinto origin and is one of the oldest shrines in Japan. The tour plan will be released soon!
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Nagawa Area Tour

If you would like to experience Japanese traditional culture, we strongly recommend this tour that includes making Washi (Japanese traditional paper) and taking part in a Japanese tea ceremony. The tour plan will be released soon!

What is e-Bike?

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When someone hears “electric bicycle”, or “e-Bike”, the first image they imagine may be an electric motorcycle or scooter. However, they actually look a bit different from that common preconception, and are in fact a combination of a large-sized mountain bike or BMX with several electrical components including a motor, a battery, a controller and much more.

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An e-Bike makes your travel experience in Ukiyo-e World on Nakasendo more enjoyable.
Interact with local people a lot – everyone is interested in e-bikes and will want to talk to you!
e-Bikes have a motor that makes traveling for women, the elderly and children are more comfortable!
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Management / Contact

Shinshu-Tateshina Sightseeing Information Center: 1045 Hachigano, Ashida, Tateshina Kitasaku District, Nagano

Nagawa Town Tourism Association: 2424-19 Furumachi, Nagawa Town, Nagano

Shimosuwa Tourist Information Center: 5317 Hirosecho, Shimosuwa, Suwa District, Nagano

sksa@sas.janis.or.jp