PagesExperiences: Your journey begins in Kiso Valley. Walk the streets of Narai where the scent of cedar transports you to feudal times, shape cypress wood with master craftspeople, and let your mind be healed by the power of nature.

VillaAccommodation: BYAKU Narai

Directions_RailwayTransportation: Azusa Limited Express (Shinjuku to Shiojiri), Private Car (Shiojiri to BYAKU Narai)

PagesExperiences: Wake up to fresh mountain air and journey the old Hida Road with a private guide. Walk from Karasawa Falls through snow-covered landscapes in winter, enjoy local delicacies, then unwind in a serene onsen retreat.

VillaAccommodation: Tsutaya Tokinoyado Kazari

Directions_RailwayTransportation: Private Car (BYAKU Narai to Tsutaya Tokinoyado Kazari)

PagesExperiences: After a refined breakfast of seasonal dishes, travel by private car to Shirakawa-go, exploring its historic thatched-roof houses with a local guide before arriving at a traditional Japanese inn for the evening.

VillaAccommodation:  Hida Furukawa Yatsusankan

Directions_RailwayTransportation: Private Car (Tsutaya Tokinoyado Kazari to Hida Furukawa Yatsusankan)

Enjoy a private guided tour of Narai-juku, whose townscape has been designated as a National Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Stroll through its historic streets lined with traditional houses dating back to the Edo Period (1603-1868) as well as its unique defensive roads from the time of samurai, and immerse yourself in centuries of Japanese craftsmanship and heritage. For lunch, you may dine at a local restaurant or eat on the go with your guide, savoring authentic Kiso culture at your own pace.

Touch the living traditions of Kiso at historic workshops where the offerings of Nagano’s nature are transformed into beautiful, practical art. First, you’ll tour a centuries-old earthen storehouse where the Ito Kanji Shop continues its lacquer artistry, polishing layers of vivid colors and timeless elegance into everyday utensils. Then, at Maruyoshi Kosaka, you will dive into the world of Kiso cypress, learning about its varieties and properties. Finally, you will put all that knowledge to work, bending and shaping thin strips of wood into a traditional “hegi” board, your one-of-a-kind memento of the time spent in this corner of Nagano Prefecture.

Quietly nestled among the timeless alleyways of Narai-juku, BYAKU Narai was awarded one Michelin Key in the MICHELIN Guide 2024 and 2025, offering a refined retreat for travelers seeking the heights of serenity. Made up of refurbished historic buildings, the inn blends tradition with refined hospitality in unforgettable settings. Prepare yourself for a fine dining experience at KURA, a reborn sake brewery offering elevated local cuisine and impeccable sake pairings that celebrate Narai-juku’s seasons, culture, and natural bounty.

Breakfast at BYAKU Narai is a tranquil feast that relaxes you before a day of exciting experiences. Each dish is served in traditional Kiso lacquerware, celebrating both local craftsmanship and the bounty of the mountains. Homemade side dishes, pickled vegetables, rich miso soup, and fragrant rice cooked in earthen pots all come together to become Kiso on a plate. At BYAKU Narai, the morning meal is elevated beyond mere sustenance into an encounter with the land.

The path through the Jizo Toge Pass starts at Karasawa Falls, then moves gently towards panoramic views of Mt. Ontake before descending past moss-covered stone Buddhas and pastures where Kiso horses graze. In winter, you can strap on snowshoes and enjoy a meditative private trek through serene snowscapes. At the end of your journey, reward yourself with a visit to Nakanishiya and a lunch of handmade soba noodles and salted yellowtail, once revered as a sacred fish used in local celebrations and today available as a secret menu item.

At Tsutaya Tokinoyado Kazari, luxury harmonizes seamlessly with the Kiso mountains. Each suite blends Japanese aesthetics and Western comfort, with private terrace rooms featuring tent saunas, cold spring baths, and open-air hot-spring baths with views of Mt. Ontake. All rooms also enjoy the gleam of the peaks in the distance by day, and stars scattered across your own private portion of the sky by night. The vistas offer unrivaled backgrounds to kaiseki meals showcasing local ingredients and mountain flavors in an elegant, sophisticated setting.

As dawn paints Mt. Ontake in golden hues, the breakfast at Tsutaya Tokinoyado Kazari becomes a royal celebration of local and seasonal delights. In the dining room or on private terraces warmed by cypress fixtures, guests savor Hida Takayama’s highland soba noodles. Gently steeped in a fragrant broth and accompanied by silky-smooth tofu, mountain vegetables, rich Japanese omelets cooked before your eyes, and homemade blueberry jam, the morning meal at this inn is culinary perfection.

Step into the ancient tranquility of the Shirakawa-go World Heritage Site. This mountain village nestled in the heart of nature is famous for its distinctive steep-roof houses rising towards the sky like thatched temples. On this private tour, an expert guide reveals the secrets behind centuries of craftsmanship woven into every strand of reed and straw meant to protect the houses from heavy snowfall. This is rural Japan at its purest: beautiful and embodying the power of the human spirit against the elements.

The Yatsusankan inn in Hida Furukawa delivers 180 years of hospitality traditions. Within tatami straw-mat corridors enveloped by natural wood and soft light, antique-art interior design and kaiseki cuisine create an atmosphere of pure relaxation. A private open-air bath overlooking the inn garden and a guided tour of the historic Watanabe Sake Brewery add to the charm of Yatsusankan, which invites travelers to a world of luxurious harmony, local craftsmanship and flavors, and the timeless beauty of Japan.