Week-end with Lisa : Magome (Kiso Valley)

Nagoya on Saturday, and Kiso Valley on Sunday !
We took train and bus and finally arrived in the post town Magome... Absolutely amazing !

Alors en français, ça donne : la Vallée Kiso se faufile entre un paquet de montagnes, les Alpes. Dans les temps anciens (la période Edo, 17ème s - 1868), c'était une route commerçante qui reliait Kyoto à Tokyo. Elle était empruntée à pieds. Un certain nombre de villes relais ponctuaient le parcours et accueillaient les voyageurs.
Plusieurs de ces villages relais ont été préservés, au premier rang desquels Magome (on ne verra aps un seul câble électrique !).

C'était un véritable voyage dans le temps... surtout qu'au Japon, on est habitué au neuf, il y a très très peu de bâtiments anciens à l'exception de quelques temples par ci par là ou de quelques maisons à Kyoto, mais sinon ce n'est que cubes et pubs. Une vraie parenthèse avec le quotidien urbain :)

Here is a little sum up taken from : http://www.japan-guide.com

The Kiso Valley is located in Nagano Prefecture, and runs alongside the mountains of the Central Alps. An ancient 70 km trade route called the Kisoji was developed along the valley and served as a very important means of commerce in the area.

The Kisoji became even more important from the beginning of the Edo Period, when it was amalgamated with other routes in the formation of the 500 km long Nakasendo. The Nakasendo ("path through mountains") was one of the two means of transportation between Edo and Kyoto. It contrasted with the other principal transportation route of the time, the Tokaido, which ran along the sea shore.

Because of restrictions by the shogunate, travelers were almost always forced to make their trips on foot. As a result, "post towns" developed every few kilometers to provide travelers with places to rest, eat, and find nightly accommodation during their arduous journey.