{"id":40638,"date":"2018-10-24T08:00:25","date_gmt":"2018-10-23T23:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=40638"},"modified":"2021-05-25T18:39:07","modified_gmt":"2021-05-25T09:39:07","slug":"nakatsugawa-hiking-cycling-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/nakatsugawa-hiking-cycling-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"Enjoy Hiking to Naegi Castle Ruins and a Cycling Tour in Nakatsugawa"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sponsored by Nakatsugawa City.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Nakatsugawa<\/strong>\u00a0in Gifu<\/strong>\u00a0Prefecture<\/strong> is known for\u00a0<\/strong>the beautiful trail named “Nakasendo,”<\/strong>\u00a0with many historical sites which separated from each other by only a few kilometers. So, take a chance to discover what else Nakatsugawa has to offer, by hiking or by joining a cycling tour.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Naegi Castle Ruins \u82d7\u6728\u57ce\u8de1<\/h2>\n

\"On<\/p>\n

First hiking up to the Naegi Castle\u00a0ruins<\/strong>, which formed the administrative center of Naegi Domain and a feudal domain of the T\u014dyama clan <\/strong>in the past. It was also called Kasumigaj\u014d, a fog castle.\u00a0<\/strong>The site has been protected as a\u00a0National Historic Site<\/strong>\u00a0since 1981.<\/p>\n

\"Naegi<\/p>\n

The T\u014dyama clan included leaders of southeastern Mino Province since at least the 12th century. The castle was built in 1520s<\/strong>\u00a0by T\u014dyama Naokado<\/strong>, a lord of the famous Iwamura Castle<\/strong> and husband of Oda Nobunaga’s sister,\u00a0<\/strong>marking it as one of the most powerful lords of empire<\/strong> at that time. His daughter was adopted by Nobunaga and then married Takeda Katsuyori in order to repel plans of his opponent Takeda on Mino Province. After Iwamura Castle fell into Takeda’s hands, Nobunaga regarded Naegi Castle as the most important defense against Takeda clan.<\/p>\n

\"Naegi<\/p>\n

However, following the assassination of Nobunaga in 1583 during the Honn\u014d-ji incident, the castle fell into the hands of Mori Nagayoshi. Mori assigned Kawajiri Hidenaga as a squire while the T\u014dyama clan fled to Hamamatsu<\/strong>, where they served Tokugawa Ieyasu.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Former<\/p>\n

At the Sekigahara Battleship<\/strong> in 1600, Kawajiri sided with the pro-Toyotomi army under the command of Ishida Mitsunari, and was killed during the fight. Ieyasu sent T\u014dyama Tomomasa to take the castle. He was later confirmed as the new daimy\u014d<\/em>, a lord ruling over possessions of his ancestors, which marked the beginning of the Naegi Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate reign. The T\u014dyama clan stayed in the castle for twelve generations<\/strong> until the restoration of Meiji in 1868.<\/p>\n

\"Naegi<\/p>\n

The castle was abandoned and dismantled in 1871<\/strong>, including its furnishings and even its beams auctioned to help pay huge debt.<\/p>\n

Today, a\u00a0restoration of donjon<\/strong> allows visitors to admire Nakatsugawa City and Kiso River.<\/strong> You can also visit a museum<\/strong> below the Naegi Castle Ruins with various models showing the castle before its destruction. There is also an observatory to admire the view of Nakatsugawa city and the beautiful river. After hiking up the mountain, the view will give you the energy to go down to Nakatsugawa center. The hike to the ruins takes about 2.5 hours with 15km.<\/p>\n

Yumori Valley\u00a0\u5915\u68ee\u6e13\u8c37 and Tsukechi Gorge \u4ed8\u77e5\u5ce1<\/h2>\n

Getting to Yumori Valley<\/strong>\u00a0and Tsukechi Gorge<\/strong> requires you to rent a car or to go by taxi as it is located a few kilometers away from the Naegi Castle Ruins. Yet these are remote sites, all nature stays untouched and there is a walking path to admire the nature itself. Yumori Valley consists of five waterfalls<\/strong>, especially a walking to Ryujin Waterfall gives us a pleasant walk while observing the beauty of waterfalls.<\/p>\n

\"In<\/p>\n

Fudo Park<\/strong> is well arranged in terms of paths and the environments, yet a few minute walk provides us many waterfall views with natural surprises. Do not miss the Tsukechi Gorge<\/strong> as it is one of the highilights in this park, with its tranquil and rapid currents and sounds, which would take you deep into the nature.<\/p>\n

\"One<\/p>\n

\"In<\/p>\n

\"Hiking<\/p>\n

\"In<\/p>\n

Nagataki \u9577\u591a\u559c<\/h2>\n

Nagataki <\/strong>offers us true Japanese hospitality in a\u00a0sophisticated touch. At the entrance just a few steps from car park,\u00a0a host in traditional kimono<\/em><\/strong> will escort you into beautiful narrow alleys lined with plants and mosses.<\/p>\n

\"Agemiya<\/p>\n

Only lunch is available here without staying in a ryokan<\/em> then make the most time of\u00a0appreciating traditional architectures<\/strong> of the main dining room in the heart of a dark and humid vegetation. Have a nice view thanks to large windows<\/strong>\u00a0with\u00a0shoji <\/em><\/strong>sliding panels made with rice paper, which gives a beautiful kick to the surrounding light.<\/p>\n

\"Dining<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

\"Meal<\/p>\n

You can choose your among the different options\u00a0<\/b>to best suit your budget, whether your choice turns out to be a beautiful set of seafood,\u00a0sushi<\/em> and sashimi<\/em><\/strong>, or a more modest set, but moreover perfectly prepared with surprising taste nuances. D<\/strong>onburi,\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>which is a large bowl mixture of\u00a0 rice, in this case with braised chicken, scrambled eggs, broccoli and fresh tomatoes, was my choice. It is accompanied by some tsukemono\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>which are pickled vegetables, miso<\/em> soup<\/strong> and a delicious grape pudding<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Agemiya<\/p>\n

Nagataki also offers visitors several traditional private rooms\u00a0<\/strong>with\u00a0an unforgettable memory of a night in the vegetation\u00a0and surrounded by the soft smell of tatami<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Kashimo Meijiza \u52a0\u5b50\u6bcd\u660e\u6cbb\u5ea7<\/h2>\n

Kashimo Meijiza<\/strong> is a theatre built by local volunteers<\/strong>\u00a0in 1894, dedicated to\u00a0Ji-Kabuki<\/strong>, a type of\u00a0kabuki<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>show\u00a0performed by amateur actors which was quite popular at that time. Remarkably, it took almost 2 months with the help of 100 locals to take down a giant tree that used to be at the site of this theater. You can stop by the theatre while you’re taking a bike tour<\/strong>, it is an interesting step to have a small introduction on the Japanese art of\u00a0kabuki<\/em> theatre. Feel free to take a guided cycling tour<\/a>\u00a0as well to discover these areas at your own pace.<\/p>\n

\"Kabuki<\/p>\n

\"Kabuki<\/p>\n

\"Kabuki<\/p>\n

\"Kabuki<\/p>\n

\"Kabuki<\/p>\n

\"Cycling<\/p>\n

\"Cycling<\/p>\n

\"Near<\/p>\n

\"Near<\/p>\n

\"Near<\/p>\n