Nakasendo Day 1/19: Kyoto to Kusatsu

For a long time, the Nakasendo was merely a long line on Japan's map, stretching between Tokyo and Kyoto, in other words, a distant dream. But after pushing myself further than I ever thought possible (even running a half-marathon to prepare), that dream is now our reality. For the next 19 days, we're trading the everyday for an epic journey on Japan's old highway. The road awaits, and we are ready to walk, eat, and breathe in every moment.

Trip summary

The cities we'll visit today are Kyoto, Otsu and Kusatsu.

Pre-trip days, and how we got to Kyoto

Our trip started from Brittany, France, to leave our dog with my mother-in-law (he grew up there for his first three months, so he won’t miss us too much).

We took the TGV from Brittany to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, and boarded an ANA flight to Tokyo's Haneda Airport, arriving two days before our Nakasendo trip began. Once at the airport in Japan, we packed our backpacks and sent our suitcases to my parents’ house and then booked our Shinkansen ticket to make our way to the Gran Ms Kyoto in Kyoto.

Note: We took a flight to Tokyo and then took the Shinkansen to Kyoto, as it was easier and faster for us. Depending on where you are flying from, you can also take a flight to airports in the Kansai area, such as Kansai International Airport (KIX).

The next day, we spent time at a shopping mall to purchase some last-minute hiking gear, including the lightweight, water-repellent trousers from Montbell that I had pre-ordered, and stocked up on snacks for the trail. Kyoto was full of people, but we enjoyed walking around, avoiding the main tourist attractions, and recovering from our jet lag before the big day.

The Journey Begins: Breakfast and Sanjo Ohashi in Kyoto

Before we set off on our hike, we discovered a fantastic breakfast spot. When I was living in Japan, I didn't go out for breakfast much, but this time we found a chain restaurant called Yayoi-ken (やよい軒) near our hotel. The opening time was perfect for us (it opens at 5 am), as we wanted to leave early. The quality of their breakfast was superb, and the price was incredibly reasonable, which was a massive plus for our budget. We hoped to find another Yayoi-ken on our route, but sadly, it wasn't to be.

9 am: After a hearty breakfast, we walked five minutes to Sanjo Ohashi (三条大橋), our official starting point.

This bridge, built in 1590, was once the western starting point of the Tokaido. We learned that the Tokaido and Nakasendo trails follow the same path until they split at Kusatsu. We were so busy taking in the historical significance that we missed the famous katana sword scars on the ornamental caps from the Ikedaya incident in 1864!

The birthplace of Ekiden

We also saw the Ekiden (駅伝発祥の地) birthplace statue. "Ekiden" is a long-distance relay, a national sport in Japan. The first Ekiden was an incredible 516km race from Sanjo Ohashi to Tokyo! The statue was placed in 2017 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first race, which took place in 1917.

Vehicle stones (車石)

9:36 am: As we walked, we noticed some fascinating "Stone routes" or "Vehicle stones" (車石) on the road. These grooved stones were designed for ox carriage wheels to move smoothly, preventing them from getting stuck in the mud. They were especially common between Kyoto and Otsu, where many carriages transported goods.

The charm of Otsu and local delicacies

10:44 am: As we entered Otsu (大津), we could see glimpses of Lake Biwa (琵琶湖) in the distance.

We'd been to Otsu before, but this time we followed the Nakasendo trail, which gave us a different perspective. We have previously written an article on Otsu, which you can read here.

11:48 am: One of our goals for this trip was to finally try Funazushi (鮒寿司), a traditional fermented delicacy from the area. We bought a packet from a shop called Sakamotoya and planned to enjoy it later at our hotel.

11:56 am: I also had a small mission of my own: to try local Japanese sweets. Being on the Nakasendo trail, we saw many shops selling sweets named after it. Since we were in Japan during the right season, we saw signs for Ichigo-daifuku (いちご大福), my favourite sweet, which is a strawberry wrapped in sweet bean paste and mochi. I was glad to be able to enjoy it on the first day!

We had those expertly crafted sweets from Kakurido(鶴里堂) while we were having a lunch break at a small park we found. There aren’t many places to rest along the way, so it’s better to plan in advance.

1:30 pm: After the lunch break, we found a great-looking liquor store. We don't usually drink alcohol while hiking, as it slows down recovery, but we wanted to pair the Funazushi with a local sake. The friendly couple who ran the shop, called “Kato Liquor store (加藤酒店),” helped us find a small bottle of “nigori-sake" (にごり酒) from Otsu, called "Konohen-ni-shite (湖の辺にして)". It had a lovely, gentle fizziness, which was an unexpected treat!

Seta-no-karahashi and arrival in Kusatsu

2:30 pm: The final leg of our hike took us to the famous Seta-no-karahashi (瀬田の唐橋), a large bridge spanning Lake Biwa. Like Sanjo Ohashi, it features stunning ornamental caps that make us feel like we are walking a truly historical path.

We decided to take a small break by Lake Biwa with another Ichigo daifuku and Sakura mochi (cherry blossom mochi) from Matsuda Tokiwado, the sweets shop we found on the way to Seta-no-Karahashi.

4:27 pm: After a few hours of walking through houses and in the middle of school kids going home, we reached our destination for the night, the Toyoko Inn in Minami Kusatsu. The room was small but clean and comfortable.

After a much-needed shower, we met a friend for dinner and later enjoyed our local sake and Funazushi in the hotel room. (We definitely will try to pair these again!) It was a long day, but with great weather and a fantastic start to our Nakasendo journey, we couldn't have asked for more.

Practical information for your trip

Where to Stay

• Kyoto: We stayed at the Hotel Gran Ms Kyoto at the start of the Nakasendo.

• Kusatsu: For our first night on the trail, we stayed at the Toyoko Inn Kusatsu in Minami Kusatsu.

How to Get to Japan (Flights)

Getting to the Airport by train (Europe & Japan)

• Shinkansen: You have two options for the Shinkansen:
  • Pre-book if you know when you’ll arrive (we weren’t sure, so we didn’t)
  • Buy on the day at the station. Either from the terminal (it has an English option) or by speaking to the staff.
  • Note: If you have large luggage, you will need to pre-book a seat with an oversized luggage area. Otherwise, you have to pay an extra fee as a penalty.

Closing words

Revisiting that first day on the trail reminds us of the simple joy of finally starting our journey. We found our rhythm, enjoying the scenery, the food, and the people we met along the way. 

If you're a subscriber, keep reading to access the track we used today and load it onto your personal device.

Our second day, which involved walking from Kusatsu to Echigawa (Kusatsu → Moriyama → Musa → Echigawa), was one of our longest. It was a day of quiet perseverance, where we learned more about the road and ourselves. There were moments we didn't expect, and people we won't forget. We'll share the full story in the next post.

If you have any questions or would like to see some early photos of Nakasendo, feel free to visit our Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook pages. We’re more than happy to answer any inquiries!