Overnight Getaway To Rural Ena | japan-guide.com

Overnight Getaway To Rural Ena | japan-guide.com

Japan is known for its plethora of  must-see destinations – many of them   in large cities. But whether you’re  looking for that off-the-beaten-track   experience or just want a break from the concrete,   some time in the Japanese countryside is always  a worthy addition to any travel itinerary.

Located in the southeastern part of Gifu  Prefecture within easy reach of the famous   Nakasendo hiking trail, the city of Ena  is an underseen rural gem in attractive   natural surroundings, with a peaceful  atmosphere and plenty to see and do. In this video, we’ll spend two days  exploring the area and check out  

Some of its highlights – from its historic  castle town to the spectacular Ena Gorge. Here’s the plan… on day one, we’ll take the  charming Akechi Railway to the old castle town   of Iwamura for a look around, before exploring a  nearby castle ruin with a fascinating backstory.  

From there, we’ll make our way to a local inn  where we’ll enjoy some traditional cuisine   and stay the night. On day two,we’ll visit a very  special guesthouse used by the Meiji Emperor, and   then the Hiroshige Museum of Art, Ena. Finally,  we’ll end our visit with a boat ride in Ena Gorge.

I’m Matt Evans, join me on  a two-day visit to Ena City. Our trip begins with a ride on the Akechi Railway   a private line connecting the  rural towns of Akechi and Ena. Extending just over 25 kilometers and  eleven stops through peaceful countryside,   it’s a tiny railway with a lot of character.

A relaxing ride along the Akechi Railway brings  us to the little historic town of Iwamura. Once the home of a formidable mountain castle,  in peacetime it became a popular rest stop   on one of Japan’s most important  historic highways, the Nakasendo.

Iwamura may have gone through many changes in its  long history, but there are still see signs of the   castle town it once was, from its old waterway, to  little plazas where soldiers would have gathered. You can still also see signs of feudal  Japan’s rigid class distinction,  

With samurai residences on the north side of  the river, and merchant houses to the south. A popular snack here is Gohei mochi, a sticky rice   cake coated in a sweet and savory mix  of miso, soy sauce and walnut sauce.

We round off our time in the town with  a visit to the Iwamura Jozo Brewery. Founded in 1787 and run to  this day by the same family. Leaving the town behind, we make our  way along a steep trail to the ruins  

Of Iwamura Castle. But first, we make a stop  at the Iwamura History Museum. On display we   find some impressive weapons and armor,  as well as a host of preserved documents. At a lofty 717 meters above sea level, Iwamura  Castle was one of the highest ever to be built in  

Japan and often hidden by thick mist, earning  it the nickname Kirigajo, or mist castle.  Despite its formidable defenses, the  castle was bitterly contested during   Japan’s era of warring states and changed hands  several times in a series of bloody sieges. The castle itself may have been  demolished long ago, but looking at  

These impressive stone foundations it’s easy to  imagine what a fearsome place it must have been.   Visitors today can explore what remains and enjoy  some wonderful views of the surrounding landscape. After our time in Iwamura, we retrace  our steps back to Ena Station.

From here, it’s just a short walk  to our accommodation for the night. In the centuries before trains  and today’s mass transit system,   the majority of travel was done on  foot, via a handful of paved roads. Of these, one of the most  important was the Nakasendo,  

Connecting the old capital of  Kyoto with Edo, today Tokyo. Located in one of the oldest parts of town, the  Ichikawa Ryokan can trace its history back over   400 years, when Ena was one of 69 post towns  breaking up that long and difficult journey.

A stay at a traditional inn like this  one is the perfect way to wind down   after a busy day of exploring in the Japanese  countryside. I’ve already tried out the baths,   and now it’s time for our evening meal. I’m about to enjoy this beautiful Kaiseki banquet.  

Everything you see here in front of  me comes from within Gifu Prefecture,   from the Hida of beef shabu shabu to  all the various vegetable ingredients. We begin our second day with a visit to  another beautifully preserved historic   building just a few steps from our ryokan  – the Oi-juku Emperor Meiji Anzaisho.

One of the most fascinating things about  historic highways like the Nakasendo is   that even in times of strict class  division, people of all kinds would   have used them – from humble peasants to  samurai, and even the highest ranking nobles. For most of its history, this was the  biggest and grandest lodging in town.  

Now lovingly restored and open to the public,  it’s best known for one very special visitor… This beautifully furnished tatami  room behind me is where the Meiji   Emperor stayed for just one night during  a progress along the Nakasendo in 1898.

It’s been kept almost exactly as it was on  that night, and include a number of items,   witch becouse they where used by the  emperor, can never be used again. Just a short walk from the  Oi-juku Emperor Meiji Anzaisho,   our next visit is to the  Hiroshige Museum of Art, Ena

To look at some beautiful woodblock prints  and learn about life in a feudal post town. Always in search of new land and townscapes,   Hiroshige was a regular  traveler on Japan’s highways. Along the way, he recorded his impressions of  the landmarks, views and post towns he passed,

Ultimately establishing himself as one of  the greatest woodblock artists of his time. This is one of Hiroshige’s prints from  around 1836-1838 and actually shows a   group of travels making their  way to what is today Ena City. Snow is strongly emphasized as the area  was known for heavy snows in winter,  

And in the distance we can see the Kiso Mountains. We round off our visit to the museum  with a simple block printing activity,   creating a small print, using pretty much  the same technique used in Hiroshige’s day.

From the Hiroshige Museum of Art, Ena we jump on  a local bus for a 15-minute ride to Ena Gorge. Close to the midpoint of the Kiso River  that flows through Ena and its neighboring   city of Nakatsugawa, the Ena Gorge is  a large and very scenic body of water,  

Known for its cherry blossom in spring, lush  green forest in summer and fall leaves in autumn. From the pier, we set off on  a relaxing 30 minute cruise of   the gorge, passing leafy scenery  and interesting rock formations.

And that’s our two-day trip to Ena, thanks  for joining me. I hope you enjoyed this video,   and perhaps even have some new  ideas for your next visit to Japan. For more information about this  trip or to watch another video,   click the links on the screen now,  or head over to japan-guide.com,  

Your comprehensive, up-to-date, travel  guide first-hand from Japan. Thanks for   watching, be sure to subscribe and click the  notification bell for more videos about Japan. Happy travels.

Learn more about Ena: https://www.japan-guide.com/ad/ena/

In this video we will go on a two-day trip to Ena, a rural gem on the historic Nakasendo highway, and check out some of its unique highlights: from a historic castle town to the spectacular Ena Gorge.

– Chapters –
0:00 Introduction
01:37 Ena Station – Travel to Iwamura
02:12 Iwamura Town
02:55 Gohei mochi
04:10 Iwamura Historical Museum
04:34 Iwamura Castle Ruins
05:50 Travel back to ena
06:20 Ichikawa Ryokan
07:33 Day 2
07:45 Oi-Juku Emperor Meiji Anzaisho
08:37 Hiroshige Museum of Art, Ena
10:10 Ena gorge
11:15 Outro

– Video Credits –
Host & Narrator: Matt Evans
Videographer: Thomas Roennlund
Producers: Stefan Schauwecker

For more information about Japan:
https://www.japan-guide.com/

Any questions regarding your future trip to Japan? Feel free to ask a question in our question forum:
https://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quedisplay.html