Kiso Valley · ShiojiriNo.754★★Open in map →

Kiso-Hirasawa Lacquerware Town

craftOff the trail — and worth it

A preserved townscape in the Kiso valley built for making lacquerware rather than for lodging travellers. Shopfronts line the old Nakasendo, and behind them stand the earthen storehouses where the lacquer is left to harden.

FromShiojiri Station
~25 minJR Chuo Line, direct from Shiojiri
Get off atKiso-Hirasawa Station (JR Chuo Line)
On foot
Kiso-Hirasawa Lacquerware Town

Directions ↗

The sweet spot

This is a nationally designated district, not an undiscovered one. What keeps it quiet is the itinerary. Kiso valley trips aim for the post town at Narai, one stop further on, and pass Hirasawa without getting off.

Where it is

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What to look for — in walking order

Kiso-Hirasawa main street663highland / CC BY 2.5

Kiso-Hirasawa Station forecourtthe southern end of the district, where the rail line meets the old highway
The former Nakasendo main streetshopfronts with projecting-beam upper storeys, running the length of the town
Nurigura lacquer storehousestwo-storey earthen stores set behind the houses on long, narrow plots
Kanzaimachi and the Suwa shrine quarterthe northern part of the designated area, away from the shop frontage

How to actually get there

Shiojiri Station → Kiso-Hirasawa Station (JR Chuo Line local, about 20-25 min, no transfer).
Kiso-Hirasawa Station → the old Nakasendo street (walk 2-3 min).
Walk north through the district, past the shopfronts and the lacquer storehouses, to the Suwa shrine end.
Optional: walk about ten minutes from the station to the Kiso Lacquerware Museum before the return train.

JR Chuo Line, direct from Shiojiri: Shiojiri Station →(JR Chuo Line, local train, about 20-25 min)→ Kiso-Hirasawa Station, with no transfer. Departures number around eleven a day in each direction, so fix the return before you set out.
Return from Kiso-Hirasawa Station: Ride the JR Chuo Line north to Shiojiri, where the Shinano limited express and the Matsumoto line connect. Evening services thin out sharply, so note the last northbound departure on the platform when you arrive.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

Kiso-Hirasawa stands on the right bank of the Narai river, on the Nakasendo where it threads the Kiso valley. The preservation district covers about 12.5 hectares, roughly 200 metres east to west and 850 metres north to south, so the whole town reads as one long street. Main houses face the road with projecting-beam upper storeys. Behind them, on deep and narrow plots, stand the nurigura: two-storey earthen storehouses built to hold the steady damp that lacquer needs while it hardens. Shop, workshop and home share a single lot. The town was shaped by a trade rather than by traffic.

How to enjoy it

Start at the station and walk north. The street takes about an hour at a browsing pace, longer once you step inside the shops. The Kiso Lacquerware Museum sits about ten minutes on foot from the station and is worth adding if you want the tools and the process before the finished work. Trains are infrequent, so pick the return first and let the walk fill the gap.

Background & history

Hirasawa grew on the Nakasendo as a production settlement rather than a post station, working lacquer and the timber of the surrounding forests. The trade carried the town through the Edo period and into the modern era, and the buildings on the street today span both. On 5 July 2006 the national government selected the district as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. It is also a component property of the Japan Heritage story of the Kiso Road.

Before you go

Cash: Walking the street costs nothing. The Kiso Lacquerware Museum charges admission, and workshop visits vary from shop to shop. Carry cash, since the businesses here are small and individually run.
Good to know: People work and live behind these shopfronts, so stay on the street and do not step into yards or workshops uninvited. Winter brings snow to the valley and the light goes early.
Another way: From Nagoya or Nakatsugawa, ride the JR Chuo Line north up the Kiso valley to Kiso-Hirasawa. From Matsumoto, change at Shiojiri.
After you get off: Leave Kiso-Hirasawa Station, cross to the old road and turn north. The preserved street begins two or three minutes on foot from the platform.