Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama

Recommendation Single event

A 4-Day, 3-Night Journey Through the Forests, Rivers, and Towns of the Kiso River Basin, Tracing the Routes of People, Goods, Information, and Culture
This program focuses on the “journey home.” Combining local trains and walking, participants follow routes believed to have been actually walked by raftmen in the past, tracing the paths they took as they made their way back upstream.

We can flexibly arrange accommodation, meals, and activities according to your budget and group size.
We will be happy to propose a plan tailored to your preferences. Please feel free to contact us to discuss your needs.
About the Study Trail Tour
This is a study trail tour that involves approximately 5–10 km of walking during the course of a day.

◎ If you are not feeling well, please refrain from participating.
◎ If you have any pre-existing medical conditions, please consult your doctor before participating.
◎ Please bring your own drinks, hat, rain gear, and other personal necessities.
◎ Please wear comfortable clothing and suitable walking shoes.

Highlights of the Journey

  • Learn about the relationship between forests and rivers
  • A walking journey of approximately 34 kmWe walk at a relaxed pace of around 5–10 km per day, with one day of approximately 15 km.
  • A journey connecting Inuyama and Yaotsu
  • Local cuisine shaped by food culture, fermentation, river fish, historic roads, and river transport
  • Explore the history of transportation along the Kiso River
  • Insights and discussions with academic experts

After completing their dangerous work of guiding rafts down the Kiso River, the raftmen once walked dozens of kilometers on foot to return home.
This program follows their “journey home” for approximately 25 km, offering participants an opportunity to experience, through their own bodies, the sense of labor, time, and distance in the past.
Rather than simply walking, participants will learn along the way through commentary from guides, tracing the history of transportation on the Kiso River, the lives of local people, and the flow of commerce that developed along the river.
The program also introduces a **WEBAR-based town-walking system**, allowing participants to explore the same area independently at their own pace.
Through their smartphones, participants can walk through the present-day landscape while experiencing stories and scenes from the past overlaid on the places where they once existed. In this way, they can experience invisible layers of history on site.
The guided walk helps deepen their understanding, while the WEBAR experience allows them to continue exploring independently afterward.

Experience the same path from different perspectives — a new way to discover and experience the town.

Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 2
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 3
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 4
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 5
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 6
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 7
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 8
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 9
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 10
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 11
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 12
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 13
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 14
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 15
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 16
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 17
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 18
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 19
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 20
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 21
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 22
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 23
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 24
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 25
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 26
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 27
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 28
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 29
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 30
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 31
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 32
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 33
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 34
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 35
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 36
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 37
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 38
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 39
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 40
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 41
Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama - Image 42
Description / Itinerary Cancellation Policy

￥250,000～￥450,000

Accommodation and dining plans are available to choose from.

Meeting Point 鵜沼駅（JR高山本線） View on Google Map
Duration Day 1: 8 hours
Day 2: 9.5 hours
Day 3: 7.5 hours
Day 4: 4 hours
Age Requirements 小学生以上
Available Period 2026/11/12
Minimum Participants 2 participants
What's Included

Insurance, guide fees, and accommodation expenses

Study Trail – Day 1

Taxi fare to the accommodation and local cuisine experience fee

Study Trail – Day 2

Rafting Experience Fee
Lunch Fee (Café & Pizza Delta)

Taxi Fare: 🚕 Koyama Kannon → Marut Terasu Observation Deck at Maruyama Dam → Dining & Accommodation

Study Trail – Day 3

Lunch Fee (Ranrutei Nakae)
Admission Fee: Sengoku Yamashiro Museum
Taxi Fare:
🚕 Old Kurose Port → Kaneyama Dam (approximately 5 km by taxi)
🚕 Sengoku Yamashiro Museum → JR Mino-Ota Station (approximately 9 km by taxi)

Study Trail – Day 4

Experience fee (Urakuen Japanese Garden admission and tea ceremony experience)
Lunch
What's Not Included

Lunch on Day 1, drinks and other personal expenses, and transportation costs before check-in and after the tour ends

Study Trail – Day 1

Lunch (Please make your own arrangements at one of the restaurants around Ota-juku Nakasendo Kaikan.)
Restrictions Those who may have difficulty walking more than 3 km without a break
Payment Method After confirming your accommodation and registration, we will send you an invoice by email.

Please note that payment can only be made by bank transfer. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we are unable to accept credit cards, PayPay, or other electronic payment methods.
Payment Deadline For reservations made at least one month before the tour start date, full payment must be made to the bank account specified on the invoice no later than one month before the tour.

For reservations made less than one month before the tour start date, payment must be made within one week of the invoice being issued.

If payment is not received by the applicable deadline, the reservation will be automatically cancelled.
Contact C.I.T. Co., Ltd.
Categories: ,

Description

In the past, the Kiso River was an important route for transporting timber. Logs were assembled into large rafts and floated downstream along the river.

After completing their work, the raftmen did not simply travel back along the river. Instead, they crossed mountains and towns on foot, walking dozens of kilometers to return home.

This program focuses on this “journey home.” Combining local trains and walking, participants follow routes believed to have been used by raftmen at the time. Along the way, they encounter the landscapes of the Kiso River, traces of former post towns, and remnants of local life, gaining a physical sense of what travel and labor were like in the past.

This is more than a hike. It is a **journey back through time**, exploring history and local culture through the landscape itself. Moving between the convenience of modern transportation and the slower experience of traveling on foot, participants can experience the story of transportation along the Kiso River with their own bodies.

Itinerary

Study Trail – Day 1

Start at JR Unuma Station

Unuma Station (JR Takayama Main Line) [Google Map]
9：30

JR Unuma Station（JR Takayama Main Line） 🚻

JR Unuma Station → Nihon Rhine Unuma-no-Mori (approx. 1.6 km)

10：00

Nihon Rhine Unuma-no-Mori 🚻

🚶 Nihon Rhine Unuma-no-Mori → Nakasendo Utou Pass (approx. 1 km)

10：30

Nakasendo Utou Pass

🚶 Nakasendo Utou Pass → Iwaya Kannon-do (approx. 1.5 km)

11：00

Iwaya Kannon-do

🚶 Iwaya Kannon-do → Miyuki Park (approx. 1.8 km)

11：30

Miyuki Park 🚻

Restroom Break
🚶 Miyuki Park → Ota-juku Nakasendo Hall (approx. 3.4 km)

12：30

Ota-juku Nakasendo Hall 🚻🍱
Have lunch at the dining facility within the Ota-juku Nakasendo Kaikan or at a nearby restaurant (please pay for your own meal).

🍱 Lunch Break
🚶 Ota-juku Nakasendo Hall → Minokamo City Museum (🚖 by taxi, approx. 4 km)

14：30

Minokamo City Museum🚻🍱

【Fieldwork Theory Introduction】
Through lectures by academic experts, participants learn about the history, culture, food traditions, and industrial heritage of the middle Kiso River basin, while building a theoretical foundation for fieldwork. By exploring the area in person, participants deepen their understanding of the lecture content and develop a multifaceted perspective on the region's appeal and challenges.

15：30

Lifestyle Experience Hall (Mayu-no-ie) at the Minokamo City Museum

Local Cuisine Experience

17：30

Fairfield by Marriott Gifu Seiryu Satoyama Park🛌

【Overnight Stay in Minokamo City】
🛌 A new style of travel that hops between "Michi-no-Eki" roadside stations across Japan, uncovering the hidden charms of each region along the way

Study Trail – Day 2

Rafting & Lunch

Meet at River Port Park Minokamo
Rafting check-in begins at 8:30 a.m.

River Port Park Minokamo [Google Map]
8：30

Rafting Check-in Begins

Season: Approximately from Golden Week through November 3 each year

9：30

Boat Departure

11：30

Return by Shuttle Bus After Finishing the Rafting Trip

Shower & Change → Lunch [Café & Pizza Delta]

12：15

Lunch

Kiso River Midstream Dam Walk

River Port Park Minokamo [Google Map]
14：00

River Port Park Minokamo

🚶 River Port Park Minokamo → Imado Dam – Walking (approximately 1.5 km)

14：30

Imawatari Dam

🚶 Imawatari Dam → Hakoi no Shimizu – Walking (approximately 0.8 km)

14：45

Hakoi no Shimizu

🚶 Hakoi no Shimizu → Mishima Gozen Hanadate Cliff – Walking (approximately 0.9 km)

15：10

Oshima Gozen Hanatate Cliff

🚶 Oshima Gozen Hanatate Cliff → Koyama Kannon (approximately 0.9 km)

15：30

Koyama Kannon

Accommodation in Yaotsu

Please select your preferred accommodation and dining options from the Accommodation Options tab.
For accommodation, you can choose from Matsuya Ryokan or Tomariya Akane.
If you choose Matsuya Ryokan, you can select either Matsuya Ryokan or Japanese Restaurant Ikoi for your dining option.

解散後

Relax and enjoy your stay at your booked hotel.

Study Trail – Day 3

Explore Yaotsu – Kani City

Old Kurose Port [Google Map]
9：30

Old Kurose Port – Start the Guided Town Walk

🚶 Walk from Former Kurose Port to Honmachi-dori (approx. 1 km)
🚕 Taxi ride from Former Kurose Port to Maruyama Dam Observatory "Marutto Terrace" (approx. 4 km)

10：30

Tour of the Kurose-gumi Danjiri Storage Shed

You will view the "Kurose-gumi" *danjiri* (festival float) that graces the Yaotsu Festival and experience the festival culture and craftsmanship passed down through the local community.

11：30

Maruyama Dam

🚕 Taxi transfer: Maruyama Dam Observatory "Marutto Terrace" – Japanese Cuisine Ikoi (approx. 1.5 km)

12：00

Japanese Cuisine Ikoi [Lunch]

13：30

Stroll around the former Nishikiori Log Rafting Area and Sosuikyo Bridge

🚶 Walk from Former Nishikiori Tsunaba to Sosuikyo Bridge (approx. 0.3 km)
🚕 Taxi ride from Former Nishikiori Tsunaba to Kaneyama Dam (approx. 6.5 km)

15：30

Kaneyama Dam

🚕 Kaneyama Dam to Sengoku Mountain Castle Museum (approx. 1.5 km)
🚶 Stroll around the ruins of Mino Kaneyama Castle
🚕 Sengoku Mountain Castle Museum – Meitetsu Inuyama-Yūen Station

17:30

Strolling around the Inuyama Castle town area

Accommodation in Inuyama

Please relax at your hotel.

解散後

Relax and enjoy your stay at your booked hotel.

Study Trail – Day 4

Japanese Garden Urakuen – Garden Admission & Tea Ceremony Experience

Horibe Residence (272 Minami-koken, Inuyama, Aichi 484-0084, Japan)
10ː00

Start at Horibe Residence
[PLAN 01] Visit Horibe Residence / Review & Discussion
[PLAN 02] Visit Horibe Residence / Free Exploration of Inuyama Castle Town

🚶 Walk from the Accommodation to Horibe Residence(Approx. 2.5 km through Inuyama Castle Town)
◎ Visit Horibe Residence
Explore the historic residence of the Horibe family, a samurai family who served the successive lords of Inuyama Castle.

◎ **Review & Discussion**
Reflect on the journey and deepen your understanding by organizing and discussing the insights and lessons gained throughout the four-day, three-night experience.

◎ **Free Exploration of Inuyama Castle Town**
Explore the historic urban landscape of Inuyama Castle Town, shaped by the river transport network along the Kiso River. Discover how the movement of people, goods, and culture along the river contributed to the development of logistics, commerce, and local culture.

12ː00

Lunch at Goto Inuyama Castle Town

🚶 Walk from Horibe Residence to “Goto Inuyama Castle Town”(Approx. 0.5 km through Inuyama Castle Town)
Lunch will be reserved at Goto Inuyama Castle Town
659-2 Higashikoken, Inuyama, Aichi 484-0083, Japan.

For those joining the free exploration of Inuyama Castle Town, please meet at the restaurant by 12:00.

13：00頃

Urakuen Japanese Garden Admission & Tea Ceremony Experience

🚶 Walk from Horibe Residence to Urakuen Japanese Garden(Approx. 1 km through Inuyama Castle Town)

14：00頃

Cormorant fishing ends – Dismissal
*Presentation of certificates of completion (for training participants/those who requested them)

14：30頃

End of the tour at Inuyama-Yūen Station (Meitetsu)

ご予約のキャンセルや変更の場合は、分かり次第ご連絡ください。
キャンセル料金は以下の通りご請求させていただきますのでご了承ください。

  • イ　旅行開始日の前日から起算してさかのぼって20日目に当たる(日帰りの場合は8日目に当たる)日以降に解除する場合（ロからホまでに掲げる場合を除く）旅行代金の２０％
  • ロ　旅行開始日の前日から起算してさかのぼって七日目に当たる日以降に解除する場合（ハからホまでに掲げる場合を除く）旅行代金の3０％
  • ハ　旅行開始日の前日に解除する場合旅行代金の４０％
  • ニ　旅行開始日に解除する場合（ホに掲げる場合を除く）旅行代金の５０％
  • ホ　旅行開始後の解除又は無連絡不参加の場合旅行代金の１００％

docomo、au、softbankなど、各携帯会社のセキュリティ設定のため、ドメインメールが届きづらい設定がされています。 ユーザー受信拒否、迷惑メール対策等、ドメイン指定受信を設定されている場合も、メールが正しく届かないことがございますので 「@madaminusekaie.style」の 受信設定をお願いいたします。

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Be the first to review “Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama”

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Inquiry about this product

Please fill out the form below to inquire about Study Trail to Explore the Cycle of Life: From Yaotsu to Inuyama. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

Related products