Japan

Have you enjoyed my four-part series following the Nagara River? The journey began in Gifu City, where I experienced the 1,300-year-old tradition of the Nagara River Cormorant Fishing (Following the Nagara River – Part 1). Next came a long-awaited ride on the Nagaragawa Railway, taking in the spectacular scenery along one of Japan’s most beautiful rivers (Part 2). From the railway’s northern terminus at Hokunō Station, I travelled to Itoshiro to visit Hakusan Chūkyo Shrine, before continuing the following day to Nagataki Hakusan Shrine to discover the rich history of the Hakusan faith (Part 3). Finally, the journey concluded with a stroll through the charming streets of Gujo Hachiman, the…

After enjoying the traditional cormorant fishing on the Nagara River in Gifu City (Following the Nagara River – Part 1), I finally fulfilled a long-held wish to travel on the scenic Nagaragawa Railway (Part 2). From Hokunō Station, I continued to the mountain village of Itoshiro, where I spent the night and visited Hakusan Nakai Shrine. The following day, I also visited Nagataki Hakusan Shrine, continuing my journey through the sacred landscape of Hakusan worship before arriving at the final destination of this series (Part3): the historic castle town of Gujo Hachiman. Following the Nagara River Part 1 – 4 Journey to Gujo Hachiman on the Nagaragawa Railway ‘Nagara’ Before…

After arriving at Hokunō Station, the northern terminus of the Nagaragawa Railway, we continued by car to the mountain village of Itoshiro. Although Itoshiro lies outside the Nagara River basin, it prospered as the gateway to the Mino Zendō, the historic pilgrimage route to Mount Hakusan. From here, our journey shifted from following the river to exploring the spiritual heritage of Mount Hakusan. Our first stop was Hakusan Nakai Shrine, set among peaceful rural landscapes. The following day, we visited Nagataki Hakusan Shrine. Exploring these two historic shrines revealed how deeply the culture and history of this region are connected to Mount Hakusan, one of Japan’s three sacred mountains. Journey…

In the previous instalment, I visited the Nagaragawa Cormorant Fishing, a tradition with a history spanning more than 1,300 years, and experienced the culture that has developed through the long relationship between the river and the people who live alongside it. For this journey, I decided to follow the course of the Nagara River. Starting with the cormorant fishing in Gifu City, I travelled upstream on the Nagaragawa Railway to its final stop, Hokuno Station, before continuing on to Itoshiro and Gujo Hachiman. In this second article of the series, I introduce the Nagaragawa Railway, which formed the backbone of the journey. The Nagaragawa Railway is a third-sector railway that…

I look forward to returning to Japan every year. During my stay in Nagoya in 2026, I decided to make a trip to neighbouring Gifu Prefecture after reading that the long-term future of the section of the Nagaragawa Railway between Gujo-Hachiman and Hokuno was under discussion. Like many rural railway lines across Japan, the Nagaragawa Railway faces an increasingly difficult operating environment. I realised that if I continued telling myself that I would travel on it “someday,” the opportunity might eventually disappear. With that thought in mind, I began planning a journey aboard Nagara, the railway’s sightseeing train, which I had wanted to experience for some time. Since I was…