Way of the rising dragon
Discovering traditional Japan along the Shoryudo route
Industrial towns, rolling green hills, skyscrapers, Mount Fuji — the scenery shifted as I gazed outside the chartered bus that sped from one prefecture to another on the Shoryudo route in central Japan. Shoryudo is a great way to explore traditional Japanese sites, from ninja museums and tea plantations to wasabi farms and sweet and savoury delicacies. After growing too familiar with the well-trodden paths of Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Sapporo, it is high time to wander into the lesser known in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Shoryudo, meaning “Way Of The Rising Dragon”, spans across nine prefectures — Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Nagano, Gifu, Shizuoka, Aichi, Mie, and Shiga — in Chubu and Hokuriku regions. Looking at the map, the shape of these prefectures align to form a dragon, giving the area its name.
There are four recommended courses — Dragon, Nostalgic, Great Nature and Ukiyo-e — to explore the region completely.
The first is the Dragon itself — a course that cuts south-tonorth from Nagoya and finishes at the Noto Peninsula. Start the journey in Nagoya, where local dishes like rice topped with grilled eel is a must-try. Along the way, drop by the Gero Onsen and Wakura Onsen for a relaxing hot bath or stroll the vintage town of Takayama to street shop and photograph.
To experience the spirit of old Japan, one may opt to try the Nostalgic course, which is laden with castles, samurai and ninja culture, and seaside towns. The famous World Heritage sites like Shirakawago and Gokayama can be found on this course. Follow the route further to Mie prefecture, which is the birthplace of the ninja in Iga city or visit the Ise Grand Shrine — the most sacred Shinto shrine in Japan — in Ise, which rests on the eastern tip of the Kii Peninsula in Mie.
For a little more adventure, swerve along the western part of Shoryudo and hop aboard the Great Nature course. A magnificent 3,000m-high mountain is along the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, which goes through the Northern Japan Alps. Hot springs include the Unazuki Onsen and Awara Onsen. The Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum is Japan’s only dedicated dinosaur museum and is one of the greatest in the world.
The last course is Ukiyo-e, which was inspired by a genre of Japanese art of the same name. Utagawa Hiroshige, an art maestro of the 1800s, was famous for his series of woodblock prints. He is best known for his landscapes in the Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido collection, depicting 53 post towns along the Tokaido highway that connects Tokyo and Kyoto. On this course, there is a historic battlefield at Sekigahara — the site of the battle in 1600 that preceded the establishment of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s shogunate — and a few World Heritage sites along the way.
Wanitchaya Eiumkhunakorn, a tour guide, said Japan has been trying to promote the dragon’s path for a while, but geographical challenges make it difficult. “Shoryudo is not a place that you could just go around and explore in a few days. You’d just end up living on the bus,” said Wanitchaya.
She foresees that the route will pick up eventually, as tourists seek unseen destinations. Shoryudo is an area filled with potential, with rich culture, history and attractions that could become the next must-sees of Japan.