Nakasendo GPX data

As I've mentioned before, a lot of the enquiries I get from readers of this blog are about maps. Usually they're from people who want to walk the Nakasendo but can't find a map of the route in English. The bad news is, as far as I know, there are still no commercially available maps of this kind. But for those of you looking for GPX data, I have some good news.

A couple of years ago, Léonie van den Haak, a Dutch ultrarunner living in Tokyo, ran the length of the Nakasendo. Yes, she ran it. In a time of 5 days 7 hours and 32 minutes. (For comparison, it took me 22 days to walk the same route.) She took along a GPS device, and posted the data she collected here:

https://fastestknowntime.com/route/nakasendo-way-japan

I've had a look at the map displayed at the above site, and apart from a minor deviation in Kumagaya, which meant she didn't run through the Yagibashi Department Store, it looks pretty accurate. So if GPX data for the Nakasendo is what you're after, look no more!

Note: As mentioned in this post, if you have an iPhone, there are also apps for the Tokaido, Nakasendo, Koshu Kaido, Nikko Kaido and Oshu Kaido. All the information about the posttowns and so on is in Japanese, but you should still be able to follow the routes even if you can't read the language. 

There's an app for that...

I get quite a few enquiries from readers of this blog about maps. Usually they're from people who want to walk the Nakasendo or Tokaido but can't find maps of the route in English. I read Japanese, so while I can sympathise, it's not a problem I've had do deal with personally. When I walked the Nakasendo, Tokaido and Koshu Kaido I used Japanese language maps produced by Gokaido Walk, and when I walked the Nikko Kaido I used a map I found on the internet and printed off. As for my upcoming Oshu Kaido walk, I've plotted the route on MapMyHike (as mentioned in my last post) and plan to access this on my iPhone while I'm waking. As well, I've printed the route out on paper for use if rain prevents me from using my phone (which wouldn't be a problem if I'd bought the new water-resistant iPhone 7).

The other day, while doing an internet search in response to yet another enquiry about walking maps, I came across a series of iPhone apps called "Go-Kaido wo Aruku" (Walk the Go-Kaido). There are five apps in the series covering the Tokaido, Nakasendo, Koshu Kaido, Nikko Kaido and Oshu Kaido. They're on sale at the App Store for $5.99 each. They're published by a company called Ground-Base Inc, whose main business appears to be music and video production. The "Go-Kaido wo Aruku" apps are the only apps they've produced.

Partly out of curiosity, I decided to download the Oshu Kaido app. The app uses Google maps, and on my iPhone and iPad most of the names of places and railways stations appear with English text as well as Japanese. The walkable route is marked in red, while those parts of the original route that are no longer walkable due to road realignments and so on are marked in green. The screen is very uncluttered, which I like. Basically it's just the map with three buttons at the bottom: one for turning GPS on and off (turning it off saves your phone battery); one for turning map markers on and off; and one for settings. The map markers are in four colours: red for posttowns; blue for famous sites; green for ichirizuka (distance markers); and orange for mitsuke (gates). In addition, the Tokaido and Nakasendo apps have markers for the locations of Hiroshige's prints. Clicking on these markers brings up a screen with more detailed information (in Japanese only).

The app works on iPhone and iPad. As a hiking app it's fairly basic. For example, it doesn't give elevations (none that I can find, anyway), which is not so important on the Niko Kaido or Oshu Kaido where there are no major passes, but very important on the Nakasendo and Tokaido. And there's no way of checking how far you've walked or how far to your destination (again, as far as I can find). Obviously, if you can't read Japanese, then all the information about the posttowns and so on is going to be wasted, but if all you're after is an app showing the route, then these apps could be of use.

You can find the apps at the App Store by searching for "Ground-Base Inc."

The Oshu Kaido route

Create Routes or Search for a route from millions at MapMyHike

How I used the walking map

Here's how I ended up using the Gokaido Walk walking map when I walked the Nakasendo in 2007.

The map came in a plastic case and was rolled up like this. When I unrolled it, it came apart in 13 sections, each representing around 40km. I took each section and folded it every 5.4cm, the equivalent of 1km in the real world. I then proceeded to weatherproof the map as follows:

Step 1: Prepare the folded walking map and a snap-lock bag.

Step 2: Remove one section of the walking map.

Step 3: Partly unfold the section to a length representing 4km.

Step 4: Carefully insert the map in the snap-lock bag.

Step 5: Fold and seal the snap-lock bag.

If I didn't need the map for a while (on a long stretch of straight road, for example), I simply slipped it into one of my trouser thigh pockets.

The only drawback to this method is that you have to refold the map every 4km. This can be tricky if it's raining, but I got it down to a fine art and managed to keep the map dry most of time. The secret is to put your hand into the bag and refold the map without exposing it the elements.

Distance walked today: 0km
Total distance walked since Tokaido training began: 73.9km
Days left until departure: 74