• The Akagane Highway was used to transport copper from Ashio Copper Mine to Edo (Tokyo). Visit Sori, an area full of nature which was the first post town along the highway, and steep yourself in the history and culture of the area. This tour is meant to help participants connect with local history by walking the same path that so many people walked in the past, when the area was bustling with copper mining.

On this tour, you will enjoy a walk about town led by a guide knowledgeable in the area, exploring Sori, formerly the first post town on the Akagane Highway, which was used to transport copper from the Ashio Copper Mine to Edo (Tokyo). Participants will visit Daitakuji, guardian temple of one of the Akagane Seven Lucky Gods. You’ll also visit a cobbled road which is a recreation of the old road used to transport copper once upon a time. Other notable sights include the wooden Yakushi-nyorai statue of Sori Clinic, a statue deifying the oldest copper statue in the area, as well as the former Sori Elementary school, a charming building which has been beautifully preserved. These sights will allow tour participants to steep themselves in the Japanese history and culture of Sori, which is connected to both Nikko and the Ashio Copper Mine.