Tsumago-juku and Magome-juku

Background

Tsumago-juku and Magome-juku span two prefectures: Tsumago-juku is in Nagiso Town, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture, and Magome-juku is in Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture. They are neighbouring post towns on the Kisoji section of the Nakasendō, linked by a stretch of old forest road that is a National Historic Site. The Nakasendō was one of the two main roads linking Edo and Kyoto in the Edo period. Unlike the coastal Tōkaidō, it ran inland through the mountains, about 534 km in total (figures vary slightly between sources), with 69 post towns along the way. The 11 post towns of the Kisoji were absorbed into the Nakasendō, from Niekawa-juku to Magome-juku; Tsumago-juku was the 42nd station of the Nakasendō and Magome-juku the 43rd. In 1976 Tsumago-juku was designated by the national government as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Its honjin was destroyed and rebuilt in 1995; the waki-honjin, Okuya, is an original building and was named an Important Cultural Property in 2001. The Nagiso Town Museum presents local history and the preservation of the townhouses. Magome-juku's old street climbs the hillside along the former Nakasendō from its lower end to its upper end. Fires in 1895 and 1915 destroyed many old houses; in recent decades the town has been restored to its appearance as an Edo-period post town and is now a popular destination.

Local customs

• Walk from Magome-juku to Tsumago-juku, about 8 km, which most people finish in 2–3 hours, crossing Magome Pass, passing forest waterfalls and stopping at the Tateba Teahouse around the halfway point
• visit the honjin, waki-honjin and Nagiso Town Museum in Tsumago-juku
• and visit the Tōson Memorial Museum in Magome-juku, built at Shimazaki Tōson's birthplace.

Travel tips

• Most people walk from Magome-juku toward Tsumago-juku, which is mainly downhill
• the reverse direction has more climbing and means passing the oncoming crowds. The trail has dirt paths and stone steps that are slippery in the rain, and in winter it can be icy, so wear hiking boots. There are few places to buy supplies along the way, so bring enough water and food. The Magome tourist information centre can forward your luggage and also sells bear bells
• meeting a bear is unlikely, but carrying a bell on forest sections is still advisable.
• For Magome-juku, take a bus from Nakatsugawa Station on the JR Chūō Main Line
• the nearest station to Tsumago-juku is Nagiso Station on the same line. Buses run between the two towns, so you can ride back after the walk. Return buses are infrequent, so check the last bus in advance
• check official and station notices for exact timetables. You can visit in any season, with spring cherry blossoms and autumn leaves the best
• in winter the Kiso Valley is cold and snowy, so watch the trail surface and daylight hours.