Walk the Old Nakasendo Between Magome and Tsumago
: 中山道
Walk Through Time Along this Unspoiled Stretch of the Historical Nakasendo Road.
Kiso River Valley
Description
Imagine yourself as a Daimyo lord travelling the historical Nakasendo Road between Kyoto and Edo (the old name for Tokyo). Much of the way has been replaced by modern highways, but the section between the Magome and Tsumago post towns is one of the best preserved.
Recommendation
Starting at Magome-juku (elevation approx. 600m), a post town on a hillside with expansive views of the surrounding mountains and plain (think "big sky"), the Nakasendo trail crosses Magome Pass (elevation 800m) and descends to Tsumago-juku (elevation 450m), a post town tucked into a steep valley ("small sky"). The 8 kilometer walk takes approximately 3 hours. Along the way the scenery changes for pastoral countryside to thick forest, and you pass old ocha-ya tea houses and waterfalls.
Details
- Hours
- 8:30-17:00 (Tsumago Tourist Info Center)
- Date(s)
- Except 12/29-1/03, open Year-Round (Tsumago Tourist Info Center)
- Time Required
- 3 hours
- Reservations
- Not required
- Foreign Languages
- English
Notes
Bus or taxi service available for return trip. Luggage forwarding service available at the respective Tourist Info Centers. Wear proper footwear and clothing appropriate for the weather (especially in winter).
Contact
tel : +81(0)264-57-3123 妻籠観光協会観光案内所(Tsumago Tourist Info Center)fax : +81(0)264-57-4036
Official site
Access / Location
- By Train
- From Nagiso Station (JR Chuo Line), 40 min walk or 10 min by bus to Tsumago. 35 min by bus to Magome.
- By Car
- From Iida Yamamoto IC, 60 min
From Nakatsugawa IC, Towards Kisofukushima. 30 min to Tsumago.
Take Route 19 north to Magome (approx. 20 min). - Address
- 2190 Azuma, Nagiso, Kiso 399-5302
Nearby Attractions
Sightseeing Spots
- Narai-juku Post Town : "Narai of a Thousand Houses" -- Longest Post Town in all of Japan.
- Yokokawa Gorge : Picturesque Gorge Famous for Vibrant Spring and Fall Colors.
- Shinano Wine (Winery Tour) : Third Generation Winery
- Izutsu Wine (Winery) : Winery with a View of the Northern Alps, Surrounded by Picturesque Vineyards
- Suwa Garasunosato (Glass Center) : Japan's Largest Glass Art-Related Activities Center
Accommodation
- Tsumago's Ryokan Matsushiroya : Two Century-old Inn Featuring Traditional Cuisine in Historical Tsumago-juku.
- Fujioto Ryokan in Tsumago : Historical Ryokan Boasting a Traditional Japanese Garden.
- Kisoji-inn Daikichi : Small Inn Featuring Warm Wood Touches in a Relaxing Natural Setting.
- Hotel Kisoji in Nagiso : Onsen Resort Hotel embracing the history and natural beauty of the Kiso Region.
- Keigetsu in Hirugami Onsen : Traditional Japanese Inn with Accents of Local Wood Furnishings Throughout.
Restaurants
- Yoshimuraya : Handmade Soba Noodle Restaurant in Tsumago-juku Post Town.
- Soba Kurumaya : Classic Kiso Hand-made Soba Shop with a 300-Year History.
- Bistro Matsushima-tei : Historical Post Town Building Reborn as Italian.
- Chuo Alps Tozan-Guchi Meiji-tei : At the Base of the Chuo Alps, Sauce-Katsu with their own Original Sauce.
- Soba Tokkuriya : Handmade Japanese Cuisine in and Edo-era Post Town.
Activities
- Tour Tsumago's Historical Lodging : Enlightening Tour of Tsumago’s Excellently-Preserved Honjin Inn.
- Apple Picking in Iida's Sanwa Orchard : Fruit-Picking and Apple Pie Baking at this Large Orchard.
- Experience Southern Nagano's Historical Past : Hands-On Activities to Experience the Historical Past of Southern Nagano.
- See and Take Part in Japanese Puppetry at the Iida Puppet Festa : Watch a Puppet Show in Iida, One of Japan’s Top Puppetry Centers.
- Togakure-ryu Ninja Training : The Ninjutsu Martial Arts tradition in Nagano
