No Need to Imagine 17th-Century Japan, Just Come to Magome-juku and See It
The southernmost of the Kiso Valley post towns is Magome, found a 30-minute bus journey from JR Nakatsugawa Station. While the majority of Kiso Valley sits in Nagano Prefecture, this one little town crosses just over the border into southern Gifu Prefecture on a commanding position overlooking Mt. Ena. As one of the principal towns that has been restored along the Nakasendo route, the main street running through the town is adorned with traditional wooden Edo period buildings which today are home to souvenir shops, cafés, and museums.
Found at one end of the Kiso Valley’s picturesque post towns, Magome is one of the most popular of the towns to visit. Shops, eateries, and ryokan hidden behind every wooden shop front draw in a crowd of both local and international visitors whether they are walking the Nakasendo route or travelling in by public transport. If you’re lucky enough to visit the Kiso Valley in autumn, hot roasted Japanese chestnuts are on the menu with their sweet, nutty aroma wafting down the main street. As well as traditional Japanese snacks aplenty, souvenir shops sell everything from lacquerware crockery to cone-shaped straw kasa hats.
Magome-juku is still a living, functioning town. Each house is a real residence, and that gives the area and atmosphere an unforced authenticity and helps evoke its lively 400-year history. With the neighbouring post town Tsumago just an 8-kilometer scenic walk north of Magome, this is a common part of the Nakasendo to try out. As you follow the stone paved path out of Magome, don’t forget to take a look back for views over the Kiso Mountains.
Found at one end of the Kiso Valley’s picturesque post towns, Magome is one of the most popular of the towns to visit. Shops, eateries, and ryokan hidden behind every wooden shop front draw in a crowd of both local and international visitors whether they are walking the Nakasendo route or travelling in by public transport. If you’re lucky enough to visit the Kiso Valley in autumn, hot roasted Japanese chestnuts are on the menu with their sweet, nutty aroma wafting down the main street. As well as traditional Japanese snacks aplenty, souvenir shops sell everything from lacquerware crockery to cone-shaped straw kasa hats.
Magome-juku is still a living, functioning town. Each house is a real residence, and that gives the area and atmosphere an unforced authenticity and helps evoke its lively 400-year history. With the neighbouring post town Tsumago just an 8-kilometer scenic walk north of Magome, this is a common part of the Nakasendo to try out. As you follow the stone paved path out of Magome, don’t forget to take a look back for views over the Kiso Mountains.
