Magome-juku
The southern gateway to the Nakasendo mountain highway — a cobblestone post town on a hillside cleared of all modern signage and wiring. The Shimazaki Toson Literary Museum celebrates the novelist who set his masterpiece "Before the Dawn" here. The walk north to Tsumago-juku passes through forests unchanged for centuries.
Half day
Free
Town always accessible; most shops: 9:00–17:00; post town road: daylight hours
April–November
Bus from Nakatsugawa Station (JR Chuo Line, 25 min)
Location
Why Visit
- 1
Cobblestone main street with no visible power lines or modern signs — pure Edo atmosphere
- 2
Start or end of the most popular Nakasendo walk to Tsumago-juku (8km, 3 hours)
- 3
Birthplace of novelist Shimazaki Toson — his literary museum uses the 400-year-old honjin building
Local Tips
The Magome-Tsumago Nakasendo trail (8km, 3 hours) is one of Japan's finest half-day walks — the historic post road through cedar and cypress forest between two perfectly preserved Edo-era towns. Start at Magome (downhill toward Tsumago) for the easier direction. The road is closed to vehicles — absolutely no modern intrusions on the walk.
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