Tsumago-juku
Tsumago Juku, A Preserved Edo Period Post Town On The Old Nakasendo Road In The Kiso Valley, One Of The First Towns In Japan Protected As A Whole Street, With Wooden Inns And No Overhead Wires Or Cars In The Old Street By Day. The Walk To Magome Across The Pass Is The Usual Draw. · Nagiso, Nagano
Tsumago-juku is an old post town on the Nakasendo road in the Kiso valley of southern Nagano, in the town of Nagiso. It was one of the first towns in Japan to protect a whole street, and the old street still has wooden inns, a few shops and no overhead wires. Cars are banned from the old street at set hours - confirm. The Waki-honjin and Honjin buildings show how travellers and officials once stayed. The usual draw is the 8 km old Nakasendo walk to Magome over the Magome Pass, roughly 2.5 to 3 hours, with luggage forwarding between the two. Bear bells hang on the pass, because bears are present. Tsumago is a regional add-on and worth the detour for walkers and history lovers, less so for anyone who wants a long list of sights or a lot of nightlife, since the town is small and plain. Heavy summer midday crowds fade in the late afternoon, shops close early, and the town is quiet after the day-trippers leave.
Tsumago-juku, Nagiso, Kiso District, Nagano, a bus ride from Nagiso Station on the Chuo Line; the walk to Magome is on the old Nakasendo road, Nagiso, Nagano, Japan
The old street is open to walk at any time, but shops, cafes and museum buildings usually keep daytime hours, commonly 09:00 to about 17:00, and many close earlier in winter - confirm. Cars are banned in the old street at set hours, usually daytime. Reach Tsumago by bus from Nagiso Station on the Chuo Line, about 10 minutes - confirm the timetable, since buses are infrequent and the last one is early. Luggage can be forwarded between Tsumago and Magome - confirm. Book a minshuku overnight ahead, and carry cash.