Magome – The Most Visited Post Town on Nakasendo Way

As the No.43 shukuba (post town) on Nakasendo Way, Magome, at the southern entrance of Kiso Valley, has been a popular hiking destination in Japan. Starting from Magome, the section to Tusmago is the best part of Nakasendo Way for hiking. At the small post town, the stone-paved street, only 800-m (875-yard) long, is lined with stores of local specialties, cafés, small restaurants, inns, and so on retain the style in Edo Age (1603-1868 AD).

In those days, may people, like travelers, merchants, itinerant performers, etc., came and went by Magome all through the year. Nowadays, all these houses in old structure have been well preserved, and it seems that time stands still there. You may feel yourself traveling through time to the ancient period at this nostalgic town surrounded by mountains. It is also incomparably beautiful with rolling Enasan Mountain, setting sun and seasonal blossoms, deserving to be a perfect place for shutterbugs.

Magome is the name of this post town. Sometimes or somewhere, it is called as Magomejuku, too; as the postfix “-juku” just means a post town.

Highlights at Magome

A Hiking Adventure To/From Tsumago: Superb 9-km (5.6-mile) hiking course on Nakasendo Way, taking about 3 hours

Nostalgic Edo Townscape into the Past: Best-preserved old houses & slopes

Local Artworks, Specialties and Culture: Porcelains, sakes, carvings, groceries

What to See & Things to Do at Magome

Waki-honjin Historical Museum

At each post town, there are Honjin and Waki-honjin. Honjin was the official place for accommodation for seigniors or high-ranked officers, when they were summoned to visit the Shogun – the military commander and head of government who stayed in Tokyo in Edo Age or Mikado – the emperor in Kyoto. As for Waki-honjin, it was the secondary lodging in addition to Honjin there.

At Magome, Waki-honjin Historical Museum is a must-visit. As the Waki-honjin there has been partially restored, you could get a glimpse of what it was like in the ancient time. Also, some historical relics are displayed and the local regimes in that period are introduced. It opens at 09:00-17:00 every day, requiring an admission ticket of JPY 300 per adult.

Kurumazaka Masugata (車坂)

Kurumazaka Masugata indicates the true entrance to the post town. It is actually a section of road that was constructed with right-angled bends, and is said to be a traditional defense work in Japan. Japanese call such a road as “枡形”. You could walk through the two right-angled stone-paved bends at Magome, to imagine that how they were built and how they played their roles in the past.

On the Kurumazaka Masugata Slope

Shimizuya Museum

It was the house of a family who had been the officials at Magome for generations, also the family kept a close relationship with the Shimazaki family. Books, hanging scrolls, and pictures from Toson Shimazaki are on display, meanwhile the collections include documents, paintings, calligraphy works, ceramics, and lacquerwares from the Edo Age that Magome was flourishing. The life and cultural history of Magome can be learned there completely.

Its opening hours is 08:00-17:00 in most months, while it changes into 08:30-16:30 during December-March. An adult admission ticket costs JPY 300.

Toson Memorial Museum

Have you heard of Japanese writer Toson Shimazaki (1872-1943)? He was a famous poet to create a new style of Japanese poetry. As the hometown of Toson Shimazaki, Magome becomes more charming, and Toson Memorial Museum is the must-visit in the old post town. Apart from the materials about this great writer, remains of Magome Honjin, warehouse, and more historical sites can be seen.

It opens at 09:00-16:00/17:00 (closed earlier from December to March), while closed on every Monday during December to February. The admission ticket takes JPY 500 per adult.

Eisho-ji Temple

Behind Toson Memorial Museum, Eisho-ji Temple is also visit-worthy at Magome. It was the family temple of Toson Shimazaki, and was taken a background into his novels. Eisho-ji Temple embraces stunning landscapes, besides, an experience of sitting in meditation and vegetarian food are available.

Waterwheels for Generating Electricity

You may have seen some waterwheels at some other places yet, but you may not witness an old wooden waterwheel of power generation. At Magome, you can see it in person. Walking through the Kurumazaka Masugata with bends in right angles, you can see one waterwheel directly. Associated with a power house next to it, the waterwheel has been a hot site to check inside the small town. At the north end of the street, there is also a waterwheel house.

Watermill at Magome

Taste the Local Food

The food at Magome are featured with local seasonal ingredients, while the restaurants and snack bars are in the old style. Soba noodles, Goheimochi, and munchies made of local chestnuts are popular and the most distinctive specialties there. The hand-made soba noodles of buckwheat flour is chewy with sauce and side dishes in a unique flavor. Sweet and salty Goheimochi is a grilled rice cake or ball on the skewer, seasoned with the local miso sauces in multiple flavors such as sesame and peanut. As for chestnuts, it can be made into traditional cakes as well as mixed into the rice. Rice with chestnuts is just a popular way there.

Kosatsuba – the former site to issue notices, with wooden noticeboards on show, is also a nice site to learn Japanese culture.

The observation platform next to Kosatsuba, providing a broad view to see Enasan Mountain, is also a fine place to rest and enjoy the mountainous scenery.

The stone signpost, carved with words “Nakasendo Way Magome-juku…” is a point to check for visitors, too.

Magome Stone Signpost

Baggage Deposit & Transportation at Magome

Baggage Deposit:

Site of Service: Magome Tourist Information Center

Service Time: 08:30-16:30

Fare: JPY 300 per piece of baggage

Baggage Transportation to Tsumago/Otsumago:

If you want a light hiking journey to Tsumago, you may choose the baggage delivery service at a low cost. As sending the baggage in the morning at Magome, you can pick it up at Tusmago in the afternoon.

Service Period: March 20th – November 30th

Sending from: Magome Tourist Information Center, 09:00-11:30

Pick-up Sites: Tsumago Tourist Information Center / the homestay Koshinzuka or ryokan Hanaya at Otsumago

Pick-up Hours: 13:00-17:00

Fare: JPY 1,000 per piece
Note: It might be out of service to transport baggage sometimes. Please consult the tourist information center for details.

Magome Tourist Information Center

How to Travel to Magome?

The most common and convenient way to Magome is having a transfer at JR Nakatsugawa Station, the closest train station to Magome.

Nagoya to Nakatsugawa Train	Nakatsugawa to Magome
The Fastest: Limited Express Shinano Train - 48-50min & JPY 2,540 (non-reserved seats) Express / Semi Rapid Train: 1h 13-25min & JPY 1,340	Bus: 25 minutes & JPY 570 Departure Interval: every other hour approximately
	Taxi: 15 minutes & JPY 3,500 Totetsu & Kintetsu Toubi taxi companies Extra pick-up fee of JPY 100

Notes:

There is no Shinkansen lines stretching through Kiso Valley. If you are in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto or other cities, please get to Nagoya first by a Shinkansen high-speed train perhaps.

There is another choice to take trains from the direction of Tokyo: Shinjuku Sta. – Shiojiri – Nakatsugawa. But these trains are all ordinary ones rather than Shinkansen.

Bus Arriving at Magome

Taxies at Magome

There is a taxi stand at Magome, located in front of Magomekan Annex., the south end of the main street of Magome. Totetsu & Kintetsu Toubi taxies run to/from JR Nakatsugawa Sta., taking about JPY 3,500 in 15 minutes. Nagiso Kanko taxies reach JR Nagiso Sta. at JPY 5,000 estimatedly, while Sakagawa taxies go to JR Sakashita Sta. at JPY 3,500. If no taxi waiting there, you can also contract the taxi companies directly, but in which an extra pick-up fee of JPY 100-150 is required.

Meitetus Highway Bus from Nagoya to Magome

Meitetus Bus can transfer you from Nagoya to Magome. You will receive the timetable and more information after a successful reservation. It will get to Magome in 1h 20min or so, at a cost of JPY 2,600. As the Meitetus bus to Magome can’t be accessible all year around, Nagoya to Lida Station bus (Lida Line) is more practicable. It would pass by Magome, but you have to walk for 15-20 minutes to reach the street after getting off.

Tips on Hiking Nakasendo Way – All Things to Know for Hikers