Tsumago – No.42 Post Town on Nakasendo Way

Tsumago is the No.42 post town on Nakasendo Way from Tokyo, the previous to Magome. Although located in Kiso Valley and surrounded by mountains, it has been a vital point for regional transportation, as Nakasendo Way was one of the major roads around Japan in Edo Period (1603-1868 AD) and another road joined there. Later, the entire town has been well preserved and restored, making it remain the Edo style and become a hot destination for sightseeing and hiking in Kiso Valley. Getting to Tsumago, you will witness the most Edo styled post town in Kiso Valley and whole Nakasendo Way. Meanwhile, the Honjin and Waki-honjin are listed as the national cultural treasures.

Tsumago

Popular Hiking between Tsumago & Magome

South to Tsumago, Magome is the next post town on Nakasendo Way. The section between Tsumago and Magome, the southernmost part of Kiso Valley, is also the most-visited hiking trail on Nakasendo Way and even around the country. It is about 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) long, with more uphill trails than the downhill way to Magome. 3 hours or so is needed to finish the hiking course, and you can apply for a certificate at JPY 300 to prove that you have walked all the way as you get the hiking voucher before starting.

Bear bell rental is also applied just in case. At a fee of JPY 100 and the guarantee deposit of JPY 2,000, you can get a bell at the tourist information center before hiking. When you arrive at the destination, the guarantee deposit would be refunded as you return the bell.

Hiking to JR Nagiso Station

In the opposite direction, you can also hike northwards to JR Nagiso Station along the Nakasendo Way. This is the nearest train station to Tsumago, at a distance of nearly 3 kilometers (1.9 miles). On the one hand, it is definitely accessible to go for hiking to Nagiso Sta. and even further northern places in Kiso Valley. On the other hand, although there are buses between Nagiso Station and Tsumago, only a few are in operation. Thus, it would also be convenient sometimes to hike through this section.

Behind Nagiso Station, there is a Momosuke Bridge over the river, which is beautiful to overlook the landscapes of the river as well as both banks.

Top Things to Do at Tsumago

Masugata in Tsumago

Tsumago Waki Honjin

Masugata (枡形) means the section of road was built with one or more bends in right angles. As an old means of defense, masugata is usually at the entrance of a town/village, let alone Tsumago. There are two bends on the street, at the southern end. Out of masugata, there are stone steps, making the section steeper. When you hike from the south, you’ll get to the masugata after passing by Asekaki Jiao Buddhist Statue, Kotoku-ji Temple and the stone steps. Going through the masugata, you’ll enter Tsumago.

Waki Honjin Okuya of Tsumago

Usually, honjin was the lodging for seigniors in the Edo Age; while waki-honjin was the annex of honjin, providing accommodation for higher-rank officials passing by. Waki Honjin Okuya now, including the Waki Honjin and History Museum, is opened for visitors. You could see the old structure of Japanese house, with a ground stove in the center of a tatami room and byobu screen on a side. When sunshine comes into the dimly room via the old windows, the scene is pretty enchanting. At the meantime, many historical materials like the ancient articles of daily use are displayed to show the old life as well as local folks at Tsumago.

The common admission ticket for Waki Honjin and the History Museum costs JPY 600 per adult. These are opened during 09:00-17:00, while closed on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays every month and New Year holidays from Dec. 29th to Jan. 3rd.

History Museum of Waki Honjin Okuya

Honjin of Tsumago

Honjin of Tsumago has been restored well. Together with Waki Honjin and History Museum, the three are referred as Nagiso-machi Museum. Similar structure to waki-honjin, Honjin shows an immersive atmosphere to make people feel like travelling into the ancient period, too. As a national cultural treasure in Japan, Honjin of Tsumago doesn’t open on weekdays currently, and it would be closed as well in poor weather. If Honjin is opened on weekends, JPY 300 is required for the admission ticket per adult, or JPY 700 for a common ticket of the 3 venues (Honjin, Waki Honjin & History Museum).

Honjin of Tsumago

Koi-iwa – Carp Rock

As the name indicates, Koi-iwa is natural rock in the shape of a big carp. It is one of the scenic spots to see in Tsumago, and was a most beautiful and best-known rock on Nakasendo Way. You can’t tell the rock looks like a carp fish perhaps, that’s because it was wrecked in a violent earthquake in 1891. Even so, the rock is still there and is a wonderful site at Tsumago.

Try Local Food at Tsumago

A Restaurant at Tsumago

The restaurants, about two dozens of shops, are relatively concentrated around the main street, near the tourist information center. Local folk cuisine, soba noodles, Goheimochi rice cakes, local wagashi, etc. are on offer. Soba noodles made of buckwheat by hand is always the specialty in the region, and Goheimochi is also taste-worthy as the rice cakes are skewered, grilled and flavored with special sauce. As in the mountains, Tsumago is rich in chestnuts the same as Magome. The freshly picked chestnuts are often expensive somewhat, besides, these chestnuts would also be mixed into dishes and made into wagashi.

Seasonal Events – Colorful Activities to Participate

Seasonal events and traditional festivals would make Tsumago livelier and attract more visitors. Ice and Snow Festival with lamp illuminations in February, traditional puppet display in March, Wachino Shrine Matsuri on 23-24th July, and the parade of historical folk stories on 23th November are the grandest.

Display of Dolls, March

Accommodation at Tsumago

Accommodation is available of course in Tsumago, which are all ryokans and homestays in traditional Japanese style. These lodges are distributed on the main street of Tsumago as well as Otsumago. You could have an experience of ancient Japanese people, as staying overnight in the tatami rooms and taste the homemade folk dishes. In the traditional room, usually there is no private bathroom, and no onsen (hot spring) could be found in Tsumago.

A Ryokan at Tsumago

It is usually required to make a reservation at least one day in advance.

Some ryokans/homestays provide official contact ways, often the phone number or email, for oversea guests to book. In this case, you can contact the ryokan directly.

If you are not sure whether English is accessible or not at the ryokan/homestay you choose, please contact the tourist information center for help. The staff will make the reservation on your behalf.

Also, you can book a room on spot on arrival the ryokan/homestay or tourist information center. It is likely to be feasible during the slack season in winter, however, it’s essential to reserve as early as possible during the peak season. There would be a shortage of rooms, and no vacancies for you if booking late.

Baggage Transportation from Tsumago to Magome

It’s available to choose the baggage delivery service when you want an easier hiking journey to Magome. Baggage is accepted and can be transported to the destination on the same day.

Service Period: Mar. 20th – Nov. 30th

Hours & Site to Send Your Baggage: 08:30-11:30, Tsumago Tourist Information Center

Hours & Sites to Pick Up: 13:00-17:00, ryokan Hanaya at Otsumago / Magome Tourist Information Center

Fare: JPY 1,000 every baggage

If you want a temporary delivery out of the service hours, it might be also practicable, probably. However, it takes JPY 4,500 for 1-3 pieces of baggage, and JPY 1,000 is added for each additional piece.

Tsumago Tourist Information Center

How to Travel to Tsumago?

Nagiso is the best and closest transfer station to reach Tsumago. After a train trip to Nagiso Station, it is easier to hike to Tsumago or get there by bus.

Trains to JR Nagiso Sta.	Nagiso to Tsumago
The Fastest: Direct Limited Express Shinano 1h-1h 3min & JPY 2,890 from Nagoya Express/Rapid Trains: Transfer at Nakatsugawa Nagoya-Nakatsugawa-Nagiso: 1h 43min-2h & JPY 1,690	Hiking: around 40 min
	Bus: 7 min, JPY 300
	Taxi (Nagiso Kanko Taxi): about 10 min, JPY 1,700 or so

Notes:

Not all limited express Shinano trains would stop at Nagiso Station. Please check the train information carefully when buying the train ticket and boarding the train.

You have multiple transfer plans as departing from different stations, varied in time and fares. Just follow the route of your search on Google Map or other Japan train apps.

Departing from Nagiso Sta., the buses of both Hogami Line and Magome Line will have a stop at Tsumago. Totally, there are 7 regular buses a day, with a departure interval of 1-2 hours. In particular, Magome Line stops over at Tsumago and Otsumago, and goes to Magome at last, taking 35min & JPY 800 for the whole ride.