Magome-juku to Tsumago-jukuMagome-juku to Tsumago-juku — Follow the Footsteps of Travelers Past
Time slows as you arrive in Magome-juku, a mountain village where travelers of the Edo Period (1603–1868) once paused on their long road to the capital. Cradled by forested hills, wooden inns line the narrow street, inviting visitors to linger. Step by step along the historic Nakasendo trail, the mountains open a window to the past, where samurai, merchants, and pilgrims passed this way bound for Edo (modern-day Tokyo). The spirit of the Samurai Trail lives on in Magome-juku—where your own walk into history begins.
As I walk along a sloping cobblestone street lined with beautiful Japanese wooden buildings, it’s hard to believe that just ninety minutes ago, I was boarding a train in bustling Nagoya. At the heart of town once stood the inn (honjin) reserved for high-ranking officials. Though the original building was lost in a fire, this site now serves as a museum with cultural exhibitions to honor Shimazaki Toson, one of Japan’s most celebrated authors. His most famous novel, Before the Dawn, is set here and still echoes the spirit of this mountain post town.
Today’s journey takes me from the streets of Magome-juku, over the gentle rise of Magome-toge Pass, and onward to the next post town, Tsumago-juku. This roughly nine-kilometer mountain trail, which takes about two hours to walk, is the most beloved stretch of the Nakasendo—favored for its ease of access to the cities and its well-kept path winding through nature. Though sturdy shoes, a bear bell, and rain gear are essential companions, the trail never feels remote; cell service remains reliable, offering comfort to first-time hikers. The slope eases steadily upward, inviting a slow, unhurried pace. Along the way, I pass smiling seniors and families with children, all sharing in the quiet joy of this journey through history.
As I walk, history quietly unfolds around me. Weathered water mills, a monument inscribed with a tanka poem by a famous writer and poet, and heritage homes appear along the trail—not staged for tourists but left behind by centuries of everyday life and travel. This place wasn’t created to entertain visitors; it endures because people once lived their daily lives here, and travelers passed through, leaving footprints for us to follow. The head guide of the Tsumago-juku Guide Association walks beside me and pauses at a large stone monument a step up from the road. The carved characters mark it as a tribute to the “Toge no Okashira”—a respected local leader of this mountain pass village.
“This area,” my guide explains, “was once home to ushikata—laborers who used oxen to carry goods across the mountains.” When a wholesale merchant quietly pocketed the laborers’ wages, the village leader led a strike in protest—a legacy now carved in stone. On the back of the monument, faint but still visible, is the name of Shimazaki Toson’s elder brother, who helped erect it. The influence of the Shimazaki family runs deep in this region.
During the peaceful Edo period, Japan was governed by the Edo shogunate—the feudal military government headed by the shogun, leader of the samurai class. To keep power in check, a system was created requiring feudal lords to spend every other year in Edo, away from their home domains. This policy transformed roads like the Nakasendo into vital arteries of government, trade, and travel.
The Samurai Trail — as the Nakasendo is fondly known — was one of the five great highways of the Edo period. Spanning 534 kilometers between Edo and Kyoto, it linked 69 post towns like beads on a thread of history. Magome-juku is the 43rd stop from Edo, a place where travelers once paused to rest before pressing on through the mountains. These post towns were far more than places to sleep. They bustled with stables, porters, teahouses, and roadside inns that met every need of the weary and the curious alike. Today, the Kiso Valley’s Magome, Tsumago, and Narai remain among the best preserved, offering an authentic glimpse into the old road’s timeless spirit. Journeys were planned town by town, but most travelers passed through several in a single day—each stop a marker of how far they had come, and how much further the road would lead them.
About fifty minutes into the hike, the forest opens to reveal Magome-toge Pass—at 800 meters above sea level, the highest point along this trail. I paused here to catch my breath and take in the sweeping views before stepping back into the shelter of the trees. From this point, the path gently descends into the forest once more. Just ahead, a traditional teahouse—whose history dates to the Edo Period awaits—a welcome stop for hikers to rest and enjoy a moment of warmth along the way.
The teahouse itself is a handsome wooden building, steeped in traditional charm and surrounded by cherry trees that bloom spectacularly in late April and early May, greeting all who visit in the spring. In the Edo period, it wasn’t just samurai who walked this path; commoners, merchants, elderly travelers, and women of all ranks made the journey, each for their own reasons. Today, a signboard on the porch displays messages left by travelers, proof that this trail, once trodden by samurai, is now shared by explorers of every background.
I’ve come deep into the mountains now. Here and there, clear streams run beside the path, offering hikers a moment of calm along the way. This region, known as the Kiso Valley, is shaped by the steep gorges carved by the Kiso River. For generations, water has been both a source of daily life and an object of reverence. Torrential rains have often triggered landslides and debris flows, claiming many lives over the centuries. Even in samurai times, floods sometimes made the road impassable, forcing travelers to find new routes through the mountains.
“The Kiso Road lies entirely within the mountains.” Shimazaki Toson’s Before the Dawn is famous for beginning with these words—and the scene before me is just as he described. Now and then, when the birdsong fades, the entire forest falls silent. In that hush, I feel the wind brush past and the earth solid under my feet. I wonder what Toson himself sensed as he walked this same mountain path.
About forty minutes after leaving the teahouse, I arrive at the outskirts of Tsumago-juku, a quiet farming village that once supported its neighboring post town and now marks the end of today’s mountain hike. Designated as a National Important Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings, Tsumago’s streets unfold like a living museum, carefully restored by locals offering a rare and authentic glimpse into the past—even for Japanese visitors. Over fifty years ago, as Japan surged toward modernity, the villagers made a conscious choice to protect what truly mattered. Their grassroots preservation efforts sparked one of the country’s earliest and most successful townscape conservation movements.
Here, nothing is staged or embellished; Tsumago remains devoted to maintaining the genuine spirit of a time long gone. “There was nothing else here, you know,” my guide and longtime resident, says with quiet humility. Near the town center, the Wakihonjin—a lodging next to the Honjin, for provincial samurai lords, and court nobles—welcomes visitors as a museum. Sunlight filters through its lattice windows, casting a warm glow on the traditional interior—a perfect place to pause and reflect on the journey just completed.
Besides Magome-toge Pass, the Nakasendo holds other challenging mountain passes, each flanked by post towns that once flourished and prospered, serving as vital lifelines through Japan’s rugged terrain. Walking these paths today is more than a hike—it is a journey through time, tracing the footsteps of samurai, merchants, and travelers from over 400 years ago. The Samurai Trail offers a rare glimpse into Japan’s past, where history breathes through every stone, every wooden beam, and every winding turn in the road. Yet, this journey is far from over. With each step forward, modern explorers continue to discover the timeless beauty and quiet resilience of the land, keeping the spirit of the Nakasendo alive.
It takes about 1 hour to drive from Nagoya IC to Nakatsugawa IC via the Chuo Expressway. After exiting at Nakatsugawa IC, take the local roads to Magome; approximately 15 minutes.
By public transportation, take the JR Chuo Main Line—take either the Limited Express Shinano (about 50 minutes) or the rapid train (about 1 hour 20 minutes)—from Nagoya Station to Nakatsugawa Station. From Nakatsugawa Station, transfer to the Kita-ena Kotsu bus bound for Magome and get off at the Magome bus stop (about 25-30 minutes). The total journey time is approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, including transfer time.
