Kiso Valley: Walking the Historical Highway with Post Towns of Nakasendo

Highway with Nakasendo Post Towns Remaining

Kiso Valley is a section of the Nakasendo running along the Kiso River flowing north-south through southwestern Nagano, the old highway connecting Edo and Kyoto. 11 distinctive post towns remain including Kiso-Fukushima, Narai, Tsumago, and Magome, strongly retaining Edo-period character.

Tsumago-juku and Magome-juku

The most famous post towns of Kiso Valley are Tsumago-juku and Magome-juku. Tsumago-juku was the first post town in Japan selected as a National Important Traditional Buildings Preservation District, with Edo-period inns and merchant houses preserved. Magome-juku is the birthplace of Shimazaki Toson, with cobblestone post town continuing along a slope being beautiful.

Tsumago to Magome Hiking

Hiking course walking the Nakasendo from Tsumago-juku to Magome-juku (about 8km) is a popular travel experience savoring the feeling of an Edo-period traveler. A comfortable route walking through nature, also very popular with foreign travelers.