Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [222]
Tsumago’s tourist information office (; 57-3123; fax 57-4036; 8.30am-5pm) is in the centre of town, by the antique phone booth. Some English is spoken and there’s English-language literature.
Down the street and across, Waki-honjin (; 57-3322; adult/child ¥600/300; 9am-5pm) is a former rest stop for retainers of daimyō on the Nakasendō. Reconstructed in 1877 under special dispensation from the emperor Meiji, it contains a lovely moss garden and a special toilet built in case Meiji happened to show up (apparently he never did). If some elements remind you of Japanese castles, that’s because Waki-honjin was built by a former castle builder, out of work due to Meiji’s antifeudal policies. The Shiryōkan (; local history museum) here houses elegant exhibitions about Kiso and the Nakasendō, with some English signage.
Across from Shiryōkan, Tsumago Honjin (; 57-3322; adult/child ¥300/150; 9am-5pm) is where the daimyō themselves spent the night, though this building is more noteworthy for its architecture than its exhibits. A combined ticket (¥700/350) gives you admission to Waki-honjin and Shiryōkan as well.
Kisoji-kan (; 58-2046; baths ¥700; 10am-8pm), a few hilly kilometres above Tsumago, is a tourist facility with a raging souvenir shop. The real reason to visit is the rotemburo with panoramic mountain vistas. Some Tsumago lodgings offer discount tickets, and there’s a free shuttle bus to/from Tsumago’s car park No 1 (10 minutes, approximately hourly) and Nagiso (opposite).
On 23 November, the Fuzoku Emaki Parade is held along the Nakasendō in Tsumago, featuring townsfolk in Edo-period costume.
Magome, the next post town south, is more modern, with houses, restaurants, inns (and souvenir shops) lining a steep, cobblestone pedestrian road. Even if only some structures are Edo-style, Magome and its mountain views are undeniably pretty. At the tourist information office (; 59-2336; fax 59-2653; 8.30am-5pm mid-Mar–mid-Dec, 9am-5pm mid-Dec–mid-Mar), about halfway up the hill on the right, you can pick up maps, and staff will book accommodation.
Magome was the birthplace of the author Shimazaki Tōson (1872–1943). His masterpiece, Ie (The Family), records the decline of two provincial Kiso families. A museum (; 59-2047; admission ¥500; 8.30am-4.45pm Apr-Oct, to 4.15pm Nov-Mar, closed 2nd Tue, Wed & Thu Dec) is devoted to his life and times, though it’s pretty impenetrable for non-Japanese speakers.
Good gifts from both towns include toys, crafts and household implements made from Kiso hinoki.
The 7.8km hike connecting Tsumago and Magome peaks at the top of the steep pass, Magome-tōge (elevation 801m). From here, the trail to/from Tsumago passes waterfalls, forest and farmland, while the Magome approach is largely on paved road. It takes around 2½ hours to hike between these towns. It’s easier from Magome (elevation 600m) to Tsumago (elevation 420m) than the other way. English signage marks the way. The Magome–Tsumago bus (¥600, 30 minutes, at least three daily in each direction, except Monday to Friday from December to February) also stops at the pass.
If you’re hiking between Magome and Tsumago, the towns offer a handy baggage-forwarding service (per bag ¥500; daily late Jul-Aug, Sat, Sun & holidays late Mar-late Nov) from either tourist office to the other. Deposit your bags between 8.30am and 11.30am for delivery by 1pm.
SLEEPING & EATING
It’s worth a stay in these towns, particularly Tsumago, to have them to yourself once the day-trippers clear out. Both tourist information offices can help book accommodation at numerous ryokan (from around ¥9000 per person) and minshuku (from around ¥7000); prices include two meals. Don’t expect en-suite bath or toilet, but you will get heaps of atmosphere. For street foods, look for gohei-mochi, skewered rice dumplings coated with sesame-walnut sauce, and in autumn you can’t miss kuri-kinton