The Most Popular Route of the Samurai Trail(Tsumago to Nakatsugawa)

1Bus to Tsumago-juku

From Nagiso Station, it takes about 7 minutes by bus to reach Tsumago-juku.

2Tsumago-juku

Get off the bus at Tsumago and walk uphill to the start of the Nakasendo Trail.

brightness_alertThere are no places to eat or drink along the Nakasendo Trail. If you don’t have any drinks, buy some here.

3Nature walk

You can walk along an old mountain path where you can hear the gentle sound of a small stream and experience the traditional landscape of old Japan.

4Pass Ichikokutochi Chaya

After leaving Tsumago-juku and walking for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, you will reach Ichikokutochi Chaya teahouse, a traditional old house with a rest area.

5Magome Viewpoint

After walking for about one and a half hours, you will enter Magome-juku. Just after entering, there is a spot with a beautiful view.

6Magome-juku

Magome-juku is a historic town that prospered as a post town along the Nakasendo. Old townscapes remain along the stone-paved slope, allowing visitors to experience the atmosphere of travel in the Edo period. Surrounded by mountains and nature, it offers a quiet and traditional landscape of Japan.

7Shimazaki Tōson Memorial Museum

This is a museum dedicated to Shimazaki Tōson, who is famous as a poet who helped pioneer modern Japanese poetry and as a novelist representing naturalist literature.

8Waterwheels in Magome-juku

There are many highlights in Magome-juku. This waterwheel is one of them.

9Bus stop Magome(馬籠）

From Magome-juku, take the bus for about 30 minutes to reach Nakatsugawa Station.

10Arrive at Nakatsugawa station.

To return to Nakatsugawa Station, the most common route is to walk from Tsumago-juku to Minami Kiso Station (a 20-minute walk) and then take the train back to Nakatsugawa Station.
There is also a bus route back from Tsumago, but be aware that buses stop running after 5:00 PM.