Sunday 18/03/2018 Magome – Nagiso
Nakasendo Highway, JAPAN
Participants: Bethany Davies, Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report)
The walk from Magome to Nagiso is part of the Nakasendo, one of the old roads made during Japan’s Edo Period (1603 to 1867). It started from Edo (present day Tokyo) reaching Kyoto via the Kiso Valley. Magome and Tsumago are both post towns (juku) which has stone paved streets with well restored and preserved buildings in keeping with the style of the Edo Period.
Max elevation: 809 m
Total climbing: 1007 m
Total descent: -1180 m
Average speed: 4.61 km/h
Total time: 05:22:42
We arrived in this area by train from Tokyo. It took four trains of decreasing size and speed before we reached our base at a wonderful Air BNB in the town of Sakashita. On the day of our walk we caught the train from Sakashita to Nakatsugawa and then a bus to the scenic town of Magome where we began.
We were lucky to awake to a cold but very clear day. The town of Magome is comprised of numerous small preserved wooden buildings. It was interesting to watch the locals go about their daily routines. The trail was very well signposted in Japanese and English with frequent distance markings. The stone and cobbled paths were impressive. It wasn’t long before we saw our first bear bell, “Ring the bell hard against bears” we were instructed. A local later told us he had never seen a bear!
Ringing the bear bell
There are many stone tablets, small graveyards, temples and shrines along the way. We were pleasantly surprised to be invited into a free rest area and given complimentary green tea and lollies inside the smoke filled 250 year old tea house without a chimney. We chatted to the chief volunteer and his assistant. Japanese people are so humble, respectful and welcoming.
We continued on our way passing over the small Magome mountain pass and stopped at the male and female waterfalls without knowing which one was which gender. There were more temples along the way and lovely forest but still no bears.
Tsumago was a lovely historic town with many shops and small restaurants selling traditional Japanese food. We enjoyed coffee, rice on a stick with walnut sauce and small dumplings type snacks filled with spicy vegetables and pumpkin.
We walked a further 3.5km along the Nakasendo to reach Nagiso JR station where we could catch a train back to Sakashita. This section was also very pleasant, passing more wooden houses, some with water wheels and many with small shrines at the front.
We walked up to the ruins of the Tsumago Castle where we enjoyed great views of some distant snow capped mountains.
It was then a short walk to Nagiso station. Unfortunately the next train for us was an hour and a half wait so we decided on a taxi to get us home. The taxi seat covers were pure white with some frilled edges so that was an experience in itself. That evening we enjoyed a Japanese meal of Soba noodles and a trip to the local public baths with our beautiful host family – this was a wonderful treat.
This section of the Nakasendo was an excellent day trip and well worth the effort of traveling to this more rural area of Japan.
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