Nakasendō Trail between Magome and Tsumago

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About Nakasendō Trail between Magome and Tsumago

The trail between Magome and Tsumago follows a well-preserved section of the Nakasendo, the Edo-period route between Edo and Kyoto through the interior. It is about 8 km, with stretches of old stone paving, forest dirt paths and some passages along rural roads. The highest point is the Magome pass, at about 800 meters altitude, on the border between Gifu and Nagano.

Leaving Magome, the climb to the pass is short, about an hour, passing farmhouses and fields. From the pass the path descends through cedar and Japanese cypress forests, crossing streams. Midway is the Tateba teahouse, an old house where volunteers often offer tea to walkers and talk about the road.

Further on, the Odaki and Medaki waterfalls, the “male waterfall” and the “female waterfall,” fall side by side in a valley, linked to a passage in Eiji Yoshikawa’s novel about the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. The route continues through small hamlets, like Ichikokutochi, until it reaches Tsumago at the top of the village.

The trail is signposted in Japanese and English, with distance markers. Bells are hung along it to warn black bears of people’s presence, and there are toilets at some points. In season, the villages offer luggage transport between visitor centers. In winter, snow and ice make the path slippery.