Magome-Juku: 400 Years of History and Culture in a Hillside Town
10 July 2025
Imagine walking along stone-paved slopes, gazing at the same scenery that travellers experienced 400 years ago.
Magome-juku (馬籠宿) is a charming historic post town where literature and history come alive. It was one of the post towns (shukuba-machi / 宿場町) along the important Nakasendo Trail (中山道), which once connected Edo (present-day Tokyo) to Kyoto. The town is famous for its beautiful hillside streets. Located in Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture, it's a special tourist destination where you can experience Japan's history and culture, accessible in about 4 hours from Tokyo via Nagoya, or about 2 hours from Nagoya.
One of Magome-juku's greatest attractions is the Nakasendo hiking trail that continues to the neighbouring post town of Tsumago-juku (妻籠宿). This approximately 8km route takes about 3 hours to walk and follows the same historical path that samurai and merchants actually travelled 400 years ago. Walking along Edo-period stone pavements while enjoying beautiful forests, clear waterfalls, and pastoral landscapes offers a truly unique experience rarely found elsewhere in Japan.
How to Get to Magome-juku
The most common and reliable way to reach Magome-juku is by taking a local bus from JR Nakatsugawa Station (中津川駅).
Getting to JR Nakatsugawa Station
From Tokyo: Take the Nozomi shinkansen (bullet train) to Nagoya Station, then the limited express Shinano to Nakatsugawa Station (approximately 4 hours)
From Nagoya: Take the limited express Shinano to Nakatsugawa Station (approximately 1 hour)
From Osaka: Take the Nozomi shinkansen to Nagoya Station, then the limited express Shinano to Nakatsugawa Station (approximately 3 hours)
Please refer to the article below for how to buy and use shinkansen tickets. Note that whilst the Nozomi shinkansen requires an additional fee, all routes to Nakatsugawa Station are JR lines, so you can use a JR Pass.
Please note that the limited express Shinano has limited luggage space. Carry-on sized suitcases can be placed on the overhead luggage racks in each carriage, but larger suitcases have very limited storage space, so please be careful. There is no advance reservation system for oversized luggage spaces like on the Tokaido Shinkansen, as the space simply doesn't exist.
Taking the Bus from Nakatsugawa Station to Magome-juku
When you arrive at Nakatsugawa Station, exit the ticket gates and head to the bus stops on the left side. There are three bus stops, but the one for Magome is the brown bus stop number 3. Look for buses displaying "Magome" as the destination.
Bus Company: Kitaena Kotsu (北恵那交通)
Route Name: Magome Line (馬籠線)
Journey Time: Approximately 25 minutes
Fare: 800 yen (as of 2025)
How to Board the Bus and Payment Method
The Magome bus operates on a cash-only, pay-when-you-exit system with fares that vary by distance. When boarding, be sure to take a numbered ticket from the orange box.
When you reach your destination, pay at the driver's seat by putting your numbered ticket and fare into the fare box. Please note that this local bus does not accept IC cards or credit cards. There is an automatic change machine near the driver's seat, but it only accepts 1,000 yen notes.
Boarding Method: Board through the rear door and take a numbered ticket
Payment Method: Pay with cash through the front door when alighting (Suica or credit cards not accepted)
Important Note: Fares are not flat-rate but vary according to distance travelled
Bus Timetable (Main Services)
Bus services are limited, so we strongly recommend checking the timetable in advance. Services may be cancelled due to weather conditions or road conditions. Please check the page below:
Kitaena Kotsu Bus Time table
https://kitaena.co.jp/timetable/
Luggage Storage at Nakatsugawa Station
There are luggage storage facilities (coin lockers) just outside Nakatsugawa Station. However, please note that payment is cash only. As mentioned later, the tourist information centre at Magome-juku also offers luggage storage services, as well as a luggage delivery service for those heading to Tsumago-juku.
Payment Method: Cash only (Suica not accepted)
Operating Hours: 24 hours (within 3 days)
Taxi Access
As bus services are limited, taking a taxi is another option. Actually, when we visited Magome-juku, we missed the bus and travelled by taxi.
Fare: Approximately 4,000-5,000 yen
Journey Time: Approximately 25 minutes
Taxi Rank: Nakatsugawa Station East Exit taxi rank
Reservations: No advance booking required (taxis usually available at the station)
Important Note: Some taxis accept credit card payments, but some are cash only.
Magome-juku: The Unique Beauty of a Hillside Town
Magome-juku's greatest feature is its beautiful sloping streets. Wooden buildings line the stone-paved slopes, creating a scene that looks as if it has stepped out of an Edo-period scroll painting.
Unlike other post towns, Magome-juku was built along a mountainside, creating a picturesque three-dimensional townscape that looks beautiful from every angle.
Attractions in Magome-juku
Here are the main attractions to see in Magome-juku.
Souvenir Shops and Gohei-mochi Near the Bus Stop
One thing you absolutely must try in Magome-juku is "gohei-mochi" (五平餅). This is a traditional dish made by roughly mashing freshly cooked rice, shaping it into dumplings on flat skewers, coating it with a special sauce made from walnuts, sesame, and miso, then grilling it slowly over charcoal.
The surface of the gohei-mochi is grilled until fragrant, and when you take a bite, the walnut flavour and sweet-savoury sauce spread through your mouth. The hot gohei-mochi is especially delicious on cold days, warming you from the inside out.
Characteristics of Magome-juku's Gohei-mochi: Magome-juku's gohei-mochi is "dumpling-shaped" (団子型), which differs from the "sandal-shaped" (わらじ型) version in neighbouring Tsumago-juku. Both are delicious, so when hiking the Nakasendo Trail, it's fun to compare both flavours.
Magome Tourist Information Centre - The Perfect Starting Point for Your Journey
If you want to explore Magome-juku efficiently, we highly recommend starting at the Magome Tourist Information Centre. It's close to the bus stop and perfectly positioned as a starting point for exploring Magome-juku.
Tourist Information Centre Services:
Multilingual Tourist Maps: Detailed tourist maps in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean
English Brochures: High-quality brochures explaining Magome-juku's history and attractions in English
Nakasendo Guidebook: Extremely useful booklets covering the history, culture, and hiking routes of the Nakasendo Trail
Luggage Storage Service: Store large luggage to explore freely
Luggage Delivery to Tsumago-juku: Convenient service for Nakasendo Trail hikers
The booklets about the Nakasendo Trail are particularly valuable, with detailed explanations of the history and culture of the Edo-period highway and the characteristics of each post town, deepening your understanding of Magome-juku and Tsumago-juku. For those planning to hike to Tsumago-juku, the luggage delivery service is extremely convenient. They'll deliver heavy souvenirs and large backpacks to Tsumago-juku, allowing you to enjoy your hike unencumbered.
The Nakasendo Walking Map is Essential
If you're planning to hike the Nakasendo Trail in the Kiso Valley (木曽路), the Nakasendo Walking Map is an absolutely essential brochure to obtain. It includes English text and provides detailed explanations of each Nakasendo route.
Water Mills - Experience Edo-Period Life and Wisdom
As you begin climbing through Magome-juku, you'll see water mills everywhere. Especially in hot summer weather, the water spray looks refreshingly cool. The sound of turning water wheels enhances Magome-juku's atmosphere and helps visitors imagine life in old Japan.
These water mills are unique to a post town built along a mountain pass. Whilst historically used for flour milling and rice polishing, these water mills are now actually used for hydroelectric power generation. You can enter the buildings to see displays showing power generation levels, which is quite interesting.
Kiso Magome-Shimizuya Museum (木曽馬籠-清水屋資料館)
After seeing Japan's old townscapes, you'll naturally want to actually go inside the houses. For such visitors, we recommend the Shimizuya Museum.
Waki-honjin Museum - History of Edo-Period Post Towns
At Magome-juku's Waki-honjin Museum (脇本陣史料館), you can learn in detail about the history of Edo-period post towns and daimyo processions (formal processions of feudal lords). Precious materials are displayed that tell the story of travel conditions at that time and the lifestyle of people in post towns.
Particularly interesting are the tools used during daimyo processions and recreations of rooms where travellers of the time stayed. You can experience first-hand what kind of environment people travelled in during the Edo period.
Opening Hours: 9:00-17:00 (last admission 16:45)
Admission Fee: Adults 300 yen, Elementary/Middle school students 100 yen
Closed Days: 29 December - 1 January
Traditional Houses Around the Waki-honjin Museum
As you walk through Magome-juku, you'll find beautifully preserved traditional houses scattered around the Waki-honjin Museum. Some of these buildings are still used as residences, whilst others have been converted into cafés and souvenir shops.
The soba (buckwheat noodle) restaurants are also recommended.
Notice Board (Kosatsuba / 高札場) - The Information Hub of the Edo Period
In the Edo period, when there were no information transmission methods like modern internet or television, how did people learn about laws and important information? The answer lies in the kosatsuba (notice board).
The kosatsuba was where the Edo shogunate (military government) wrote and posted laws, regulations, and important announcements on wooden boards, functioning like an official bulletin board in modern terms. The kosatsuba in Magome-juku displays recreated content that was actually posted at the time, showing everything from harsh laws like "arsonists and thieves shall be executed" to travel guidelines like "travellers must not misrepresent their social status."
Thanks to such bulletin boards in post towns, travellers could learn the same laws and regulations anywhere in Japan, enabling a unified social system to function.
Nakasendo Trail Hiking to Neighbouring Tsumago-juku
After fully enjoying Magome-juku's charms, we highly recommend taking on the Nakasendo Trail hike to the neighbouring post town of Tsumago-juku. This approximately 8km route follows the same historical path that samurai and merchants actually walked 400 years ago. You can enjoy beautiful forests, clear waterfalls, and pastoral landscapes whilst arriving at another beautiful post town.
The journey from Magome-juku to Tsumago-juku is mainly downhill, making it physically manageable and safe for beginners to enjoy. The route is full of highlights, including the beautiful Otaki and Metaki waterfalls (男滝・女滝) and ancient stone-paved paths that retain their Edo-period atmosphere.
Recommended Base for Exploring the Nakasendo Trail: Kiso-Fukushima
For exploring the Nakasendo Trail, we recommend Kiso-Fukushima (木曽福島) as your accommodation base. We actually used Kiso-Fukushima as our base to explore both Magome-juku and Tsumago-juku, and were thoroughly satisfied with its excellent access and the town's charm.
Kiso-Fukushima's Appeal:
Excellent Access: The limited express Shinano stops here, about 1 hour from Nagoya
Abundant Accommodation Options: From historic ryokan (traditional inns) to modern hotels, with choices to suit any budget
Perfect as a Tourist Base: Good access not only to Magome-juku but also to Tsumago-juku and Narai-juku
The Town's Own Charm: Many attractions including sekisho (checkpoint) ruins, old townscapes, and free foot baths
There are many excellent restaurants near Kiso-Fukushima Station, and you can start sightseeing early in the morning, allowing you to enjoy the quiet Magome-juku before the crowds arrive.
