❖ Magome-juku

09:35 - 10:05 (30 min)

Meet your guide at Nakatsugawa Station's ticket gate at 09:00 before heading off to your first destination of Magome-juku by bus. Magome-juku is a post town on this ancient highway where many samurai passed through on their journey to and from the capital of Edo (present-day Tokyo) between the seventeenth and mid-nineteenth centuries. Located at an altitude of 600 metres, you can take in the vast cityscape of Nakatsugawa and Mt. Ena (one of Japan's 100 greatest mountains) to the southeast. Magome-juku's highway runs along a steep slope along the ridge of the mountain, and is characterised by hill houses because the inns had to be built on steep slopes, supported with stone walls at the base.

❖ Magome Jinba Observatory

10:00 - 10:10 (10 min)

This observatory located just up the slope of Magome-juku has a great view from an altitude of 801 metres. Placed at the highest point of the Magome - Tsumago hiking course, you can see not only Magome but also a beautiful view of Mt. Ena. The sunset as seen from the observatory is ranked among the top 100 sunsets in Japan.

❖ Odaki and Medaki Waterfall

11:40 - 11:45 (5 min)

On the left side of the waterfall is Odaki (man waterfall), and on the right side is Medaki (woman waterfall). Since the highway opened in Kiso, these have been a popular place for travellers to refresh themselves. It is also the setting of Eiji Yoshikawa's novel Miyamoto Musashi, and the place of the passionate love between Musashi and Otsu.

❖ Otsumago

12:20 - 12:40 (20 min)

Otsumago is a district in the Tsumago-juku Preservation Area where houses built in the Hon-Udatsu and Dashibari Zukuri styles line the streets. Even though the surrounding area is becoming a tourist destination, this location lies hidden away from major development, putting it off the beaten path. The road winding its way along the mountain stream conjures up rustic imagery of rural Japan.

❖ Tsumago-juku and Lunch Time

12:50 - 14:10 (1:20 h)

Tsumago-juku used to have one Honjin inn, one Waki-Honjin inn, and 31 Hatago inns. This was where the commoners would stay when they journeyed on the highway. It is one of the most famous towns along the Nakasendo. Even now, the seventeenth and eighteenth-century Edo-era townscapes, including the restored Honjin and Waki-Honjin as well as the streets of Terashita and Masugata, are designated important cultural properties of Japan. It is also called a living museum.

❖ Nagiso Town Museum

14:10 - 14:30 (20 min)

This museum sits inside a Waki-honjin Okuya residence (Hayashiya House, a Designated Important Cultural Property). The house has been restored based on late Edo-period floor plans. The museum consists of three reinforced concrete and wooden structures. Experience an authentic Tsumago-juku Honjin, which allows you to immerse yourself in Kiso's history with visuals, films, and artefacts. Deepen your understanding of Tsumago-juku at this interactive museum.

❖ Waki-honjin Okuya

14:35 - 15:00 (25 min)

This 1877 residence served as a Waki-honjin and provision store for generations, and is built from fragrant Japanese cypress which had only recently been legalised as a building material when it was constructed. Using the best of building technology at the time, the Waki-honjin Okuya is designated as an Important Cultural Property. In 1880, Emperor Meiji also stayed here.

❖ Nagiso Station

15:26

After visiting Waki-honjin Okuya, head to Nagiso Station to end your journey by local bus.