Prince Akishino-no-miya stayed here

Here's a picture of Tsutamuraya, an old-fashioned inn in Oh-tsumago, where Akishino-no-miya, the younger brother of Crown Prince Naruhito, stayed as a college student. He and his college mates including his future wife Kiko were on a field trip of their college circle.

Oh-tsumago looks authentic

Oh-tsumago stands about one kilometer away from the edge of Tsumago, well-known for starting the campaign of preserving the whole historical townscape. Tsumago attracts a large number of tour buses; tourists come on the bus and take a stroll in a small area and go back. The streets and buildings have been preserved and protected under the law and look historical, but a few accommodations in Oh-tsumago seem to be more authentic than those found in Tsumago. Here's a photo of a small inn in Oh-tsumago. Through a small sliding door made of paper and wood, people come in and out usually. But a large wooden door incorporating the sliding door, called Oh-do, literally meaning "the big door," can be lifted up when large stuff has to be carried in and out.

A bit of Magome

The post station called Magome, with houses lining a 600-meter mildly curved passage, was the 43rd counting from the first station on the outskirts of Edo, or Tokyo. It was 333km away from Nihon-bashi in Tokyo. Magome was the only station developed on the steep ridge, which made the place vulnerable to fire damage. On the ridge, the water was difficult to secure. In fact, almost all the old original buildings of Magome were gone by fires, especially in 1895 and 1915, when 78 and 72 houses burned down respectively. Today you see water gushing down in the ditches on either side of the stone-paved passage. It is drawn from a river farther upward. This, along with the stone pavement, was accomplished due to the local people’s effort in recent times.

With the advent of the modern Meiji period, Magome and its neighboring stations were almost forgotten. The villagers and their places were isolated, until the 1970s when Japan’s economy was booming and the nation was becoming wealthy. Tourism brought much needed income to the villages but at the same time they were faced with the danger of losing their rustic beauty, falling victim to secularism. People of Magome took action and passed the resolution called the Resident Charter. They decided to preserve a historical area. During the course of effort, twenty six utility poles were reinstalled behind the houses, making the street decent and proper. No poles or wires are seen from the main passageway. The atmosphere as a post station has been restored. No utility poles or pachinko parlors in sight is truly blessing, which is not always the case in many other places in this country.

Amazingly it’s easy enough to go to Magome. Even a day trip from Tokyo or Kyoto is possible (still I recommend staying overnight). The nearest JR station is Nakatsu-gawa, less than one hour by limited express from Nagoya. From Nakatsu-gawa, you take a bus to Magome; it’s a 30-minute ride but the service is not frequent. You’d like to check beforehand.

Tajima-ya

Here's a picture of Tajima-ya in Magome, conveniently located on the main pass and near the Tourist Information. Its sunken hearth is lovely, good to chat around it in the evening. More coming about Magome later.

A bit of Nakasen-doh

At the beginning of the 17th century, a 530km-long route called Nakasen-doh was officially developed by the Tokugawa shogunate, connecting the bridge of Nihon-bashi in Edo (present-day Tokyo) and Kyoto. Along the route were sixty nine post stations, 11 of which were in Kiso-dani, or the Valley of Kiso. It was a mountain route and quite major along with the route called Tokai-doh, which also connected Edo and Kyoto. Nakasen-doh was a detour among the two, but didn’t entail wasting time for river floods or sea accidents. The route was nicknamed, the Princess Road, for the women from noble families in Kyoto preferred to take this route, avoiding the possible dangers Tokai-doh entailed. There still is Nakasen-doh, although it’s not the same as the original. Hiking courses are available, highly recommendable if you’re a nature lover. Or if you want to appreciate just a little bit of hiking in the forest in a T-shirt and flat walking shoes, the course between the Magome Pass and Tsumago is right for you.

Here’s the itinerary:
You arrive at the Magome in the early afternoon, where you stay for a night Explore the neighborhood including a little trail to the stone-paved passage in Ochiai, 30 to 40 minutes on foot (remember you have to come back so you are walking 60 to 80 minutes totally), if you like, until evening. You’ll take a shower or bath then enjoy the dinner of local cuisine at your accommodation (in my case, Tajima-ya). You’ll probably enjoy an evening stroll outside and even another in the following morning. Now the 2nd day - after eating breakfast, packing your stuff, bringing your luggage to the Tourist Information for the delivery service of 500 Yen from Magome to Tsumago Tourist Information, you walk down to the Magome bus stop, where you take a bus to the Magome Pass at 9:25; that’s where you start descending for two hours to Tsumago. 99% of the course is downward. Sounds easy but still you are surrounded with this serene energy coming from the forests. The two waterfalls on the way will refresh you. Post stations are lovely, but you won’t regret walking a bit. Really rewarding and refreshing. After all, you can tell your friends proudly that you walked the old road where princesses, samurai warriors, merchants, and others of the Edo period did. You’ll feel history too.