Magome-juku Post Town

Nestled in the mountains on the border of Gifu Prefecture and Nagano Prefecture, Magome-juku was the 43rd post town on the Nakasendo Road, the route that once connected Edo (Tokyo) with Kyoto. During the Edo period, this hilly post town bustled with travelers, merchants, and officials on their journeys. Today, its sloping cobblestone street—unique among Japan’s post towns—still carries the nostalgic charm of an era when journeys were made on foot.
Both sides of the street are lined with wooden inns, shops, and restaurants offering local specialties like freshly grilled gohei-mochi (rice cakes with a sauce made of soy sauce and walnuts) and soba noodles.
Magome-juku is also the birthplace of Shimazaki Toson, one of Japan’s great modern writers, whose novel Before the Dawn vividly described life along the Kiso Road. His former home, now the Toson Memorial Museum, was also known as Magome-juku Honjin (a honjin is a main inn, reserved for high-ranking officials).
Surrounded by mountains that change with the seasons, Magome-juku is perfect for a scenic walk through Edo-period history, and a taste of countryside hospitality that continues to welcome travelers just as it did centuries ago.