Kiso Valley Nakasendo Station Town Culture

Established during the Edo period, the Tokaido's 53 stations served as the primary route for Ise Shrine pilgrims. Temple towns developed along the route, blending commoner faith with commerce to create distinctive townscapes. Important station towns like Hakone, Kawasaki, and Kyoto remain preserved today.

A collection of woodblock prints by Edo-period ukiyo-e artists depicting pilgrimage to the Saigoku 33 temples. Works such as Hokusai and Hiroshige's 'Saigoku 33 Temples Landscape Compendium' introduced pilgrimage sites nationwide and encouraged visitation. These prints exemplify how cultural media merged religious faith with tourism.

The Nakasendo route connecting Edo and Kyoto served not only pilgrims but merchants and travelers. Included pilgrimages to Suwa faith sites in Shinshu and numerous shrines/temples in Mino Province. Historic post towns like Tsumago and Magome remain, allowing experience of Edo-period travel culture. Many still walk this route today, exemplifying the historical relationship between pilgrimage and travel in Japan.

The most scenic section of the Nakasendo route through Kiso Valley, Nagano Prefecture. Eleven post towns remain, preserving Edo-period landscapes. The mountain pass between Tsumago and Magome stations holds particular historical significance and attracts pilgrims as a hiking route. Designated as a national important cultural property for its well-preserved historic townscapes.

Historic post towns on the Nakasendo road preserving Edo-period atmosphere in the Kiso Valley. Tsumago, Japan's first town to undertake streetscape preservation, and Magome with its beautiful stone-paved slopes are connected by a hiking route popular with international tourists.

A Nakasendo post town in Nagiso, Nagano Prefecture. The site of Japan's first townscape preservation movement, perfectly maintaining Edo-period atmosphere. The approximately 8km hiking course to neighboring Magome-juku is enormously popular with international trekkers, becoming a sacred destination for walking Japan's old roads.

Pilgrimage to Ise Grand Shrine became a massive popular phenomenon in the Edo period with the saying 'once in a lifetime, visit Ise.' Including the Okagehyokocho street food culture and famous Akafuku mochi, it remains a spiritual travel touchstone for Japanese people today.