Tsumago-juku

A post town on the Nakasendo highway in Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture. Japan's longest preserved post town with Edo-period streetscape extending about 1km, designated an Important Preservation District. The continuous row of wooden houses with lattice doors offers a time-slip experience, highly popular with international visitors.

One of the five major highways connecting Edo and Kyoto, featuring 69 post towns. The section between Tsumago and Magome in particular preserves Edo-period atmosphere and has become an enormously popular trekking route among international hikers.

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.

An ancient pilgrimage network registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under 'Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.' The trails linking the three Kumano grand shrines share a sister-road partnership with Spain's Camino de Santiago.

One of the five major Edo-period highways, connecting Edo (Tokyo) to Kyoto over approximately 540 kilometers. Now developed as a 1,020-kilometer hiking course, with preserved post towns, particularly Tsumago and Magome in Nagano Prefecture. Attracting approximately 500,000 visitors annually, it is an important tourism route offering authentic Edo-period culture and landscapes.

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.