The Nakasendo, or Central Mountain Road, was constructed in the early 1600s and served as one of five routes that connected Edo-era Tokyo to key provinces. Shinkansen tracks and the Tomei expressway have replaced the better-known Tokaido (East Sea Road), which was immortalized in a series of 53 famous ukiyoe prints by Ando Hiroshige. However stretches of the 544km Nakasendo, which linked Tokyo and Kyoto, remain.

The word ‘road’ is perhaps a little misleading when applied to the Nakasendo. Much of its length was narrow and rugged, and it was traversed on foot or on horseback. The distances and terrain covered meant that juku (inns or lodgings) were necessary, and the Nakasendo had a total of 69 stations offering travelers safety, security, food and rest.

Two of these juku, Magome and Tsumago, situated in the Kiso area on the border of Nagano and Gifu prefectures, have been protected with preservation orders and restored since the 1960s. No new buildings have been constructed within the preserved areas, cars and power lines are conspicuous by their absence, and konbini (convenience stores) and franchise restaurants give way to local crafts and traditional menus. The small towns, and the 9km section of the Nakasendo that connects them, offer visitors a unique window on the past and the opportunity to become immersed in the architecture and atmosphere of a lost Japan.

 

Magome is more immediately striking than neighbouring Tsumago. The cobbled main street winds up a steep slope and offers fantastic views of the surrounding mountain landscape. There are more places to stay here than in Tsumago, and also more places to eat. Restaurants serve local specialities such as soba noodles, gohei mochi (rice cakes stretched on cedar skewers, coated with miso and roasted) and kurikinton (a dessert made from mashed sweet potato and chesnuts). Several shops also sell freshly made senbei (rice crackers) in a variety of flavours.

Noted poet and novelist Shimazaki Toson was born in Magome in 1872. The novel Before The Dawn, which was based on his father’s life and examined the impact of modernisation during the Meiji era, was one of his most respected works. An interesting museum covering all aspects of Shimazaki’s life and work can be found across from the information center half way up the main street.

 

Magome is located in contemporary Gifu prefecture, and is connected across the mountains with Tsumago in Nagano prefecture both by a modern road and a 9km section of the original Nakasendo. Visitors have the option of traveling between the towns by bus or car, but to do so would be to miss out on a pleasant two or three-hour walk and the very reason for the villages' existence.

This stretch of the Nakasendo is well marked and often paved with cobblestones. It regularly criss-crosses the modern road, so if the walk proves too strenuous you can wait for the next bus heading in your direction. The path meanders through a forest of pine and cedar trees, past rice fields, over streams and by waterfalls. Although the path rises and falls in both directions, the route from Magome to Tsumago features a greater descent and is therefore easier.

 

Tsumago is reminiscent of the preserved areas of Takayama - Gifu prefecture's 'Little Kyoto' - only here there is no wider, modern city lurking around a corner to destroy the illusion that you have stepped back in time.

Many of the town’s buildings have been restored rather than rebuilt. They are all low-rise, of authentic design and constructed using wooden materials and traditional techniques. Apart from the names displayed on wooden signs there are few clues to distinguish shops from restaurants or inns. In the evenings, the lack of modern lighting lends the streets a calm ambience of the kind usually found only in remote mountain onsen.

Shops in Tsumago sell a variety of handcrafted souvenirs, ranging from traditional toys and zori sandals to washi paper lampshades and expensive furniture. Buildings not occupied by businesses are often leased to the craftspeople who produce the goods sold in the surrounding shops. It is possible to watch ornaments receiving finishing touches with a paintbrush, wooden ballpoint pens being smoothed on a hand-operated plane, and straw hats being weaved. As well as providing an opportunity to admire the skill of the artisans, this creative use of otherwise empty structures allows visitors to get a close-up look at the interior of some interesting buildings.

Tsumago has less accommodation than Magome, and the prices tend to be higher, but if you want to spend a quiet evening relaxing at nature’s pace then it is hard to beat. One recommended option is the Matsushiro-ya ryokan, which has been in business for more than 200 years. It is a little rough around the edges, and the paper walls of the tatami bedrooms afford guests little privacy, but its central location and great atmosphere more than makes up for these flaws. A final word of advice: don’t get too attached to the attractive koi carp frolicking in the pond - one of them is likely to form part of your dinner.