Tsumago, Nagano

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General view of Tsumago.

Typical building facades.

Tsumago is a town located in Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It has been restored to its appearance as a Meiji-era post town, and is now a popular tourist destination.

During the Meiji period, Tsumago was one of the eleven post towns on the Nakasendō highway (中山道) connecting Edo (Tokyo) with Kyoto. As such it was a relatively prosperous and cosmopolitan town, with an economy based on currency. It fell into obscurity and poverty, however, after the completion of the Chūō Main Line (中央本線) railway, which did not pass through Tsumago.

In 1968, local residents began an effort to restore historical sites and structures within the town. By 1971, some 20 houses had been restored, and a charter was agreed to the effect that no place in Tsumago should be "sold, hired out, or destroyed". In 1976, the town was designated by the Japanese government as a protected area for the preservation of traditional buildings. Despite its historical appearance, however, Tsumago is fully inhabited, though with tourist shops as the town's main business.

Tsumago contains a number of interesting historic properties, including:

Nagiso-machi Museum - the Tsumago-juku Honjin; the Waki-honjim "Okuya" (a large dwelling place, secondary inn for officials, and one of the Important Cultural Properties of Japan); and a local historical museum.

Kabuto-kannon (Kannon's helmet) - a small shrine to Minamoto no Yoshinaka, circa 1180, the "General of the Rising Son" who build a citadel at Tsumago.

Tsumago-jo-ato "Shiroyama" - the ruins of Tsumago castle, now mostly vanished, but site of a 1584 battle

Kotokuji Temple - founded in 1500, with main deity added in 1599. Notable for its "singing floorboards" and a 500-year-old weeping cherry tree.

Perhaps its most interesting aspect, however, is the restored row of houses along the former post road. Most were houses built for common people in the mid-1700s, with shops and inns for travelers along the Nakasendō.

A quiet portion of the original highway has been preserved between Tsumago and Magome, the next post town (also restored). It provides for a pleasant walk through forests and past waterfall.

Tsumago sits at the south end of the Kiso District at the juncture of routes 19 and 256. It can also be reached via a nearby railway station at Nagiso, Nagano on the Chūō Main Line.