Tsumago-juku

Panoramic view of Tsumago during spring, seen from Rurisan Kōtoku-ji Temple (2009)
Main street of Tsumago-juku in spring

Tsumago-juku (妻籠宿 Tsumago-juku) was the forty-second of the sixty-nine post towns on the Nakasendō. It is located in Nagiso, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It has been restored to its appearance as an Edo-era post town and is now a popular tourist destination.

History

Hiroshige's print of Tsumago-juku, part of the The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Kaidō series

During the Edo period, Tsumago was the forty-second of the sixty-nine post towns, which connected Edo (present-day Tokyo) with Kyoto. Prior to becoming part of the Nakasendō, it was the tenth of eleven stations along the Kisoji, a minor trade route running through the Kiso Valley. 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 railway, which bypassed 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 Nationally-designated Architectural Preservation Site. Despite its historical appearance, however, Tsumago is fully inhabited, though with tourist shops as the town's main business.

Points of interest

Resting station for higher guests such as daimyo
Rurisan Kōtoku-ji Temple
Old school building

Tsumago contains a number of interesting properties, including:

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-18th century, 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. Also, so guests do not have to walk the path twice to return to the beginning of the hike, bus service is provided between the two ends of the road.[1]

Neighboring post towns

Nakasendō & Kisoji
Midono-juku - Tsumago-juku - Magome-juku

Access

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 the town of Nagiso on the Chūō Main Line.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Tsumago-juku. Tsumago Sightseeing Association. Accessed July 10, 2007.
  2. Tsumago-juku Honjin. Nagiso Town. Accessed November 29, 2007.

See also

External links

Media related to Tsumago-juku at Wikimedia Commons

Coordinates: 35°34′31″N 137°35′42″E / 35.5753°N 137.5951°E