minshuku

Last November I spent four nights in the preserved post town of Magome, which was one of the rest stations on the Kisoji and Nakasendo travel roads during Japan’s medieval era. Today, Magome (like neighboring Tsumago) offers Japanese and foreign tourists a chance to step back in time and see how people lived in samurai-era Japan. From Nakatsugawa, I took a bus to the “lower entrance” of Magome: Cars and buses are not allowed on the street; visitors who want to see Magome, or visit its shops and restaurants, must walk. This can be challenging for visitors staying in one of the local minshuku (family inns, smaller than ryokan,