Tsumago to Magome

This is the most popular and most beautiful part of the Nakasendo Trail (NT).  Many tourists came just to hike this part of the trail.  Evidence of its popularity is seen by the number of tourists at both towns.  As I mentioned in the previous post, Tsumago was the first post town that decided to restore its old buildings and imposed some rules on how you can restore and maintain those buildings.  However, I think the houses in Narai look older and as well maintained.  Perhaps they represent different periods of history in Japan.

I dropped my heavy backpack at a small inn (minshuku) called Koshinzuka at the head of the trail.  It costs only 500 yen.  My backpack will be delivered to the Magome Tourist Information Center in the middle of town.  It made my hike so much easier.  This service is available only after March 21 and probably end right after the tourist season.

A shrine on the main street in Tsumago

An Old House that's been restored

Main Street in Tsumago

Sweeping the floor and getting the shop ready

A Pastry Shop

Part of the Trail

An old-fashion lantern

Hanaya Hotel, where I stayed in Otsumago

There is a little bit of a climb going from Tsumago to Magome.  Maybe that's why I see a lot of people coming in the opposite direction.  The distance is about 6.2 km (about 4 miles), depending on where in Tsumago you started.  Apparently, there are some bears in the forest here.  Bells are set at certain spots so that hikers can ring them and try to scare the bears away.

Bells for scaring away bears

Toilets on the trail

A rest stop serving tea, manned by volunteers

After 2-3 hours of hiking, I arrived in Magome.  It should've taken me 2 hours but it took me longer because I stopped in many places to take pictures.  I was not in a hurry.  When I started at about 10 am, there were no one on the trail.  About an hour later, I started meeting hikers coming in the opposite direction.  Once I enter town, I started running into throngs of tourists.  Some of them came by bus or car.  They may hike part of the trail but most of them just came to visit Magome.

This sign tells you that you have arrived in Magome

One of the first houses as you enter town

Main Street

I found the Tourist Information Center in the middle of main street.  The young lady there was very helpful and spoke good English.  She confirmed that my backpack was there and she told me what time the bus will leave for Nakatsugawa Station.  From there I will take the train to Nagoya.  I had a bowl of soba noodles for lunch, picked up my backpack, walked about 400m to the bus stop, and off I go, on my way to Nagoya to meet a friend.  

This is the end of my hike on the NT.  I wish I had hike more.  But, with a heavy backpack and time constraints, you have to pick the best part.  I met a retired engineer at the Hanaya Inn who is hiking for 21 days, about 2/3 of the entire trail!  This is like hiking the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Tail or the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.  It's like a pilgrimage or a test of your endurance.  But for me, it's enjoying the backroads and small towns of Japan.