150606 Tsumago-juku Nagiso Nagano pref Japan44n

was the forty-second of the sixty-nine post towns on the

Nakasendō The , also called the ,Richard Lane, ''Images from the Floating World'' (1978) Chartwell, Secaucus ; pg. 285 was one of the five routes of the Edo period, and one of the two that connected Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to Kyoto in Japan. There were 69 ...

. It is located in Nagiso,

Kiso District is a district located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As of November 1, 2005, the district has an estimated population of 34,759. The total area is 1,546.26 km2. Historically, the district was once known as Nishichikuma District (西筑摩郡) ...

, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It has been restored to its appearance as an Edo-era

post town A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system.Royal Mail, ''Address Management Guide'', (2004) Including the correct post town in the address increases ...

and is now a popular tourist destination.

History

During the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characte ...

, Tsumago was the forty-second of the sixty-nine post towns, which connected Edo (present-day

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

) with

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...

. Prior to becoming part of the Nakasendō, it was the tenth of eleven stations along the

Kisoji The was an old trade route in the Kiso Valley that stretched from Niekawa-juku in Nagano Prefecture to Magome-juku in Gifu Prefecture. There were eleven resting spots along the route, all of which became part of the Nakasendō when it was establ ...

, 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. 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

Tsumago contains a number of interesting properties, including: *Tsumago-juku's former '' honjin'' and Okuya, the ''waki-honjin'', are both open to visitors today. The ''honjin'', which was the main inn of the post town, was originally destroyed, but it was rebuilt in 1995. The original building of the ''waki-honjin'', which was the secondary inn, however, still remains and was named an Important Cultural Property in 2001.Tsumago-juku Honjin
. Nagiso Town. Accessed November 29, 2007. *The Nagiso Museum of History (歴史資料館) contains information on the areas history, the preservation of row houses and data about row houses throughout the country. *Kabuto Kannon Shrine (かぶと観音) is a small shrine dedicated to

Minamoto no Yoshinaka , , or Lord Kiso was a general from the late Heian period of Japanese history. A member of the Minamoto clan, Minamoto no Yoritomo was his cousin and rival during the Genpei War between the Minamoto and the Taira clans. Yoshinaka was born in Musas ...

, the "General of the Rising Sun," who built a citadel at Tsumago. The shrine was built around 1180. *Tsumago Castle (妻籠城) is nothing but a few ruins today. During the Edo period, however, its mountaintop location gave it wonderful views of both Tsumago-juku and

Midono-juku was the forty-first of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō, as well as the ninth of eleven stations on the Kisoji. It is located in the present-day town of Nagiso, in the Kiso District of Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It was originally written ...

. It served as the site of a large battle in 1584 and was dismantled in the early 17th century, as a result of the

Genna was a coming after '' Keichō'' and before ''Kan'ei.'' This period spanned the years from July 1615 to February 1624. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 1615 : The era name was changed to mark the enthronement of Go-Mizunuoo and bec ...

era's "one country, one castle" rule. *Rurisan Kōtoku-ji Temple (光徳寺), with its white walls and stone base, rises one story above the area's buildings. Founded in 1500, its main deity was added in 1599, and is notable for its

Nightingale floor ' are floors that make a chirping sound when walked upon. These floors were used in the hallways of some temples and palaces, the most famous example being Nijō Castle, in Kyoto, Japan. Dry boards naturally creak under pressure, but these f ...

s and a 500-year-old weeping cherry tree out front. 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 was the forty-third of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō connecting Edo with Kyoto in Edo period Japan. It is located in former Mino Province in what is now part of the city of Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It was also the l ...

, the next post town (also restored). It provides for a pleasant walk through the forests and past a 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.Tsumago-juku
. Tsumago Sightseeing Association. Accessed July 10, 2007. File:Tsumago 2009 17.JPG, Resting station for higher guests such as daimyō File:150606 Tsumago-juku Nagiso Nagano pref Japan18n.jpg, Okuya, the ''waki-honjin'' File:150606 Tsumago-juku Nagiso Nagano pref Japan24n.jpg, The Nagiso Museum of History File:Tsumago 2009 15.JPG, Old school building File:Tsumago 2009 18.JPG, Rurisan Kōtoku-ji Temple

Neighboring post towns

;Nakasendō & Kisoji :

- Tsumago-juku - Magome-juku

Access

Tsumago sits at the south end of the

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

External links