Keisai Eisen's print of Magome-juku, part of the The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Kaidō series

Magome-juku

Main path through Magome-juku

Magome-juku (馬籠宿, Magome-juku^?) was the forty-third of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō, an ancient road that connected Kyoto and Edo during the Edo period. was a Japanese Ukiyo-e artist who specialised in Bijinga (woodcuts of beautiful women The is a series of Ukiyo-e works created by Utagawa Hiroshige and Keisai Eisen. The are the rest areas along the Nakasendō, which ran from Nihonbashi in Edo (modern day Tokyo) to Sanjō Ōhashi in Kyoto 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. (IPA /kʲoːto / is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. literally bay - Door, " Estuary " edo once also spelled Yedo or Yeddo, is the The, also referred to as the Tokugawa period (徳川時代 Tokugawa-jidai) is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1868 It was also the last of eleven stations along the Kisoji, which was the precursor to a part of the Nakasendō, running through the Kiso Valley. was an old trade route in the Kiso Valley that stretched from Niekawa-juku in Nagano Prefecture to Magome-juku in Gifu Prefecture. is a geographical area that centers on the Valley of the upper portions of the Kiso River in the southwestern part of Nagano Prefecture in Japan. This well-preserved section of the old route is in the present-day city of Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. is a city located in the Tōnō region of Gifu Prefecture, Japan. WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines--> is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics.

History

As a post town, it was relatively prosperous and cosmopolitan, with a currency-based economy. were post stations during the Edo period in Japan, generally located on one of the Edo Five Routes or one of its sub-routes It fell into obscurity and poverty, however, after the completion of the Chūō Main Line railway, which did not pass through Magome. The, commonly called the Chūō Line, is one of the trunk lines of JR in Japan. In recent decades, it has been restored to its appearance as an Edo period post town and is now a popular tourist destination. The, also referred to as the Tokugawa period (徳川時代 Tokugawa-jidai) is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1868

The central feature of Magome is its restored row of houses along the former post road, which runs at a slope between the town's low and high ends. Most were 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 Magome-juku and Tsumago-juku, the next post town, which was also restored. was the forty-second of the sixty-nine post towns on the Nakasendō. It provides for a pleasant walk through forests and past waterfalls. Bus service is also provided between the two post towns, allowing visitors to easily start at either end of the path. ^[1]

Notes of Interest

View from the top of the hill in Magome-juku

Magome was the birthplace and childhood home of noted author Shimazaki Tōson, who wrote about the Kiso region in his most famous novel, Before the Dawn between 1929 and 1935. is the Pen-name of a Japanese author, active in the Meiji, Taishō and early Showa period Japan. is Tōson Shimazaki 's most famous Historical novel. It was originally published in Chūōkōron in 1929 as a serial work He is buried in the town's small cemetery.

The town also offers a fine view of Mount Ena, which rises 2,190 m (7,185 ft). is a mountain located on the border between Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture, and Achi, Nagano Prefecture in the Chūbu region of Japan Panoramic views of the surrounding mountains may be enjoyed from a vista above the main parking lot at Magome's upper end.

Neighboring Post Towns

Nakasendō

Tsumago-juku - Magome-juku - Ochiai-juku

Kisoji

Tsumago-juku - Magome-juku (ending location)

References

1. ^ Tsumago-juku. was the forty-second of the sixty-nine post towns on the Nakasendō. was the forty-fourth of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō. was the forty-second of the sixty-nine post towns on the Nakasendō. (Japanese) Tsumago Sightseeing Association. Accessed July 10, 2007.