Chūbu tour by car - Part 2:
Tsumago & Magome
10-11 May 2009
The most famous post towns are Tsumago and Magome, at the south end of the Kiso valley. Like Narai, these villages developed as a row of houses along the Nakasendō merchant's route and still breathe the atmosphere of bygone times. Tsumago is the more authentic post town, as it suffered fewer fires and was protected and restored earlier than Magome.
This is part of the Nakasendō route between Tsumago and Magome. I have to admit we didn't walk it more than a few hundred meters (we considered walking more, but didn't have enough time). By the way, not the whole path is nicely paved like here.
When travellers would enter a village (Magome in this case) via the Nakasendō, they would find a notice-board like this explaining the local laws.
[HDR] Down the main road of Magome.
There are many (souvenir) shops and ryokan/minshuku along the road.
The car we rented (Nissan Cube)
We went to our Ryokan (Daikiti [JP]) and had dinner. To all our surprise, one of the many small dishes consisted of a few deep-fried sweetened grasshoppers! Actually it didn't taste too much like anything. Just a bit sweet and crunchy. Then we went for a night-walk through the village (armed with a tripod, camera remote-release and using 2s exposures). This is my father in front of the ryokan by the way.
Main street of Tsumago, with the characteristic tree (you see the image of this tree ANYWHERE)
[HDR] The good thing about staying in one of the post towns is not only that you can see it at the evening, but also by daylight BEFORE all the tourists come! Only a few shops open before 10 and upto then it is quite quiet.
[HDR]
Lots of swallows in these old villages...
This is part of the Nakasendō route between Tsumago and Magome. I have to admit we didn't walk it more than a few hundred meters (we considered walking more, but didn't have enough time). By the way, not the whole path is nicely paved like here.
When travellers would enter a village (Magome in this case) via the Nakasendō, they would find a notice-board like this explaining the local laws.
[HDR] Down the main road of Magome.
There are many (souvenir) shops and ryokan/minshuku along the road.
The car we rented (Nissan Cube)
We went to our Ryokan (Daikiti [JP]) and had dinner. To all our surprise, one of the many small dishes consisted of a few deep-fried sweetened grasshoppers! Actually it didn't taste too much like anything. Just a bit sweet and crunchy. Then we went for a night-walk through the village (armed with a tripod, camera remote-release and using 2s exposures). This is my father in front of the ryokan by the way.
Main street of Tsumago, with the characteristic tree (you see the image of this tree ANYWHERE)
[HDR] The good thing about staying in one of the post towns is not only that you can see it at the evening, but also by daylight BEFORE all the tourists come! Only a few shops open before 10 and upto then it is quite quiet.
[HDR]
Lots of swallows in these old villages...
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