Magome

It is an old rest station (Shukuba), number 41 on the Nakasendo route, an old road that connected Kyoto and Edo during the Edo period. Due to its strategic location, as a station, it was very prosperous and cosmopolitan, with a good economy. However, it fell into oblivion and decay when the Chuo main line for trains was built, which did not pass through Magome. In recent decades its appearance has been restored to make it look like it did in the Edo period and it is currently an important tourist destination. To encourage tourism and fight against its disappearance, Magome decided to invest in its historical past during the economic boom of the Showa period (1926-1989), to maintain its historical legacy and try to show as much as possible what life was like in this rest station. This is why telephone and electricity cables were buried, motorized vehicles were prohibited from passing through the main streets and historic buildings and traditional houses were restored. The objective was for these buildings to house museums that show the past of the towns in the area, workshops where artisans could work and sell their crafts, traditional hostels, candy stores and small restaurants specializing in soba noodles, typical of the area. Nowadays, walking through its streets is like traveling to the Japan of the past.

As places of tourist interest we would highlight:

- Shimizuya Shiryokan Museum: It is a small museum created with the aim of revealing a little more about the life of the inhabitants of Magome. It has a beautiful exhibition of ceramics, clothing and various items.

- Honjin or Main Inn: It currently serves as a museum in memory of Shimazaki Toson, son of the last manager of the inn and writer born in 1872.

- Wakihonjin Museum: It is located in the place where the second was in the past Magome Inn (Wakihonjin). In this place, you can see a nice exhibition about the history of Magome.