Tsumago

Tsumago is a tiny post town in the Kiso Valley of Nagano Prefecture, on the old Nakasendo highway that once linked Kyoto and Edo through the mountains. It restored itself into Japan's most convincing Edo-period townscape, hiding power lines and keeping cars off the old street in daylight hours.

Latticed inns and soba houses line the road as they did when feudal processions passed through, and the polished cypress rooms of the Waki Honjin, where the Meiji emperor once rested, reward a tour. Climb to the Tsumago Castle ruins for the valley view over the rooftops.

Walk in over Magome Pass, the classic Nakasendo section, with gohei mochi from the trailside stalls as fuel, and stay in a family-run inn once the day-trippers leave. Buses and taxis connect to Nagiso station on the Chuo line. Early morning and evening light suit the street best.