Japan travel at Magomejuku Nakasendo

I was watching a TV commercial for Pokemon GO, and I thought, “I’ve seen this place before…” It turned out to be Magomejuku!
Apparently, the commercial was for a real PokéStop that has been set up in Magomejuku, so I decided to go and check it out.

What is Magomejuku?

The Magome area of Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture, is located almost in the center of Japan, at the southern end of the central South Alps, and offers a satoyama landscape of rice paddies and mountain forests in a sloping terrain. The Nakasendo, a highway that opened in the early Edo period (1603-1868), runs through the center of the region, and beyond Magomejuku, a post station in Kyoto, this old highway enters a steep 80-km section called “Kisoji,” which retains the scenery of the Edo period, and continues on to Tokyo.

引用元：馬籠観光協会

Let us introduce Magomejuku, including its history.

Magome-juku was one of the 53 Stages of the Tokaido Highway called Nakasendo in the Edo period (1603-1867) and flourished as an inn and lodging town.
At that time, Magomejuku played an important role as a place for travelers and merchants to rest and exchange horses, as it was located in the middle of a mountainous road.
In addition, Magomejuku was located on the territory of the Bizen Matsuyama clan during the feudal domain era, and because it was under the clan’s control, it was strictly controlled by the clan and had a high level of security.
In modern times, the development of transportation networks has led to the decline of the inn town, and it ceased to function as an inn town in the early Showa period (1926-1989).
However, it is still loved by many people today as a tourist destination due to its historical value and the beauty of its scenery.

Very recently, a real PokéStop has been installed in Magomejuku, making it a favorite tourist destination for Pokémon fans.

Heading to Magomejuku

Here we are at Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture.
The distance from Mizunami City, where Yamani is located, is about 40 km to the east.
We moved in the order of Mizunami City, Ena City, and Nakatsugawa City.

Nakatsugawa City is located in the Tono region of Gifu Prefecture, adjacent to Nagano Prefecture.
It has a population of about 74,000 people and an area of 676.38 km2, making it the sixth largest in Gifu Prefecture.

It was March when I visited Magomejuku, so there was still snow on the mountains and it was beautiful.

Arrive at Magomejuku

This is Magomejuku.

Parking is available here.

For your information, please refer here for access by bus.

リンク：
Kiso Magome・Access

Climbing up Magomejuku

Climb up this stone pavement.

Sometimes I look back and it is beautiful there too.

I hadn’t been here in years, but a stylish coffee shop had opened.

リンク：
HillBilly Coffee Roasters

Good atmosphere here too.

The time was 3 pm.
Although I thought it would be a nice little snack, it was a late lunch, so it wasn’t like that.

The weather is very nice, so we go on anyway.

This storefront is also nice.

Read as Tsuchimaya.

リンク：
槌馬屋資料館

See the real Pokéstop at Magomejuku

Then I saw the real Pokéstop at Magomejuku.

It has more presence than I imagined.

Is this a real Pokestop 👀

The sun is very strong in the west at this time of the day.

As for the location, there is a real Poke Stop in front of Magome Teahouse.

I came alone this time, so I didn’t want to take a commemorative photo…lonely.

By the way, what’s a PokéStop?

What is a PokéStop anyway? Some of you may be wondering, so here’s an explanation.

A PokéStop is a virtual facility where you can obtain items and other items in the smartphone game “Pokémon GO.
You can find PokéStops at places such as convenience stores, parks, and monuments when you walk around while looking at your smartphone screen.

The Real PokéStop at Magomejuku that we came to see this time is a PokéStop in the real world, which usually exists virtually.
So it is a great spot for Pokémon GO fans.

These Real PokéStops have been set up as part of the limited-time “Let’s GO Japanese Slopes” campaign, and the one at Magomejuku is the third stage.
The period is until May 13, 2023!

リンク：
高畑充希さんご出演！TVCM「日本の坂をGOしよう」シリーズ！第三弾は「岐阜・Magomejuku」 – Pokémon GO
Magomejukuにリアルポケストップが登場！／中津川市

Incidentally, the first one was in Hakodate, and the second one was in FUKIYA Furusato Village (Okayama Prefecture).

Continue up Magomejuku

I came to a real Pokéstop, but due to the low capacity of my phone, I have already deleted Pokémon GO… I can’t even take a screenshot and pass by it.

This is a memorial museum for the great writer Toson Shimazaki.

The Toson Memorial Museum in Magome, Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture, is a literary museum located at the southernmost tip of Kiso Valley, the birthplace of Shimazaki Toson, a literary giant who was active for three generations during the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods.
The museum has approximately 6,000 items in its collection, including manuscripts of “Before Dawn”, “Arashi”, and other works, personal effects, peripheral materials, and a collection of rare Meiji-Taisho poetry books.
The permanent exhibition room displays everything from his first collection of poems, “Wakana-shu,” to his last work, “Toho-no-Mon” (The Eastern Gate), and visitors can trace Toson’s life in a cycle of exhibits.

– 中山道Magomejukuの藤村記念館（公式サイト） より

They were recognized as a Japanese Heritage Site by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 2020.
Admission is 500 yen for adults, 400 yen for students, and 100 yen for junior high school students and younger.

View of Mt. Ena

Magomejuku, and if you proceed to the top, you will reach a lookout point with a view of Mt. Ena.

The mountain slightly left of center in the photo is Mt.
The name “Mt. Ena” is derived from the legend that Amaterasu (the Great Goddess of Amaterasu) deposited the umbilical cord when she was born.

Mt. Ena is 2,191 m above sea level and is selected as one of the 100 most famous mountains in Japan and one of the 100 most famous mountains for flowers.
It is said that this mountain has a long history and was even mentioned in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters). Mt. Ena is a great mountain!

It is said to be a popular mountain for mountain climbing, so why don’t you give it a try if you are a mountain lover?

リンク：
恵那山｜天照大神ゆかりの歴史を歩く。中央アルプス最南端登山ルート4選 | YAMA HACK[ヤマハック]

Enjoy Magomejuku at night.

We have time today, so let’s stay until nighttime and go back the way we came.

Perhaps it is the cobblestone pavement, but somehow the vertical composition is more common.

I was hungry, so I ate some okaki.

We made it back to the PokéStop.

I just got back to the beginning.

Magomejuku at dusk and night

Finally, sunset.
We had quite a bit of time to wait.

It was cold and I thought it would be difficult to stay outside until it was completely dark, but the soba restaurant was open, so I was saved.

リンク：
三花月庵のインスタグラム

And again, Magomejuku at night.

Magome Viewing Platform again.

The stick-like thing is an airplane.
So many airplanes fly over Mt Ena.

Magomejuku trip

The second half of this article is just a photo list.
The real Pokéstop will be open until May 13, 2023, so everyone be quick!