"Magome - A Travel Station in Edo Period" Nakatsugawa by shi612

As a result of the merger in 2005, Magome, a village in Nagano-ken, is now a part of Nakatsugawa-shi, Gifu-ken.
Magome was a small village of inns for those who traveled Nakasendo Road until 19th century. Nakasendo Road was one of 5 major roads from Edo (old name of Tokyo). It connected between Edo and Kyoto through mountain area of central Honsyu. In Edo period, there were 69 formal travel stations called “shukuba” along 530 km of Nakasendo Road where travelers could lodge, rest and change horses. After the railway services started, most of shukubas disappeared. Magome had been deserted and forgotten too, but since Japan entered the age of high economic growth, this small, old village gained public attention, and the street of the old travel station has been restored.

The electric poles have been moved to the back sides of the houses to restore the old setting of the town.