When looking into hikes to do in Japan that are accessible by public transport, I came across the popular hike from Magome to Tsumago. The route runs along the old Nakasendo trail and took me about 2.5h to complete, while really taking my time. I actually continued all the way to Nagiso station in order to catch my train back to Nakutsagawa, from where I had started my day trip by bus to Magome in the morning. It is easy to organize by yourself and very well signposted, including bear bells here and there (unsure if they are actually needed). On route, I passed by a waterfall and some cherry trees that were still blossoming. It was very pretty.

The best part though were the two photogenic villages themselves – Magome and Tsumago, whereas Tsumago is a bit larger and has more to offer. I enjoyed Tsumago more, took my time there to explore the streets and even had some lunch before continuing my hike.

Overall, it is more of a „walk“ than a „hike“, but still a nice and recommendable one. I liked seeing small-town Japan and some old-style villages.