We Are Tomodachi Spring / Summer 2017

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5Tsumago-juku is located at the southern end of Nagano Prefecture, the geographic center of the Japanese archipelago; it is about a two-hour drive from Chubu Centrair International Airport near Nagoya. Early in the seventeenth century the Nakasendo was completed as a route connecting the shogun’s capital of Edo (today’s Tokyo) with Kyoto, the imperial capital. Post towns developed at 69 locations along the route with facilities to provide food and lodgings for travelers on foot. Of these, Tsumago-juku was the 42nd counting from Edo. Toson Shimazaki (1872–1943), a renowned Japanese poet and novelist, was from this area; he was born in Magome-juku, the 43rd post town on the route, nine kilometers (five and a half miles) from here. Tsumago-juku preserves its traditional appearance, and many of its historical buildings are still in use as inns or restaurants. It attracts many domestic and international visitors, who can directly experience sights and scenes redolent of centuries past as they hike or stroll around the area.Tsumago-juku: Nagano PrefectureNagano Pref.Tsumago-jukuChubu Centrair International Airport