Magome-juku — Hillside Post Town on the Nakasendo

Magome-juku (馬籠宿) is another Nakasendo post town, built on a steep hillside with dramatic views of the Kiso Valley and Mount Ena. Unlike flat Tsumago, Magome's main street ascends in switchbacks, creating a unique vertical townscape. The buildings are wooden inns, souvenir shops, and cafes, many serving gohei-mochi (五平餅, grilled rice cakes with miso-walnut glaze) and kuri-kinton chestnut sweets.

Magome is the birthplace of author Shimazaki Toson (1872–1943), whose novels depicted life in Meiji-era rural Japan. His family home (Toson Memorial Museum) is preserved in the upper town. While Magome is more commercialized than Tsumago, the hillside setting and mountain views add scenic beauty. The town is especially popular with domestic tourists as a romantic getaway destination, with several high-end ryokan offering kaiseki dinners and cypress baths.