Magome Pass

This pass is located at the southwestern tip of Nagano Prefecture, at the southern end of the Kiso Valley. It is 801 meters above sea level. The Nakasendo (Kiso Kaido) of the early modern period runs through it, with Tsumago-juku (Minamikiso Town, Nagano Prefecture) at the northern foot and Magome-juku (Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture) at the southern foot. In the mid-Meiji period, a new road was built to the west, so the pass fell into disrepair, but it still retains the appearance of the Edo period road, and is now maintained as part of the Shinano Nature Trail. In particular, the 9-kilometer stretch from Magome across the pass to Tsumago is a popular hiking course. From the pass, you can get a great view of the Gifu Nakatsugawa area to the south, and in Toson's "Before Dawn," he wrote, "The wide sky opens up toward the foot of Mt. Ena..." There is also a stone monument bearing a haiku by Masaoka Shiki, "White clouds and green leaves for 30 ri." Near the pass, there are remains of the Shiraki Aratamebansho (checkpoint post), where lumber was checked before being transported from the Kiso Valley, and the Tateba teahouse.

[Hiroyoshi Kobayashi]

"Shinshu Passes" by Takeo Ichikawa (1972, Daiichi Hoki Publishing)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

長野県南西端、木曽谷(きそだに)の南端にある峠。標高801メートル。近世の中山道(なかせんどう)（木曽街道）が通じ、北麓(ほくろく)に妻籠宿(つまごしゅく)（長野県南木曽町）、南麓に馬籠宿（岐阜県中津川市）がある。明治中期に西方に新道ができたためさびれたが、江戸時代の街道のようすをよく残し、現在、信濃(しなの)自然歩道の一部として整備されている。とくに馬籠から峠を越えて妻籠に至る約9キロメートルはハイキングコースとして利用者が多い。峠に立つと、南方の岐阜中津川方面が大観でき、藤村は『夜明け前』で「広い空は恵那(えな)山の麓(ふもと)の方にひらけ……」と記している。また正岡子規(しき)の「白雲や青葉若葉の三十里」の句碑もある。峠付近には木曽谷から搬出する材木を改める白木改番所(しらきあらためばんしょ)跡、立場(たてば)茶屋などが残っている。

［小林寛義］

『市川健夫著『信州の峠』（1972・第一法規出版）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例