Nakasendo Walk (14) Wada(28/69)-Shimosuwa(29/69): May 14, 2016

I walked over the Wada Pass today. The pass is about 1500 meter high, the highest place in Nakasendo. (see the top photo).

The Wada Pass was seen as the most difficult place in Nakasendo to walk.

The Wada shukuba station is about 800 meter high above the sea level. I walked upward a long slope more than two hours to arrive at the pass. It was mora than 10 kilometer long.

Some parts of Nakasendo have been converted into paved roads and some parts have been kept as they were in the Edo period. Some monuments, including the milestones, welcomed me. 

Japanese larch and other trees are planted along the road.

I had another 10 kilometer walk down to Shimosuwa, the 29^th shukuba station from Nihonbashi, Tokyo. Some parts of the road were narrow and steep.

Simosuwa lies at the north side of Lake Suwa. It is about 760 meter high.

Shimosuwa is famous as a home of Suwa Taisha Shrine and as a hot spring resort. They held the Onbashira Festval the day I reached. The Photos and comments on the festival are in another post.

Nakasendo and Koshu Kaido, which connects Edo (Tokyo) and Shimosuwa through Yamanashi Prefecture meet here.

  

There used to be many travel inns with hot springs along Nakasendo in the Edo era. They have been changed to modern Japanese-style hotels. Hot spring continues to be served there. 

I found many taps placed in front of the hotels and other places. Hot water was running from the taps.

The Suwa Taisha Shrine consists of four shrines. There are haru-miya and Aki-miya in ShimosuwaTown and Mae-miya and Hon-miya in the south of Lake Suwa in Suwa City and Chino City.

I visited Aki-miya. There stand a pair of big shrine guardian dogs. They are the largest bronze-made dogs in Japan.