Nakasendo Walk (27) Unuma(52/69)-Kano(53/69) (off Tokyo): May 3, 2018

The Golden Week holidays started. I resumed my Nakasendo Walk. The starting point was between Ota, the 51th shukuba station from Nihonbashi, and Unuma, the 52th station.

Leaving Kiso River, Nakasendo goes into a hill covered with forest. It is called Unuma-no-mori forest. The walkway continues through the Utoh Pass. It is only 140 meters high. (See also the top photo)

The leaves were fresh green and the air was beautiful there.

There is a park near the peak of the hill. They have a public library in the park. “Library in the forest” is the facility’s name. I found kids enjoying their times in the playrooms.

I moved for Unuma shukuba station. I enjoyed a view of the town from the hill. 

The original buildings of Unuma were completely destroyed by the 1891 Mino–Owari earthquake, but they were later rebuilt.

The monuments of Matsuo Basho, a famous haiku poet in the Edo era, stand along the street.

Unuma locates in the eastern part of Kakamigahara City. There is air base of Self Defence Force in the city.

They also have the factories of defense and aerospace industries there. Kawasaki Heavy Industries is one of such companies.

A rest area was placed in Shin-Kano between Unuma and Kano, the 53th shukuba station. People worshipped frogs in the area as they brought good fortunes. The flog sculptures are placed there.

There spread poor fields in the old days in the area. Bamboo was one of the plants which covered the areas. They still have bamboo fields there.

It was the season of bamboo shoots (See the third photo from the top)

I walked into Gifu City, the capital of Gifu Prefecture. There are houses and fields along Nakasendo here.

I arrived Kano station in the central part of Gufu City. It was about 17 kilometers from Unuma to Gifu. I found tall apartment buildings there.