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.

Nakasendo Walk(13) Ashida(26/69)-Wada(28/69): May 5, 2016

Today’s walk started from Ashida, the 26^th shukuba station. It is in Tateshina Town. Traditional buildings remain.  The mountains came closer as I continued walking.

Walking about a kilometer,　I was welcomed by a row of pine trees. It is called the pine trees of Kasatori. They were originally planted in the Edo era.

I enjoyed the walk through the pine trees and arrived at the Kasatori Pass.

There are terraces of fields for rice and other products. I saw famers working hard to prepare for rice planting scheduled the following week. I also found a number of solar panels in the fields. They reflected the sun’s light. The green trees of the hills and Mt. Asama were seen behind the panels. The scene was impressive. (See the top photo)

Some parts of Nakasendo have been converted into national roads, whereas some parts have been kept as they were. The traditional roads in the area are, of course, narrow and covered with fresh green grass.

I moved into Nagakubo, the 27^th shukuba station. Traditional buildings remain here.

Nagakubo was ruled by the Sanada family in the 16^th and 17^th century. Sanada Yukimura, a family member, is seen as one of the most outstanding feudal warlords and is still very popular in the country. His daughter Osue married to a village headman of Nagakubo. Her illustration is used as a tourism campaign figure today.

Leaving Nagakubo, I walked up a long slope to Wada. Fresh water runs in the rivers along the road. 

I found small hydro electric generators along in some places.

I also met monuments and sculptures on the way to Wada, the 28th shukuba station. One of them was a monument to console the sprits of thousands of monks, who died during their travels hundreds years ago. (See the photo second from the top).

Another one was a monument to console the sprits of the earthworms. It is said that the local people respected the earthworms as they produced good soil.

I also found a small lively bus stop with a thatched roof. They run small local buses here. They connect the local society and Ueda, the region’s big city, and are definitely important for the old people and the students.

The Wada station was completely burnt in 1861, but it was quickly rebuilt in the same year. Princess Kazunomiya of the royal family in Kyoto was decided to marry to Shogun Tokugawa Ieshige in Edo (Tokyo). The princess was scheduled to stay Wada in her way from Kyoto to Edo. So, the station was very quickly recovered.

The main inn and other historical buildings remain.

Nakasendo Walk (12) Iwamurada(22/69)-Ashida(26/69): May 4, 2016

I continued my walk from Iwamurada, the 22^nd shukuba station. It is near from the Sakurdaira railway station of the Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train. It is in Saku City.

I could see many faces of Mr. Asama in the Iwamurada area. In one view, the mountain stood behind the central part of Saku City. In another view, Mt Asama was behind vegetable fields.

I also saw many apple fields along the street. Some were large and some were small. The white flowers were open when I walked there and the trees will have many apples fruits in autumn. (see the 2nd photo from the top)

I have learned that the shopping street offers services to help mothers to take care their babies. They also provide kids services to help their studies. Helping child care and basic education is a big challenge throughout the nation. Iwamurada's case is a good example.

Saku is also famous for its carp dished. I tried the full course, which included fresh, boiled, fried sweet-tasted and vinegar-tested carp. It was too much, but I enjoyed the traditional taste.

I moved into Shionada, the 23^rd station. It locates at the side of the Chikuma River. The river changes its name to Shinano River in the lower part and is the longest river in Japan. Mt. Asama over the river was beautiful. (see the top photo)

There also are apple fields around the area.

I walked into Yahata, the 24^th station. They produce good rice here. I had a talk with local farmers and they said that rice planning is scheduled in the middle of May. The water was introduced into the fields. (see the 3rd photo from the top)

Some fields have been converted into the site of solar panels.

There are many sculptures of Buddha, God and Goddess along Nakasendo. I felt the number increased after entering into Nagano Prefecture. At Yahata area, I found some impressive examples.

I moved into Mochizuki, the 25^th station. It was famous as a place to produced good horses. I found a horse was carved in the cover of a manhole.

I passed the village of Motai before arriving in Ashida, the 26^th station. Travelers of the Edo period took breaths or had meats at Motai. There remain old traditional houses here. I found thay were well preserved.

Nakasendo Walk (11) Kutsukake(19/69)-Iwamurada(22/69): May3, 2016

The Nakasendo in the eastern part of Nagano Prefecture or Saku area is called Shinano-ji. I walked there in the second part of the Golden Week holiday. It was nice season for walking outside. The air was fresh and the mountains were beautiful.

Today’s walk started from Kutsukake, the 19th shukuba station.

I walked a few kilometers along the gentle rising slope and arrived in the district of Oiwake, the 20^th station. It locates at about 1000 meter high above the sea level. It is the highest shukuba station not only in Nakasendo, but also in all stations of five major routs of the Edo period. The five routs are Tokaido, Nakasendo, Koushu Kaido, Nikko Kaido and Oushu Kaido.

Oiwake used to be a sanatorium in the early 20th century. Many patients with tuberculosis and other diseases stayed here. Famous novelist Hori Tatsuo was one of them. The tradition of literature remains even today. I found Hori’s literature memorial attracted tourists. (See the end photo from top)

A second-hand book shop was open in front of the memorial. I also found small cottage-shape boxes here and there in the area. They are placed to exchange used books.

There stands a Nakasendo museum near Oiwake station. It was built 12 years ago by a Nakasendo specialist Yutaka Kishimoto. Interesting materials including Ukiyoe prints, art crafts of the regions, photos and books are displayed. I was warmly welcomed by Mr. and Mrs. Kishimoto and stayed nearly two hours. Their talks were interesting.

There spread large fields of lettuce at the sides of Nakasendo near Otai, the 21^st station. Some fields were covered with the nets. They are necessary as the vegetables were grown without using pesticide here. (see also the top photo

I saw a waterway places at the side of the street in Otai station. It was in the center of the street in the Edo era. Now, it is replaced. I found that the water was affluent and clean.

I mover westwards and arrived at Iwamurada, the 22^nd shukuba station. It is near to the Sakudaira station of the Hokuriku Shinkansen (bullet train).

Nakasendo Walk (10) Sakamoto-Kutsukake: May 1, 2016

I walked today from Sakamoto, the 18^th shukuba station, through Karuizasa to Kutsukake. The course included steep mountainous roads around the Usui Pass and fashionable shopping streets in Karuizawa.

Today’s walk started in Gunma Prefecture and finished in Nagano Prefecture.

The altitude of Sakamoto station is about 460 meters. I climbed up the mountains in the Gunma-Nagano border area. The mountains were covered with fresh green. Some parts of the roads were very steep. (see also the photo 2nd fro the top)

I met tourists including those from Australia. Exchanging ideas is always a fun. 

The samurai soldiers in the Edo era ran up the roads. A marathon race is now held in the course. The sign boards of the marathon race were placed at the roadsides.

It took about two and half hours before arriving at the Kumano Shrine, which is about 1200 meter high. The prefectural border runs at the center of the shrine.

The panorama from the viewpoint was fantastic. I saw famous mountains including Mt. Asama, the Yatsugatake mountains, Mt. Myogi and Mt. Akagi. People can see Mt. Fuji when it is fine. (see the top photo)

I walked down the slope about 30 minutes and arrived at Karuizawa, the 18^th shukuba station. The town has been developed as a summer resort after the Meiji period.

A Canadian priest Alexander Shaw was one of the first foreign residents stayed here. His church remains.

The old shukuba area has turned into a modern shopping street. Local people, tourists, Japanese, foreigners, old and young people and doge – all enjoyed their times.

I saw many cyclists in the town. Most of them were Chinese.

I walked westward and entered into the Kutsukake, the 19^th station. Mr. Asama is quite near from here.

The Naka-karuizawa railway station is quite near from the old sukuba station. The building is also used as a library and a community center.