Nakasendo - Part 2

Tyler Reporting

(Continue my entries for our 3-week South Korea and Japan trip. Like the previous entry, this one is transcribed from notes I made on a piece of paper, over a couple of days.)

Day 15 - Woke up in our guesthouse in O-Tsumago. Traditional Japanese breakfast, then pack up and head out. Nice, short-haired landlady takes our picture before we wind our way down into Tsumago proper. 

The photo taken by the landlady of the guesthouse we stayed in. Not sure why I called out that she was "short-haired" but my notes are pretty rough.

Tsumago is a great little post town, and since we slept nearby, we are there before the crowds. Get coffee and treats, then a short bit later we stop again for soda-flavored shaved ice and miso-rice sticks. Decide to do short hiking option to Nagiro station. 

The hike into Tsumago. O-Tsumago, I believe, translates effectively to "old Tsumago" and is now an outlying settlement.

Exploring Tsumago. We got the feeling it got quite busy later in the day, but quiet while we were there.

Plotting our path. A near constant process.

Pleasant hike up through "settlements" (as the guidebook we are following calls them), running water seems to be everywhere. 

Just outside of Tsumago was the location of an old castle. The castle itself is long gone, but it provides this excellent view back into town.

Winding path through a mix of bamboo and pines. 

Another pretty section of the trail.

Some the hike followed residential roads. This one was so narrow we'd have to step into these little side areas to let cars by.

Take train to Kiso-Fukushima and consider doing a day hike to some waterfalls, but after getting toasted sandwiches and beer (and getting lost in Kiso's maze of footpaths), we decide to just check out the river that runs through town instead. We walk along the river, soak our feet in a foot bath and check out a "view" that is overgrown, and then check into our hotel. 

A luna moth Stella spotted at the train station. Hand for scale.

Walking along the river in Kiso. We could see this bridge from the hotel room, and the next morning we'd see monkey's climbing on it.

Another day, another foot bath.

Another view down the river, with the houses perched along its edge.

It's a nice, traditional place, though nicer than most of the others. Have a traditional dinner, bathes and then call it a night.

A sake dispenser. Across the street from our hotel was a sake brewery. So Sarah and I checked that out before dinner. You could buy special coins at the front counter, and then use those to taste pours of different sakes.

Day 16 - Wake up for breakfast. The night before, we were given the choice of traditional or Western breakfast. The kids chose traditional, and that proves to be a mistake for them. Since there is very little they like in it. Pack and take a taxi to the train and take that to Yabuhara.

After finding hangry Stella some snacks it's all up, up, a great day for up! First, through the town, then switchbacks in the woods. Ahead of us are a couple of guys form the USA and behind us a couple from Japan that I begin calling "Team Bear Bell" since you can hear the bear bells jingling if they started to catch up.

Eventually reach Torii Pass because of the Ontake Shire with it's large torii gate near the pass itself. 

The final climb up to the Ontake Shrine. (It would turn out there was a more gradual path around to the top... but this was more dramatic.)

The torrii gate from which the pass gets its name.

The Ontake Shrine, nestled amongst the trees.

The official marker, marking the pass, just a little farther up from the torrii gate.

Going down is quick and the terrain muddier. Reach the post town of Narai shortly and have a lunch of cold soba needles. Then we go to check out a large wooden bridge just outside of town.

Narai, another scenic post town, though you can probably tell how hot it was in the middle of the street.

Narai's old bulletin board. Each post town had one of these relics from earlier times.

The old wooden footbridge, just outside the main stretch of town.

After that is a quick 2km walk along a river to the neighboring town... were we sit for 2+ hours at the train station, before catching the train to Matsumodo. 

The scenic train station that we spent a little more than 2 hours waiting for our train at.

In Matsumodo, we wait at the train station, noticing a large number of girls wearing kimonos; until our shuttle driver flags us down and takes us to our guesthouse, with its quirky-yet-historic feel. There we have maybe our favorite of our traditional izakaya guesthouse meals, which includes raw horse meat. 

The guesthouse we stayed at. It seemed like this place had a history of some repute.

After dinner, we feel the aftershock of a larger earthquake than had occurred earlier in the day. Then I take a bath, where the youngest son of a Japanese family gawks at me like I'm some strange monster.

Day 17 - Breakfast buffet this morning. Still, Otto barely eats and then gets food at the Family Mart. Take a shuttle to see the "Raven Castle," a famous moated fortress in Matsumoto. They head to Frog Street where the kids play in the river for a bit, before going to get hamburger... which like Italian a few days before is entertaining to see the differences in presentation, toppings and sides.

Matsumoto Castle. Also called the Balck Raven Castle because of its black and white paint job.

Matsumoto and the river that runs through it. An oasis of water and green threading through the urban environment.

Relaxing and taking the day off from hiking.

Then wander to the train station where we have a series of mess ups resulting in us taking a different train than planned, the ticket woman trying to get me to pay for the tickets I should have, me throwing a fit... but eventually getting to Karnizawa fine. Long, hot, straight walk though Karnizawa, but we are checking in at our hotel now, resting and waiting for dinner.