Leaving Ourselves Behind

We had read a great deal about the Nakasendo Trail during our research and increasingly, this stood out as being a place that would probably be a highlight of our trip. Its origins go back to the Edo Period (1603-1867), when it served as a pathway for samurai and travellers between Kyoto and Tokyo. Most of the 540-km. trail is now paved and modern roadways, but small sections still exist, simply for the pleasure of a contemplative stroll in forested surroundings.

As “pilgrimages” go, the 8-km. stretch between two old post towns, Magome and Tsugamo, sounded just about right. These beautifully preserved towns are a peek into old Japan and look much like they did a few hundred years ago.

We had hoped to book a room in Magome; preferably in a charming ryokan overlooking a small river (this image totally sprung from my imagination.) These places do exist, but they are in small quantity and high demand – booked many months in advance.

We booked instead in nearby Nakatsugawa in a modern hotel. It was just fine, but far less romantic and involved a morning 25-minute bus ride to Magome to begin our hike.

Something to consider when travelling in oh-so-popular Japan – there is not a problem booking hotels in larger centres, but for smaller, in-demand areas, it is a great idea to book as far ahead as possible. I think being able to stay and walk around at night and wake up in the morning in a special place like Magome would have made a big difference.

We arrived in Magome around 10:00 and while there were plenty of people milling about, the trail never got crowded. We began our climb up the hill. The road leading to the trail through town is lined with private homes, shops, guesthouses and restaurants.

We left the town behind and begin our hike into the woods. The ground varies – at times centuries-old cobblestone.

Other times, a simple path through the woods.

Occasionally, there would be small wooden raised platforms.

Mainly, there was tranquility and peace and birdsong. Even when we passed other hikers, it was quiet – most everyone was deep into “forest bathing.”

It must be said, though – we were not alone in the woods. Japanese bears are out there in the thousands and this is a particularly dangerous time of year as they are preparing for winter. Many local headlines are profiling the spike in fatal bear attacks and in a small store in Magome, this sign was posted – it happened just an hour before we began our hike.

Not to make light of the incident, but the translation did make us wonder if it was the student or the cub who escaped.

Signs were posted at regular intervals along the trail.

Bear bells were ringing merrily away on hiker’s packs and to keep things lively, there were giant bear bells every kilometre or so and naturally, every single one of us felt compelled to clang away with all our might as we passed.
Poor bears – even their habitat is over-touristed.

The beauty of this walk is it can mean such different things to different people. It is long enough (2-3 hours) to feel the exertion without getting tired. It allows everyone their space.
We watched this woman carefully make her way along with two canes – not walking sticks – canes. It would have taken a lot of effort to maintain her footing and not have a fall. She had friends with her, but she mainly walked alone and she seemed exhilarated.

About halfway along the hike, there is a beautiful rest stop – the Tateba Tea House. This very old, traditional rest house is a holdover from the original Edo period and today offers free hot tea to modern travellers. It was quite an experience to enter the building and be warmly welcomed. There was no place to pay or leave a donation, and I wondered who subsidizes this beautiful and much-appreciated hospitality.

Another heart-warming sight along the way. Bottles of water sitting in an ice-cold tub – for 100 yen – less than $1. An honour system – an open dish with coins.

An interesting sign along the way, for those of us (me!), who put stock in such things. Happy to have reached the summit, and who doesn’t love lucky numbers.

A memorial for the less-than-lucky black cattle who passed this way once.

We would walk in forests of cedar, cypress, bamboo and maple, and then alongside a road for a few metres, before crossing the road and back up into the forest.

There would be sign posts along the way to keep us on track.

Once or twice, our vista would change entirely and open up to the Kiso Valley and mountain range.

Other times, we would walk through a tiny hamlet of perhaps a half-dozen houses and gardens and I would wonder if the current residents were descendants of folks who had lived there centuries before.

In the midst of all this beauty, we came across a bit of construction and this quite hilarious schoolgirl/fantasy/anime mascot for road safety. Or perhaps it is just a reminder this is a pedestrian street, but a sight for sore eyes.

All too soon, we began our descent into Tsugamo, the other post town.

After a delicious lunch of ramen noodles, we decided to have an ice cream before grabbing our train back to town. I approached the animated group of Italians who were just outside the shop to ask about their chestnut ice cream, and one of them assured me that ” eet is like tawfee.” Well, she was not wrong, except even better – toffee and coffee. You can’t really go wrong asking the Italians or the French about food.

This was a luscious taste of yet another side of Japan, and I think it will be a highlight.
Off to see Fuji – see you in a bit.