【Travel Report (Second Half)】Gifu / Nakasendo Walking Experience (Nakatsugawa-juku ~ Tsumago-juku) -Special experience with the color of the rain
When I woke up in the morning, it was raining heavily. The weather forecast is right. Today's schedule is a 15.4km course that departs from Nakatsugawa Station by car around 9 a.m., passes through Nakatsugawa-juku, stops at Ochiai-camp and Horse-basket juku, and reaches the goal of Tsumagojuku in Nagano Prefecture. In terms of distance, it will be longer than the first day, but today's trip between post towns will be a combination of car and walking. Due to the rain today, there will be a lot of car movement.
| 【Travel Report (First Half)】Gifu-Nakasendo Walking Experience-Conquering the 13.7km 133km Thirteen Passes with a margin? ( ※ ) |
Day 2 After 3 inns in Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture, we went to Minamigiso, Nagano Prefecture
After departing from "Nakatsugawa Station" by car, we pass through the townscape of "Nakatsugawa-juku", but it is difficult to see the outside scenery due to heavy rain. After a short drive through a residential area, we arrived at the entrance of a mountain road called "Ochiai no Ishipaki" (Ochiai Camp) around 10 o'clock. This is a place where cobblestones are paved on a slope of about 840 meters, and the atmosphere of the past remains.
Before walking along the cobblestones of Ochiai, I thought, "It's raining today, but I have a car... It was clearly far from the tension of the first day, but now that I am here, I know that the rain on the second day is a hit.
From the cobblestone entrance, walk along a cobbled mountain path that passes through the lush trees that stand on either side. As I walked further and further forward, I found myself surrounded by trees on both sides and rain-soaked cobblestones and fallen leaves above my feet. It was a fantastic world that could never be seen on a clear day. I was visiting in the morning, but I lost my sense of time and spent a strange time. "I'm glad I came on a rainy day." While walking along the cobblestones, I clicked the shutter many times. Even though they were in the same space, I don't know if it was the difference in height or the way the sun hit them, but the scenery was different.
Recently, as a countermeasure against overtourism, the government and tourism operators have been working to shift the time zone to the morning and evening, and to disperse from popular areas, but I think it would be a good idea to appeal to the appeal of "rainy days" when people refrain from going out and take people out. If I had to name it in a modern way, it would be "rainy tourism." Slightly ticklish.
After climbing the cobblestones of Ochiai, we got in the car that was waiting for us and headed to the most famous post town on the Nakasendo road in Higashi-Mino. "Magojuku" is located at the entrance to Kiso Road in Nagano Prefecture, where the "Nakasendo Road" continues.
In 2005, Yamaguchi Village in Nagano Prefecture was incorporated into Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture. It is the birthplace of the poet Shimazaki Fujimura, and his birthplace remains as the "Shimazaki Fujimura Museum" in "Magojuku". It can be said that Gifu Prefecture has acquired a major tourist spot that represents the Higashi-Mino area.
After arriving at "Horse Basket Inn", the first place I visited was " Magokan It is. It is a large facility with a wide variety of souvenirs such as chestnut kinton, wild vegetables, and soba noodles.
As I was looking inside the store, I was approached by the leader of my companion. When I went there, there was a Gohei mochi shop (ninmari). According to him, the "Gohei Mochi" here is one of the recommended among the many in the prefecture. The "Gohei Mochi" that had made a bad impression on me from the previous bus tour was completely forgotten by yesterday and my experience at this place, and I was convinced that I had become a Gohei Mochi fan.
If you ask me which is better, yesterday's or today's "Gohei mochi", both are delicious and hard to beat. I'm an amateur who just fell in love with Gohei mochi, so I'm ambiguous in identifying the taste. In my mind, I was thinking about how to develop "Gohei Mochi" in Tokyo. He had begun to plan how to open a store, including what to do with his training.
After that, we walked up the steep slope of the main street of "Horse Basket Inn". On both sides are tea shops and souvenir shops. There are many tourists on large bus tours here, and since it was a weekday, inbound tourists stood out. It's like a tourist spot.
Personally, you may not visit "Magojuku" just for the sake of it, but if you come to "Magojuku" after walking the main course of nature, from "Oijuku" that you walked yesterday to "Oijuku" and this morning's "Ochiaiai", you will find this tourist spot feeling more enjoyable. Even on the same trip, there are gaps in the places you visit, and it is only by going back and forth that you can see the goodness of each of them.
When you go up the slope of the main street of "Horse Basket Inn", go to the waiting area for the car. There was a road at the top of the hill, and as I walked casually to the right, the view opened up and a magnificent view spread out in front of me. The mountains, trees, the movement of the clouds, and even the color of the sky have an atmosphere, which is wonderful. This is also a sight that was seen thanks to the rain.
To the existing teahouse on the way between "Horse Basket Inn" and "Tsumagojuku"
We got in the car and headed to our next destination, Ichikoku Tochitatebachaya. The teahouse is located at the halfway point of the highway connecting "Tsumago-juku" and "Mago-juku". Unlike the ruins of the teahouse on the sign along the highway we walked on yesterday, this is a resting place for those who walk along the Nakasendo road.
We traveled by car and headed down the slope that extends from the parking lot on the driveway above the teahouse. In an unexpected place, there was a large and magnificent Japan house. Although the building was built in the Edo period, it is still an imposing and solid building.
A TV station in Nagano Prefecture had just come to cover the event, and they had succeeded in inviting inbound travelers to "Can I walk with you?" I was a little suspicious when I asked the reporter, and he replied, "I just called out and got the OK." It seems that I asked a slightly rude question.
Inside the house, there is a system where you can drink tea when you donate. Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Tsumagoro Love Association An elderly person who belongs to a volunteer organization called "Visitor" takes care of visitors as a manager. The teahouse is run by members of the organization in shifts on a duty basis.
After staying at the teahouse for about 30 minutes, we headed to "Tsumagojuku". I was grateful for the rain that fell in the morning, but this teahouse would have provided an even better view on a sunny day. As you can see, the inside of the building feels like going back in time, but the square in front of the building that I was interested in seemed to be comfortable on a sunny day.
At that time, a European woman who looked like a model in black clothes walked briskly alone from the direction of the "Magoro Inn", saw her enter the teahouse, and left the teahouse. The person walking by in the photo is a different person.
It took about 10 minutes to get from "Ichiseki Tochi Tea House" to "Tsumagojuku". I visited "Tsumagojuku" in 2017. It was a well-known place at the time, but I was impressed by the natural atmosphere of the town, which is not overly elaborated and not crowded with famous tourist spots.
This time, in the rain, I walked through "Tsumagojuku". The Japan houses lining the highway give a sense of antiquity, but they are well maintained and do not feel tired of the wooden buildings. The rain-soaked appearance creates a quaint atmosphere.
From the eaves of small tea houses and souvenir shops, it is forbidden to talk to passers-by. Therefore, you will not hear voices such as "please" or "welcome". This rule may have a positive effect on the condition of the town as a whole.
As I walked down the road, I found the "that" I had been waiting for. Yes, it's time to enjoy "Gohei Mochi" for the third time on this trip. While sheltering from the rain, people were lining up to buy gohei mochi. I was happy to see the inbound tourists in the photo eating "Gohei mochi" with a blank expression on their faces, "I wonder if Japan has such a good thing." Certainly, the "Gohei Mochi" at this restaurant was good. It was a little chilly on the day, so the warmth of the freshly baked food enhanced the deliciousness.
After enjoying "Gohei Mochi", we left "Tsumagojuku". On the way to the parking lot, a European woman in black walked briskly from the other side. It's the woman I saw at the teahouse earlier. We've been here by car, but she's just walked and we've just arrived at the Tsumagojuku. Even though she was wet with her body and hair without an umbrella, she was cool like a monk in training. After passing each other, I imagined with my companion, "I'm sure she's a famous model and is traveling incognito to Japan."
After that, I took the train from Nakatsugawa Station around 5 p.m. and returned to Tokyo around 7:30 p.m. When I arrived at "Ōyujuku" on the outward trip, I felt that I had come a long way, but on the way back, I felt like I had come a long way. It's the feeling you get when you've had a good trip.
Stamp Rally "Nakasendo Walking ~Higashi Mino Edition~" (App)
In order to enjoy walking on the Nakasendo road, I would like to recommend using the outing app "CentX" operated by "Nagoya Railway". This app has a " Nakasendo Walking ~Higashi Mino~ There is a stamp rally function, and 3 courses are offered.
When you pass through the designated checkpoints on each course and reach the goal, you will receive a "certificate of crossing". This time, I gave up using the app because my smartphone and the app didn't match, but my companion was using this app and was having a blast at the checkpoint. We received a certificate of crossing between "Oijuku" and "Oijuku" that we walked on the first day.
The Nakasendo walk from "Ōyujuku" to "Tsumagojuku" was a journey that fused feelings about the Edo period with modern fantasies. During the long walk along the Nakasendo Trail, I was able to take advantage of the abundant time and have a thoughtful experience that is different from sightseeing in a hurry. Now, about four months later, I am thinking back to my memories of the "Nakasendo Road" that I walked instead of the Edo period.
【Travel Report (First Half)】Gifu-Nakasendo Walking Experience-Conquering the 13.7km 13 Pass with a margin? （ To the article ）
Interview cooperation: Gifu Prefecture, Higashi-Mino Historical Highway Council
Related Sites
Mizunami City Official Tourism Website
Nakatsugawa City Official Tourism Website
