Saturday was a washout with heavy rain all day but that made for a lush forest with a gushing, overflowing tiny stream running down through it on Sunday. Slippy and treacherous rocks, yes, but if you take it slowly and look where you’re going you have little to worry about.
I was on my way to Osaka this day and purposely chose to avoid using the shinkansen.
This was one of the quieter stretches of the Nakasendo/Kiso-ji so far — a ‘get it done’ section. In autumn last year I walked from Kiso Fukushima to Agematsu, and by reaching Kiso Fukushima this time have now walked from Shiojiri to Agematsu.
It rained hard the day before so hiking on muddy and slippery mountain trails was out of the question, especially with a young daughter in tow.
As with elsewhere in Japan at the moment places that would normally be heaving with tourists and a zillion selfie sticks are eerily quiet and much more pleasant to visit as a result. Mount Kōya was no exception.
Taking a detour to Ise Grand Shrine (伊勢神宮) recently on the way to Koyasan in Wakayama prefecture was a delight. Once again visitors were few which meant more time to slow down and enjoy the scenery.
