Posts relating to some of the walks I’ve done in Japan.
With the Kiso-ji section of the Nakasendō coming to an end on my last walk I needed to decide on a plan to continue. Either turn around and start again heading northeast back along the Kiso-ji again (but why so soon?) or continue walking west along the Nakasendō.
Every now and then I get pangs of nostalgia, pull out the Leica M6, and shoot a roll or two of film. Anyone that has shot film before knows that it slows you down, forces you to think before pressing the shutter
It took me a year, but the Kiso-ji section of the Nakasendō from Shiojiri to Nakatsugawa is now complete. Pre-baby-toddler daughter and I would have finished it much sooner, but I quite enjoyed stretching it out over a year – it meant I got to see the Kiso Valley in all seasons.
Getting back on the Nakasendō felt good. A few months ago I ended a hot and humid day of walking at Suhara station in Nagano and promised myself I’d take a break from the walk as the heat and humidity of the Japanese summer set in.
This stretch was a mixed bag of wonderful Nakasendō/Kiso-ji (中山道・木曽路) backroads and the monstrous national R19, with truck after truck whizzing past.
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.
read more Nakasendō/Kiso-ji – Walking Yabuhara to Kiso Fukushima
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.
SeanBreslin.net 