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.
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.
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.
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