Matsumoto, 26.04.24
It was an early start for me. A energy bar for breakfast and off at 7.30 by taxi down to the railway station at Matsumoto where I took a train to Nakagishawa and from there a bus to Magome. The idea was that I would walk part of the Nakasendo Trail, an ancient route connecting Tokyo to Kyoto through the mountains and through the Kiso valley. All along the way are shrines, temples and traditional villages which served long ago as post stations offering food and bed for travellers, merchants and messengers.
Mainstreet of Magome
I could only do a small section between Magome, Tsumago and Nagiso, about four to five hours of walking. Somehow I expected a peaceful and lonely walk through forest and up across hills and along the river. Far from it. Magome was one of those dreadful tourist traps. There were what I thought hundreds of buses and the one street of Magome was just clogged with tourists such as myself going up and down past souvenir shops, food stalls and cafes. I did buy two sweets made of local chestnuts, one for now as a kind of breakfast and the other as a ration for on the way. Just in case.
It is a pretty town Magome no doubt and it sits high up on a hillside with spectacular views over more mountains in the distance. The higher I got the thinner the throng of tourists became and soon I was walking in forest of cedar and maple. But alas my peace was shattered soon enough. There was a group of school kids coming the other direction, loud and raucous as they are. And then after that another group and so on. They all looked at me, the stranger, and some dared to talk English with me. Hello usually and I would answer back in perfect Japanese making them lough! Among these students I spotted a leader or teacher and I asked her what was happening. She said they were on a school trip and there were over 400 of them. OMG! But in the end I enjoyed it all because the kids were so exuberant and interested and as I did speak a bit of Japanese they all became more friendly and curious.
After an hour or so I reached the high point of the trail, a pass leading down into another valley towards Tsumago. The last strugglers of the school kids just came up from the other side looking exhausted and fed up. But at last I was now by myself enjoying the peace and the walking.
Not long after crossing the pass I heard a faint but lovely music of a flute through the trees. I slowed down just to enjoy the music and make it last longer. It was a beautiful and moving sound, a slow and mournful tune wafting through the trees. An unexpected experience burnt into the heart as a memory for ever.
Getting closer I saw through the trees a beautiful scene almost out of Tolkien. A green glade with a meandering stream, a trickling water fountain, a tree over it full of cherry blossoms, a small house, smoke coming out the chimney and the flutist sitting on a bench in front of it. How delightful this all was. The flutist stopped but when I got there I told her how much I liked it all and she played another melody myself sitting beside her quite enchanted.
Inside the teahouse, blackened with age, was a fire and over it a large pot of water from which an old man ladled it out to make tea. He gave me a small cup and I left a donation in a box provided for that purpose. But soon I was on my way again feeling like Tom Bombadil lightly stepping through the imagined dale of Rivendell.
From there, in about an hour I reached Tsumago which was slightly larger than Magome but there were far less tourists and in the side streets none at all. From here I made it to Nagiso in plenty of time to catch the train back to Matsumoto where the hotel had arranged for a taxi.
Christine was waiting for me and she had a lovely day in Matsumoto itself enjoying two museums and the shops. As I was quite weary from the walking the idea of having a soak in the public bath was very attractive and I changed into my yukatan and trundled to the onsen. Nobody was there and I had the whole pool facility to myself.
Dinner was soon after and it was a delight again. An amazing selection of food and dishes many of which were local produce. I was impressed and very pleased. The staff were delightful too, like the night before, and very knowledgeable and spoke some English too.
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