Narai - where the Kiso Road ends

okuraretsu / wakaretsu hate wa / Kiso no aki

The being-seen-offs

the farewells come to an end

Autumn in Kiso

Matsuo Bashō, Autumn, 1688 (translated by Andrew Fitzsimons in Bashō - The Complete Haiku of Matsuo Bashō).

The Kiso Road is a section of the 533km Nakasendo Way that starts at Nakatsugawa (where our Kiso odyssey started) and ends at the beautiful post town of Narai.

We started the day's walking from Yabuhara, where we climbed our way to the Torii Pass which, at 1,197 metres, is the second highest point on the Nakasendo Way. On a cloudless day, hikers are treated to a view of Mt. Ontake but, unfortunately, that sacred mountain illuded us once more. Meandering down the narrow (but spectacularly beautiful) mountain path - including sections of the original cobbled path - to Narai was real treat after our arduous climb, as was the town of Narai itself.

Sadly, Narai is where we farewelled the Kiso Road (and some very lovely people we met along the way).

Utagawa Hiroshige's depiction of Naraijuku.