The Bounty of Nature - Stages of the Nakasendo

自然の恵み　春夏秋冬に戻る諸国一の宮旧中山道　神社の絵馬 (1) Start of a Journey – A Guide to Travel in Japan 　

〔1月〕.. .〔2月〕. ..〔3月〕 ...〔4月〕 ...〔5月〕 ...〔6月〕 ...〔7月〕 ...〔8月〕 ...〔9月〕.. .〔10月〕 ...〔11月〕 ......〔12月〕

日本橋～板橋宿蕨宿～熊谷宿熊谷宿～倉賀野宿倉賀野宿～松井田宿松井田宿～軽井沢宿軽井沢宿～小田井宿小田井宿～八幡宿

八幡宿～下諏訪宿下諏訪宿～塩尻宿塩尻宿～洗馬宿洗馬宿～本山宿本山宿～贄川宿贄川宿～奈良井宿奈良井宿～薮原宿
旧中山道鳥居峠薮原宿～宮ノ越宿宮ノ越宿～福島宿木曽福島初雪の御嶽山福島宿～上松宿上松宿～須原宿野尻宿～三留野宿
三留野宿～妻籠宿三留野宿～妻籠宿妻籠宿～馬籠宿京都三条大橋
　

Stages of the Nakasendo
– From Matsuida to Karuizawa

Stages of the Nakasendo (5): From Matsuida to Karuizawa

Photographed in early October 2003

The Matsuida Stage: Matsuida Town, Usui County, Gunma Prefecture
The Sakamoto Stage: Matsui Town, Usui County, Gunma Prefecture
The Karuizawa Stage: Karuizawa Town, Kita Saku County, Nagano Prefecture

Proceeding alongside the Nakasendo Highway from Matsuida, we reach the site of the Goryo Chaya official resthouse just after crossing the railway. The East and West Chaya resthouses have been moved and reconstructed on the site of the Goryo Chaya.
We go past “yonaki jizo” (a small stone Buddha that makes a ringing sound when tapped), through the town of Yokokawa, past the site of the old barrier, and through the reconstructed streets of the Sakamoto post town. At length, we cross the Usui Pass. By a sign marking the mountain road over the Usui Pass, we eat a lunch of Toge no Kamameshi (rice cooked together with vegetables) that we bought earlier in Yokogawa.
The road over the pass from here cannot be traveled by car, so we have to take a diversion to the Kumano Shrine in Karuizawa.