Kiso-Fukushima to Narai

After yesterday's experiences, we have prepared ourselves very well for today.

We will take a suggested round hike near Kiso-Fukushima to Gongen Waterfall, then continue to Fukushima Castle and take the train from Kiso-Fukushima to Yabuhara in the afternoon. From there, we will hike to Narai, the last village on Nakasendo that we will visit.

The waterfall is described as impressive with a height of 40 meters. We will hike up a rather steep and not very well maintained path - and have to smile a bit. The waterfall is maybe about 15 meters high, if you are generous. We will then continue to the remains of Fukushima Castle, a hiking trail through the forests around Kiso-Fukushima, which have magnificent tree stands. If one could read Japanese, they would know which trees grow there, as they are signposted every few meters. Otherwise, we hardly encounter any civilization. Fukushima Castle has long been gone, and there are no ruins to see, only the changes made by humans in nature: ditches and plateaus for the towers. It is a wonderful hiking trail, and after 2.5 hours, we will be back in the village and take the train to Yabuhara. From there, we will walk on Nakasendo again to Narai via the Torii Pass.

This is also a hike that we really enjoy.

We will arrive in Narai a little before 4 p.m. This village is wonderfully preserved, and you can really feel the atmosphere that must have prevailed in these villages on Nakasendo. Narai was an important station for hikers on Nakasendo, as they had to climb the demanding Torii Pass afterward. So this was a place to rest and refresh before the arduous journey. We take a stroll through Narai, and I have to admit that I like this village the most. Of course, there are also many tourist shops here, but they are mostly filled with the lacquered wood for which the region is so famous, and - a specialty in Kiso - the hand-filed wooden combs.

We set off to our accommodation, the Oyado Iseya, a house built by a merchant in 1818.

However, we will stay in the new part: the room is small, but we can make our own beds. That means for me: two futons on top of each other, yippee! It is almost like a normal mattress, and I am looking forward to a restful night after the delicious dinner. We have climbed 700 meters in altitude today, so we can indulge in the food with a clear conscience.