Nakasendo, a highway that connected Edo and Kyoto, is called the "Samurai Road" by foreigners. Now, people from all over the world flock to this road, hoping to walk it once. Some of them walk it with a strong desire. We tracked down the charms of the "Samurai Road" that continues to fascinate foreigners. ■ Captivated by the post towns that still retain the atmosphere of Edo During the Edo period, many people traveled along the Nakasendo road on their way to Edo for alternate attendance. There were 69 post towns along the way. Currently, a mountain road that is popular with foreigners is the one that connects the post towns of Tsumago-juku in Nagano Prefecture and Magome-juku in Gifu Prefecture. It is about 9 kilometers long. It takes about 3 hours to walk. It is popular to enjoy nature while taking a historical walk that will take you back to the past. From Switzerland: "Walking this road allows you to feel the history of Japan and see what it was like in the past." Tsumago-juku was the first post town in Japan to be designated as a conservation district. Many foreigners are captivated by the beautiful post towns that still retain the atmosphere of the Edo period. From the Netherlands: "You can appreciate the beauty of this place better by carefully observing the scenery and drawing pictures, rather than just looking at it with your eyes." ■ Abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic... A long-cherished trip fulfilled On this day, in Magome-juku, Gifu Prefecture, I met a pair of women walking while pulling luggage. They are Marlene (75) and Diane (77) from Australia. They are walking along the mountain path with all that luggage!? Marlene: "You can leave your luggage at this information center." In fact, the information centers in Magome-juku and Tsumago-juku have a service that sends luggage to each other. Marlene: "Do you want to come with me? Of course, you can. We can all walk together." The two are heading from Magome-juku to Tsumago-juku. Since the descent is longer, many people take this route. I heard that this was a long-cherished trip that they had planned three years ago, but had to give up due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Marlene: "I heard that historical figures walked this road over 400 years ago, so we wanted to do the same thing. We thought that this would be a good way to learn about Japan." ■Free hospitality: tea, candy, and folk songs One hour after setting off, we arrived at Magome Pass, 790 meters above sea level. At the teahouse at the pass, you can eat the local specialty: gohei mochi. It is made by mashing non-glutinous rice into balls and baking them with a soy sauce sauce containing walnuts. A man from Hawaii savors the taste. From Hawaii: "Amazing. This is the best mochi I've ever eaten." The women from Australia say there is a place they've always wanted to visit. Diane: "Is this the tea house?" This is a free rest area that has been used as a teahouse since the early Edo period. You can enjoy tea and candy for free. Marlene: "That's great. I love tea." This teahouse has been welcoming travelers since the Edo period. Volunteers offer various hospitality services, such as performing folk songs and serving food. Fujiwara Yoshinori, chairman of the Tsumago Lovers Association: "I want people from all over the world who walk the Nakasendo to say that it was worth their while to go." ■ Marlene: "Everything was wonderful" Along the way, you can see the waterfalls that have quenched the thirst of travelers. Marlene has this to say about people who rush ahead in a hurry... Marlene: "They don't see anything. They're just walking to get to their destination. You need to walk slowly and feel different things. Next time, you can walk while looking at yourself." After four hours of walking, they finally arrived at Tsumago-juku. Marlene: "It was a wonderful trip. Everything we saw was wonderful." Hungry, the two headed to a restaurant. In the post town, you can enjoy local delicacies such as "oyaki," a local Nagano dish, and "hobamaki," a seasonal specialty. Marlene: "Eggplant." The two collected their luggage at the tourist information center. Thank you so much for all your help. Diane: "You can come and stay at our inn." Marlene: "Yes, we're family now." Nakasendo is dotted with various inns. You can even stay in a storehouse that has about 200 years of history. The couple from America chose a simple tatami room. From America: "(Q. Have you ever slept on a futon?) I did last night. It was really comfortable. The floors in America are hard, but tatami feels great." ■ The reason for the couple's travels "for my son" On this day, something unexpected happened at the "free rest area." It was triggered by an inquiry about a lost item. Free rest area staff: "A stamp book? A stamp book with your name on it." Looking for it, they found that the notebook had indeed been left there. Free rest area staff: "Well, wait a moment. Can you deliver this?" Interview staff: "Yes, we can." The interview staff delivered the notebook to the information center in Tsumago-juku. Information center staff: "Thank you. Excuse me." Vicky (61): "Thank you for delivering it. This is a very important item." Vicky is an art teacher at an elementary school in Australia. Vicky: "All my memories are written here. And the students made the cover for me." In her precious notebook, Vicky wrote down the reason why she came to this place. Vicky: "Actually... my son had a brain tumor and passed away last December. That's why I came here with my husband. My son had come to Japan before and walked here. He loved mountains and nature. This is a journey for my son." Her son passed away at the age of 26. It is said that he used to talk about how beautiful this road was. Vicky: "Really, life is not always easy. But beautiful things can heal the soul." Today, too, people with all kinds of thoughts and feelings visit Samurai Road. [TV Asahi News] https://news.tv-asahi.co.jp