From Takenami Station to Ena Station - Introduction to the Nakasendo Trail - Part 2

In the first part, we took you from Ena City, Takenami-cho, Fukagaya-tateba to Midarezaka and Midaregawa.

This time, we will introduce the route from Headless Jizo to Saigyo Suzurimizu Park.

The legend of the headless Jizo

After about 200 meters of climbing up the turbulent slope, you will see the ``Headless Jizo'' on the right side.

A long time ago, two samurai passed along this path, bowed to the Jizo statue, and lay down in the shade of a tree. When one of them suddenly woke up, the other samurai had been decapitated and killed. It seems like it is.

Surprised, they searched for the culprit, but could not find him, so the remaining samurai got angry and cut off the Jizo's head, saying, ``What's the point in just watching?''

Since then, no matter how many times he tried to attach the neck, it never would.

Hime Goten ruins

Proceed a few dozen meters from the Headless Jizo toward the Oijuku side, and after passing the Komochimatsu tree, which is known for its many pine cones, you will see a staircase leading into the thicket of trees on the left.

There is a hill here with a good view, and it was a good resting place for travelers. When the weather is nice, you can see the mountains of Kiso all the way to Magome-juku.

The Nakasendo road is often used by princesses carrying palanquins from Kyoto to Edo (Tokyo), and in the famous 1861, when Princess Kazumiya got married, a splendid lacquered palace was built here. It is recorded that she took a break. That is why this place is called ``Hime Goten(princess's palace) Ruins''.

Makigane Oiwake

After passing the ruins of the Hime Goten, you will see a Bato Kannon statue on the left, and if you continue for about 300 meters, you will see the Makigane Oiwake signpost on the right. This is the mark of the dividing road between Nakasendo, which you are currently walking on, and Shita Kaido, which connects Nagoya to Ise.

There are nine teahouses in Oiwake with names such as Makimotoya, Mitoya, Togokuya, Matsumotoya, Nakanoya, and Iseya, where many people took a break. Oiwake also has the ``Ise Jingu Yohaijo'', and people who don't have the time or money to travel to Ise pray here.

In 1988, excavations revealed the foundations of a worship place building 5.5meters from east to west and 9meters from north to south, as well as the remains of a structure thought to be a tea house next door to the east.

Makigane Ichirizuka

After passing Oiwake, the part where the road and Nakasendo converge continues for about 300 meters, then turn right at the side road labeled Nakasendo and continue down the narrow road again.

After walking for a while, you will reach a place with a clear view.

Many people visit this place to see the first sunrise of the year, and it is now known as Saigyo no Mori's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Gardens, with 130 cherry trees of 100 different types planted there. Needless to say, you can see beautiful scenery in spring, but you can also enjoy a refreshing feeling at other seasons as well, with a panoramic view of Makigane Park and the mountains further back.

A little further from Saigyo no Mori is Makigane Ichirizuka, but for some reason the mounds on either side of the road were built about 10 meters apart. This is the 88th milestone since Edo.

Den Saigyozuka

After going down a somewhat steep slope from Ichirizuka, you will find Den Saigyo-zuka on the left side of the road where the footing becomes cobblestone.

Saigyo, a monk and poet who was active in the late Heian period, lived in this area for about three years, spending his days immersing himself in nenbutsu and leaving behind many waka poems. Saigyo-zuka is said to be the grave and memorial tower of Saigyo, who died in this area, and the ``Chokoku-ji Engi'' handed down at Chokoku-ji Temple in Oi details the circumstances of Saigyo's death.

At the back of Saigyozuka is the Saigyozuka Observation Deck, where you can see the mountains behind the dense trees.

Koreyori Nishi Jusan Pass

At the end of the stone-paved Saigyo-zaka slope from Den Saigyo-zuka, there is a stone monument that says ``Kore Yori Nishi Jusan Pass(13mountain passes west from here).''

14kilometers from Saigyozaka to Oyaku-juku is a continuous mountain road, with many ups and downs as it crosses numerous small mountains, which is why it was called this way.

For about 2 kilometers from this monument to Ena Station, the road passes gently downhill through the cityscape, giving you the feeling of gradually getting closer to a post town.

Saigyo Insui Park

Go under the Chuo Expressway overpass, cross the river, cross the railroad crossing and turn left, then follow the sidewalk on the side of the road.

The last place we will introduce is Saigyo Suzurimizu Park. It is said that when the poet Saigyo wrote a waka poem, he drew water from a spring here and rubbed ink with an inkstone. There is a monument to Saigyo's poem in the park, and there are many cherry blossom trees planted there, making it a place to remember Saigyo, who wrote the poem, ``My wish is to die in spring under the flowers.''

The "Nakasendo Trail Course" around Ena Station will be released at a later date.