Are you on a “walking trip”?
A drive is good, but a trip to enjoy the scenery around you while walking slowly is also good.
Speaking of masters of “walking trips”, the ancestor Basho Matsuo comes to mind.
Let’s find hints to enjoy a “walking trip” from the masterpiece “Okunohosodo” by Basho Matsuo, a haiku master from the Edo period.
Okunohosodo
“Okunohosodo” is a travelogue published in 1702, which tells the story of 150 days from Edo / Fukagawa to the Tohoku region, passing through the coastal area of the Sea of Japan in the Hokuriku region, and leaving Ogaki in Gifu. It is written with.
He walked about 2,400 kilometers, and on some days he walked from 30 to 40 kilometers a day.
While introducing the places related to such “Okunohosodo”, we will discover the joy of “walking trip”.
Fukagawa
The starting point of “Okunohosodo” is the land of Fukagawa, where Basho Matsuo was based. On a long journey, Basho decides to give up the house he lived alone to another person.
This is the phrase I wrote when I left Bashoan.
It’s time for the owner of this lonely house to change, and the next landlord will have a girl, so I wonder if he will decorate the Hina dolls. I left for the pillar of my house.
If you take a walk in Fukagawa now, you will come across places related to Basho here and there.
Why don’t you visit Basho Memorial Hall, Basho Inari Shrine, Saito-an Mark, etc.
At the Saito-an mark, you can see Basho sitting a little, and you can take a commemorative photo with him.
sunlight
A phrase that conveys the preciousness of the sunlight through the fresh green and the excitement.
Nikko is a popular tourist destination, but it was still very popular at that time, and Basho praised the beauty of Toshogu and wrote this phrase. A stone monument engraved with this phrase stands in the Toshogu Treasure Museum.
Also, when you visit Nikko, be sure to visit Urami no Taki, which is also known for writing “For a while, you can stay in a waterfall or the beginning of summer”.
Shirakawa
Shirakawa Barrier, which is the entrance to Tohoku, was a place that many poets longed for as a famous place for waka poetry.
In this place where Noin and Saigyo also left songs, Basho describes his excitement beyond this place and his determination to travel anew with a swaying heart.
This phrase was written by Sora, a disciple who accompanied him on the trip, but since the old people dressed up and crossed the seki, there was no dressing up, but instead, they decorated the flowers of the Ura. In the sense of crossing the seki, it makes you feel a step on a new journey to step into the land of Tohoku and sunny weather.
Hiraizumi
A phrase that was written in the memory of Mr. Fujiwara Oshu, who once boasted prosperity in this area.
As far as the eye can see, the summer grass is just overgrown, and there are no traces of glory. It is a phrase that expresses the fragility well.
Risshakuji Temple
This famous phrase was written at Risshakuji Temple in Yamagata Prefecture.
There is a Basho monument in the semi-mound on the middle of the 1015 stone steps where Basho wrote the phrase.
Risshakuji Temple, called Yamadera, is located in abundant nature, and it takes about an hour and a half to worship.
All the worship roads have stone steps, so you can climb with confidence even if you are climbing a mountain.
Kaisando and Godaido, which offer beautiful views, are definitely places to visit
Izumozaki
Sado is famous for the Sado Gold and Silver Mine, which is known for its golden legend, and has supported the Japanese economy since the Edo period, but in fact it has been a “gold island” since the Heian period.
On the other hand, Sado is also an island exile, and it is known that Emperor Juntoku and Nichiren were exiled.
Looking up at Sado Island in the rough Sea of Japan and the night sky, you can see the beautiful scenery of the quiet stars of the Milky Way.
At present, there is a garden called Bashoen where a Basho statue stands, opposite the place where Hatagoya, where Basho and his friends stayed, was located. A haiku monument and a haiku post are set up there, and it is said that the haiku collection is made by selecting the haiku once a year.
Kanazawa
Basho was staying in Kanazawa at the end of summer.
This phrase is a remnant of summer, with the setting sun shining harshly, but the occasional breeze expresses the feeling of a little loneliness at the beginning of autumn, in the sense that you can feel the coolness of autumn.
There are three monuments in Kanazawa, one of which can be found at the foot of Mt. Yamazaki in Kenrokuen, a tourist attraction.
Ogaki
At Ogaki, the end point of the 150-day trip, a phrase was written when we parted from the people who welcomed us and headed for our next destination, Ise. Befitting the conclusion of a trip, the sad loneliness of farewell is layered on the changing seasons.
At the Hosodo Musubi no Chi Memorial Hall in the back of Ogaki City, there is a theater that shows a video introducing Okunohosodo, and there is also an exhibition where you can deeply enjoy the entire world of Okunohosodo, such as valuable materials and dioramas. increase.
Ogaki has long been called the “city of water,” and there are still many waterways.
Although it was canceled this year due to the influence of the corona, we hold basin boats and boat rides every year, and it is a special time to slowly go down the river.
The charm of a walking trip
It is said that “walking” brings up new ideas and increases productivity.
In fact, celebrities who have left behind many literary works around the world are said to have practiced “walking.” Basho Matsuo loves nature and has sharpened his sensibility by “walking” to create beautiful works.
Following him, why not go on a “walking trip” where you can concentrate on the scenery and sounds of the surroundings and enjoy the changing seasons with your body and mind.