Jul 15, 2023 21:53:00

Trouble occurred on the second day of the trip to reproduce 'Iga-goe' on foot [Day 2: Yamaguchi Castle - Ogawa Castle Ruins]

Ieyasu Tokugawa heard the news of the incident at Honnoji Temple

and fled from Osaka to Okazaki Castle located in Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture in three days. On the first day of crossing Iga, we went off the route a little, but we proceeded as planned, but on the second day, we had a big problem.

◆ Scheduled route for the second day
On the second day of crossing Iga, after returning to the Yamaguchi Castle ruins, which was the goal of the first day, you will follow a 45.1km route that goes to 'Tokuneiji Temple' via 'Henjoin Temple', 'Ogawa Castle Ruins' and 'Sakura Pass'. I had an appointment.


◆ From Yamaguchi Castle to Henjoin Temple
I returned to Yamaguchi Castle, the goal of the first day. From here, continue on Route 307.

Follow the directions for Koka.

I don't feel short of breath, but my steps feel heavy, probably because I haven't completely recovered from the fatigue of the previous day.

Avoid car-only roads such as bypasses, and go on a road that can be advanced on foot.

I found a flag with the same appearance as the flag I saw at Yamaguchi Castle on the first day.

It says 'Henjoin', but this is not Henjoin yet. Perhaps it indicates 'route to Henjoin'.

The route from Yamaguchi Castle to Henjoin is a gentle uphill road. My feet started to hurt.

I found a guide board marked 'enter here' that shows the route to Henjoin.

Follow the information board.

quite a steep climb.

Ample parking was provided.

I found a guide board describing the outline of Iga-goe. According to the information board, Ieyasu had dinner at Henjoin Temple.

Arrive at Henjoin.

There was 'Prince Ieyasu sitting stone'. Ieyasu must have sat here.

There was also a guide board near the stone, 'Kyoto Yamashiro Country 100 Famous Trees Hiryu Kobai'.

Since it was already July, the flowers were completely scattered, but according to

the local newspaper Rakutai Shimpo, beautiful pink flowers bloom during the plum season. Maybe Ieyasu was also looking at the plum blossoms.

There was also a fine bell.

◆From Henjoin Temple to Ogawa Castle Ruins
From Henjoin Temple, return to Route 307 and head straight for the next destination, the Ogawa Castle Ruins.

It also passes through tunnels.

Some climbs were so steep that climbing lanes were provided.

Passed through Kyoto Prefecture and reached Shiga Prefecture.

There are tea plantations along the way.

Around the time I entered Shiga Prefecture, the soles of my feet began to ache. Every time I take a step, I feel a throbbing pain, so I rest my feet every few minutes.

It feels like my muscles are stiff, so I tried pressing the painful part with my finger and massaging it, but it didn't work.

When I checked the sole of my foot, I found a big bean. It may be that my feet have been unconsciously moving strangely so that the bean part does not touch the ground, and my feet hurt. If you click the image, you can browse the non-mosaic version, but be careful as it is a little grotesque.

I want to follow Ieyasu's footsteps, so I keep walking at a slow pace. Tea fields are spreading around, but there is no time to enjoy the scenery.

Walk slowly, one step at a time.

Especially uphill is tough.

The weather is just like summer, and the sun is shining brightly.

Walking on dirt roads is much less painful. The hardness of the asphalt must be hurting your feet.

Head towards the Ogawa Castle Ruins and proceed little by little.

The distance from Henjoin to Ogawa Castle Ruins is 12.5km, which normally takes 2-3 hours, but this time it took 5 hours. Moreover, I ended up in a place where I couldn't tell whether it was a private road or a public road because I took a wrong road. According to Google Maps, there is Ogawa Castle Ruins ahead, but I had no choice but to withdraw because I wanted to avoid entering someone else's land.

On the way back to the national highway, I found a guide board to another castle ruin called 'Naka Castle Ruins'. It's frustrating that I can't get anything from walking this far, so I'm going to aim for the castle ruins inside.

An information board invites you into the mountains. If it's a fairy tale, it's definitely a trap for non-humans.

Go through a place where you can't tell whether it's a road or a fallen tree. However, since the ground is soft, the pain in the feet is suppressed.

After a while, we arrived at the castle ruins. However, there were only thick trees and no stone walls.

The moment I returned to the asphalt road to return to the national highway, a severe pain attacked the soles of my feet. I decided to stop walking any longer and move to my accommodation as it would not lead to serious injury.

So, I gave up on today's itinerary at Ogawa Castle Ruins.

Below is the route I took today. The walking distance was 21.2km. If the pain subsides tomorrow morning, I may continue the challenge, but to be honest, I'm hopeless to continue any further.


・Continued
The trip to reproduce Ieyasu Tokugawa's ``Iga-goe'' on foot ended in failure, so I thought about why Ieyasu was accomplished-GIGAZINE