Kisoji: Highroad Among Mountains

From the four winds and the scent of the earth, come the color of the seasons.

Exploring the four seasons of Japan.

A picturesque mountain range.

A single road running through it connects 11 "post towns."

Hi, rest here, it's free.

Really? I finally met a human.

Hi. You walked from Magome?

- Yes.
- Wow. You must be young.

These travelers are hiking on a route known as Kisoji, which passes through Kiso in Nagano Prefecture.

It is located in the middle of a historical Japanese highway connecting Tokyo and Kyoto.

Since the time of the samurai, post towns or post stations with inns once flourished here.

More than 90% of the Kiso area is forested.

In these mountains, treasure can be found.

A forest of cypress trees has been grown over several generations and centuries.

In Japan, cypress has long been used as an excellent building material.

I do feel a divine awe.

If I don't do things with resolve,
I'm afraid I'll be punished by the deities.

This log plays an important role in supporting local daily life.

Ready, set, go.

A communal water station using mountain stream water is renewed for the first time in 20 years.

Horses used to be a part of the mountain life.

In this episode of Seasoning the Seasons, we tour the post towns and see the deep facets of the Kisoji route.

This is Kiso in Nagano Prefecture.

There is an old road that runs through this town, called Kisoji, which is located along the Nakasendo, one of the main highroads connecting Tokyo and Kyoto.

Stretching 80 kilometers from north to south, the Kisoji is home to 11 post towns along its trail.

This highroad has been used for about 400 years, with feudal lords from all over Japan using it to get to Tokyo to serve the shogun during the Samurai period.

Among these post towns, Narai-juku was the most bustling on the Kisoji.

The town was built with buildings lining the streets without gaps between them.

This design was devised to protect feudal lords on their journeys, preventing thieves from entering and to cut off their escape routes.

The Nakasendo route, which includes the Kisoji, was less affected by weather than other routes, and was preferred by travelers who were in a hurry.

In the days of the Samurai, glamorous processions of princesses from Kyoto on their way to marry into the Shogun's family

also passed through this highroad to Tokyo.

This inn has been serving commoner guests for 240 years.

The inn is supposed to accommodate more than 10 guests a day, but where are the guest rooms?

The house is very narrow
looking at it from the front.

It was a way to minimize tax.

The wider the frontage, the higher tax was,
so they made the frontage narrower.

But the buildings are
quite long and deep.

The building remains as it was in the days of the samurai.

How long is this inn?

The inn has a number of rooms and even a courtyard.

The building has a depth of 40 meters.

If you go all the way to the back, it's very dark.

When I was small, I was kind
of afraid to go back there.

During the day, I'd just
run around wildly.

These boards, which the names of group guests are written on, tell how prosperous the inn once was.

Once a courier, who would run ahead of a group, informed the inn of the group's arrival date, the inn would post a board on its front door as a landmark.

The group guests' purpose was to pay homage to temples, shrines, and mountains of faith.

Such pilgrimages were popular throughout Japan back in the day.

Travelers headed from the post towns of Kiso to Mt. Ontake.

The mountain boasts a height of 3,067 meters.

Mt. Ontake is believed to be a sacred place of mountain worship, a folk religion that started in the 8th century.

The mountain became known throughout Japan along with this song "Kiso-bushi."

It's early September.

A man hurries along a mountain road in the early morning.

In 2021, temperatures dropped after long summer rains, bringing in an early bountiful Autumn harvest.

Where do they grow?

Hmm. How can I explain?

I don't really know.

He is looking for "matsutake," an aromatic, exquisite, and expensive mushroom.

Misawa Tsutomu is a master matsutake hunter.

He says that locations where matsutake grow vary everytime, so finding them can depend on the hunter's efforts.

The early bird gets the worm.

It's definitely first come, first served.

My mother and her friends used to be in
the mountains by 5 AM, with flashlights.

Found one.

There's one over here too.

And here, see?

Treasures.

There's plenty when you're the
first one here. Over here too.

Another one.

Great.

Tsutomu started picking matsutake with his mother when he was in elementary school.

Nearly 70 years later, he is still at it.

There we go.
This is a biggie. Outstanding.

Tsutomu is a seedling farmer, but in Autumn he devotes his time to matsutake.

After selecting some, he sells them to a local farmer's market.

On this day alone, he has made 80,000 yen.

Master matsutake hunter Tsutomu's wallet gets heavier in Autumn.

But he shares his bounty at a favorite restaurant in Fukushima-juku.

He brings the blessings of the season.

In spring, its wild vegetables, and in Autumn...

Hi.

Here you go.

Loads of matsutake!

They are cooked deliciously and enjoyed with his fellow regulars.

Ah, such a good aroma.

They taste best in a broth.

So good.

Smells great.

He's handsome only when
he brings matsutake.

The early-morning hunt has paid off, with a little help from sake.

Villages on the Kisoji are separated by streams and deep ravines.

Having terrain unsuitable for growing rice, villagers of Kisoji have lived by cultivating terraced fields in the mountains or small plots of land at the bottom of valleys.

Okuwa, a village along the Kisoji highway, is one such village.

The Okuwa Boys Sumo Club has been operating for 48 years.

Currently 10 boys between the ages of 6 and 15 are trained by an instructor who has competed in the National Sports Festival.

Second grader Taue Keijiro started attending the sumo lessons because he felt frustrated when his friend pushed him in nursery school, and he couldn't push them back.

That's right. A little more. Go.

Soon, his club will have a match with a strong club in Kiso.

This will be Keijiro's first match against another club.

Sumo wrestling is very popular in Kiso, with rings at every elementary and junior high school, and even a 1,000-seat sumo arena.

The origin of the sumo popularity in Kiso is said to have started by burly men, strong from their mountain work, challenging each other.

Sumo tournaments have been held here frequently since 1931, when a special match was held as a memorial event of the Imperial visit.

Before the big match, Keijiro has invited his friends from the sumo club to his house.

Wishing them good luck, Keijiro's mother puts on a feast.

With a vow to win, the boys dig in!

Three days later, it's the day of the match.

The boys from Okuwa will fight a sumo club in Kiso-Fukushima.

They are dazzled by their rivals' stunning indoor sumo practice facility.

Having 21 students, the Kiso Boys Sumo Club is a prestigious club that has produced national tournament winners.

They look like tough opponents.

First, a practice sparring session.

Keijiro's opponent is a boy one year younger than him.

Unable to watch Keijiro get knocked down every time, a senior student comes over to him.

Look forward.

Will Keijiro heed to these calm words of advice?

Bow.

The match begins.

Originally, it was to be a 5-on-5 team match, but one of the players from Okuwa withdraws, and it is now a 4-on-4 match.

The atmosphere is an "away" match for Okuwa.

Keijiro, following the advice, goes in forward in a low posture, and successfully defeats his opponent with a "Yorikiri" or Frontal force out.

Bow.

Following in Keijiro's footsteps, his clubmates give it their best.

In the end, the Okuwa Boys Sumo Club win all four matches.

It's wins like these that keep the boys doing sumo.

- Bow.
- Thank you.

I was nervous.

Held next year is a sumo championship bringing together all the sumo boys of Kiso.

Suhara-juku can be found in the middle of Kisoji.

In the mountains behind the post town, there is a well that collects the abundant fresh water.

Once a year, the local men gather to check the condition of the well water, clean, and cut the grass of the surroundings.

They were worried about the long rain, but the water is clearer than expected.

This moss-covered rock is a water deity.

It is the guardian of the water that flows into the post town and supports the people's lives.

Communal water stations, called "mizubune," or, "water boat" in Japanese, can be found all over Suhara-juku.

Fresh water flows into them all year round.

The mizubunes are made from hollowed-out logs of the oil-rich and water-resistant tree Sawara cypress.

Mizubunes served as a common water supply for washing rice and vegetables, and also a place for people to commune.

In the mornings, I'd use this water
to make tea or wash my face.

But even if they are made of water-resistant Sawara cypress, they tend to decay after 20 years.

2021 was the year to replace the mizubunes.

The townsfolk joined forces to make three mizubunes from logs.

In the past, there were craftsmen that the locals could depend upon.

There used to be a cooper
who would teach us.

He passed away, so now we
are trying to do it together.

It's so very difficult.

I'm useless. I've never done this before.

Since the end of summer, every Sunday they have been making mizubunes.

Little by little, with unskilled hands.

Six weeks later, they finally complete the new mizubunes.

The 20-year-old mizubunes will be ending their service.

Ok, and pull.

A brand-new Sawara cypress mizubune has arrived.

It weighs about 400kg.

Everyone joins in the final installment.

The water is coming.

Oh, wow.

Congratulations. Well done.

It's so good and cold.

Quenches the thirst.

The reborn mizubune fills up with life-giving water.

Rice growing is difficult in Kiso due to its high altitude and cold climate.

But there is one place in the southern part of Kisoji where rice has been produced for generations.

It is near Tsumago, located about 500 meters above sea level, which is rather low for Kiso.

This grower is building a drying area where harvested rice will be dried in the sun.

There is difference in yield though
we've always had a rice harvest here.

Historically, a native breed of horses called Kiso Horses worked alongside people in this land.

But the small Kiso Horses were deemed unsuitable as military horses during the war, and a sterilization policy was adopted.

After the war, one Kiso Horse miraculously survived and was used as a stallion to revive the breed.

The number of Kiso Horses has today grown to 160.

Coming through.

Taking care of this Kiso Horse is 14-year-old Sakurai Minori, and her younger brother, Soichiro.

Today, they're taking the horse for a walk through a neighbor's property.

Then the neighbor returns.

Hey. You look cool.

- Do horses often pass through here?
- Yes. They walk where there are paths.

You don't mind them in your backyard?

This is a farming road, so
farming vehicles have priority.

This horse is a "sacred horse," consecrated for an annual festival.

Its name is Itsumiyago, the third.

But the children have a different name for it.

We always call him Ossu.

Ossu?

It's a male horse, so
they call it "Osu" (male).

He is usually very spoiled
and has a loveable personality.

- Spoiled?
- Yes, he likes to be spoiled.

At the request of a local shrine, Minori's grandfather took over the care of the sacred horses 20 years ago.

They have since raised three horses, which have been a part of the family since Minori was born.

Minori was 15 months old when Ossu arrived.

They grew up together.

A major event for both Ossu and Minori is about to happen very soon.

It is the "Hanauma Festival," a 300-year-old festival to pray for a bountiful harvest.

Ossu will be the "sacred horse," carrying the wishes of the people, and Minori will serve as his handler for the first time.

Come on, down you go.

That's it. Good boy.

This is where the procession to the shrine starts.

In 2020, the festival only conducted the Shinto ritual because of COVID, but in 2021, the procession of the sacred horse returned.

We're happy to see the sacred
horse during this season.

We've always seen them
since we were kids.

Looking more like a sacred horse.

Even Itsumiyago is feeling things are a little different.

It's time for the decorations.

Stop.

The weight of the people's wishes for a good harvest is felt by Itsumiyago, in the form of the festival decorations.

All the preparations for the sacred horse are now in order.

What's wrong?

Tired?

Good boy.

The festival begins.

This year, its scale was reduced, and the procession is shortened to 200 meters in front of the shrine.

But then...

Unusually, Itsumiyago is playing up a little.

Minori is struggling.

It's okay.

Let's go.

After much coaxing, they finally arrive at the shrine.

It has been a while since the shrine welcomed a sacred horse.

Minori and Ossu head back home.

They have removed the festival garb.

- How will he do next year?
- Next year? Not sure.

I hope he'll behave.

Tasty?

As the festival passes, so does the season.

The surrounding mountains are taking on Autumn colors.

Once again, Kisoji waits to welcome its travelers.