Walking the Koshu Kaido from Tokyo to Nagano: Day 6 (Kofu to Mukawa)

Click here for Day 1 ⬇️

Wednesday, April 8th

5:36 AM, Mt. Fuji seen from the top floor of Dormy Inn Kofu Marunouchi

By the way, I'm not staying on the top floor; this is the view from the public bath (relaxation area).

6:30 AM, Chicken giblets for breakfast

I was debating whether to eat this at a Hoto restaurant yesterday, but decided against it because the portion size seemed too much. Chicken giblets.
I was curious about them, so of course I'm going to eat them! My first time trying chicken yolk/egg…!

8:04 AM, clear weather

It looks like I'll be able to walk while looking at the mountains all day today.

8:32 AM, Geijutsu no Mori Park

It's on my way, so I'll stop by for a bit.

Since it's an 'Art Forest,' there's an art museum inside and objects everywhere.

9:01 AM, a ball is being enshrined

The cherry blossoms in this area had already finished blooming completely.

9:18 AM, to Dragon Park

The wind was a bit strong, but the 360-degree view was wonderful.
The weather was so good that I could even see Mount Jonen in Nagano, which was so far away it wasn't even on the explanatory panels describing the mountains in that direction! (Using binoculars)

There was also an exhibition room in the park with pottery and other items excavated in the vicinity.

10:27 AM, various things along the way

I found a vast shopping mall on the next street over, and while it wasn't impossible to make a detour, I thought it might dilute the Koshu Kaido atmosphere (?), so I decided against it this time.

11:29 AM, Nirasaki-juku

As I enter the post town, the number of shops that look truly historic increases.

It is still an active inn today.

11:44 AM, Yoshida Udon

This meat had a flavor I'd never experienced before, and I was wondering, 'What kind of meat is this and what part...?' but the name of the shop was the answer. Sakura, which means horse meat.
I've had horse sashimi before, but this was my first time having it cooked.

12:30 PM, Nicori

Nirasaki has a frog character named Neera, and come to think of it, I remembered that there were tons of huge frogs in a pond at Sasago Pass yesterday.
Could they be... friends...?

1:06 PM, Walking while looking at the Shichiri-iwa cliff that stretches on forever

3:22 PM, almost at the inn

Perhaps I pushed myself too hard, but at this rate, I will arrive at the inn too early.
I just realized that while check-in is usually at 3:00 PM, the place I'm staying tonight doesn't start until 4:00 PM.

I happened to find a nice shop nearby, so I'll make a detour to kill some time.

I've been hooked on Japanese sweets since starting this trip, so I bought a few.

You can't go wrong with Japanese sweets.

4:00 PM, Ryokan Omiya

It has a different vibe from the business hotels and the hotel I stayed at in Isawa Onsen, so I'm a little nervous.

I've compiled my impressions of the inns I've stayed at during this trip into an article, so please take a look if you'd like.

At night, my husband went outside to see if he could spot the starry sky, but it was getting cloudy and the surroundings were fairly bright, so he ended up going to bed early.

[Thoughts on Day 6]

The weather was incredibly nice, and it was great to see Mount Fuji, the Southern Alps, and the Yatsugatake Mountains so clearly. As I walk, the viewing angle gradually changes, so I never get tired of looking at them.
The Shichiri-iwa cliff seemed to follow me no matter how much I walked, and I was truly impressed (?) that it really does span seven ri.
I've already entered the second half of the Koshu Kaido, but my muscles and joints are holding up surprisingly well, so I'm able to enjoy the walk.

Continuing to Day 7.