| Japan Heritage Kisoji |
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One of Eight Scenes of Kiso Basho Matsuo visited here, and a monument with his haiku poem reads, “A path, lives entangled, ivies and branches.”
Since ancient times, the bridge has been mentioned in poems as being synonymous with something dangerous. It was said to be the most difficult pass on the Nakasendo Road.
It was originally a plank path as long as several hundreds meters. The planks were bound with vines and attached to the steep cliff over the Kisogawa River. The remains of the rockwork can be seen beneath the old national road.
The road on the opposite shore of the cliff is the old Nakasendo. Kisonokakehashi actually referred to a plank path along the cliff, which no longer exists. Rockfalls often occurred at the bridge. It was one of the three most dangerous passes on the Nakasendo Road. Now, the national road includes a bypass. Rockwork remains beneath the old national road, which was built more than 400 years ago. The monuments to poets such as Matsuo Basho, Shiki Masaoka, and Taneda Santoka stand on the opposite shore.
Mr. Yoshiro Mizuno, a member of the Cultural Properties Preservation Committee of Agematsu Town
We interviewed Mr. Yoshiro Mizuno. He is a member of the Cultural Properties Preservation Committee of Agematsu Town.
“I’d like you to look at Kisonokakehashi from two points of view: as one of Eight Scenes of Kiso with scenic beauty, and as a historical heritage.
The historical heritage is the rockwork of an old path near the current red bridge,” he said.
“Kisonokakehashi was not a bridge across the river, but a plank path on the cliff wall.
Remains of the plank path were incorporated into the rockwork in the Edo period and have remained as a path to this day. The path was made of wood. It is said to have been burnt down because of a torch from a traveler at one time,”
Documents showing the path made of wood at the time
Kisonokakehashi, one of Eight Scenes of Kiso
“It is a stunning view with the red bridge.
However, most visitors don’t notice the rockwork with its historical value. I recommend you get a sense of the history by looking at it from the opposite shore or the red bridge.”
Rockwork as seen from the opposite shore
“I wish to restore the 100-meter path based on remaining documents.
I’ve yet to see it, but you can see morning mist between 6 and 7 o’clock on summer mornings. I wish to preserve the landscape so that you can see the morning mist and the restored path,”
said Mr. Mizuno, who works to preserve the history and the stunning view.
The deep gorge, the red bridge, and the stonework beneath the old national road are must-sees. Please see the monuments to Matsuo Basho, Shiki Masaoka, and Taneda Santoka, standing on the opposite shore.
5 minutes by car, taxi, bus
Respectively 60 minutes by car
Agematsu Town, Kiso-gun, Nagano Prefecture
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