さて先般の「中部日本の旅」の探訪先について、断片的にしか書いておりません。ブログですべての探訪先について書くのはとてもムリかも知れない。
　現代では紙の出版という形式、それも特定テーマでの単行本で読んでもらうのはよほどの難事。一方でブログという書きやすく読んでいただきやすい領域はある。なんですが旅行記などは、毎日書いていっても現地体験の総量が多すぎるので、整理整頓が難しい。わたしの場合、書いてみたい旅先のテーマが多すぎて、まことに困惑しております。
　写真の中山道・木曽路「馬籠宿」は滞在時間にして３時間ほどでしたが、そのなかで「清水屋」という老舗があり、女将さんのご好意で蔵や内庭まで特別参観させていただけた。しかも軸装された尾形光琳作品などが無造作に展示されていた。
　「これは、もっときれいに額装し直したら、あっと驚かれますね」
　「あはは、昔はこの宿場随一の名店と言われましたので・・・」
　中山道は江戸期に東海道と双璧とも言える東西交通路。さかんに江戸と上方交流の経済の状況が刻印された。上の図はそのなかでも「木曽街道十一宿」の馬籠宿を活写した図。画家は渓斎英泉で、歌川広重ととも合作した「木曽街道六十九次」よりの浮世絵。
　正面に描かれた山は「南木曽岳（なぎそだけ）」のようです。その下に今回遭遇した山容の写真を載せました。まことに中山道中でももっとも峻険な山道だったことがわかる。時空を超えて昔人のこの宿場への思いが伝わってきて胸アツ。
　馬籠宿はけっこうな「高低差」でしかもたくさんの見どころがあって、心身共にウットリさせられる。高山の風景が心象にジワジワと迫ってくるのです。
　やはりこのように建築・街並みが保存され建築の空気感を体験することで、時空を超越した「旅」が可能になるもの。昔人の作家・画家などの痕跡もさらに一体となって襲ってくる。
　やはり日本という歴史を共有する各地域の痕跡には、民族の「共感」がある。
　でもまぁ探訪している人びとは、多様な国籍人種（笑）。それも現代という時代を表しているのでしょうね。

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English version⬇　

Exploring Kiso’s Magome-juku: An Encounter with Ukiyo-e Paintings
The vibrant east-west exchange within Japanese society comes alive as the raw atmosphere of the Edo period. Ultimately, the economy is a trace of human communication. …

　Now, regarding the destinations from my recent “Journey through Central Japan,” I’ve only written about them in fragments. It might be impossible to cover all the places I visited in this blog.
　In this day and age, getting readers to pick up a paper publication—especially a single-volume book focused on a specific theme—is an incredibly difficult task. On the other hand, blogs offer an accessible space that’s easy to write in and read. However, travelogues, even if written daily, are challenging to organize and tidy up because the sheer volume of on-site experiences is overwhelming. In my case, I have far too many travel destinations I’d like to write about, and I’m truly at a loss.
　The Nakasendo/Kiso Road “Magome-juku” in the photo was only a three-hour stay, but during that time, there was an old-established inn called “Shimizuya.” Thanks to the kindness of the proprietress, we were granted special access to the storehouse and inner courtyard. Moreover, works by Ogata Korin, mounted on scrolls, were casually displayed.
“If these were reframed more beautifully, they’d really take your breath away, wouldn’t they?”
　“Ahaha, well, back in the day, this was considered the finest establishment in the entire post town…”
The Nakasendo was a major east-west thoroughfare during the Edo period, often considered the counterpart to the Tokaido. It vividly reflects the economic exchange and interaction between Edo and the Kansai region. The illustration above vividly depicts Magome-juku, one of the “Eleven Post Towns of the Kiso Road.” The artist is Keisai Eizan, and this ukiyo-e print is from the “Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kiso Road” series, a collaborative work with Utagawa Hiroshige.
The mountain depicted in the foreground appears to be Mount Nagiso. Below it, I’ve included a photo of the mountain’s profile encountered this time. It truly shows this was one of the most rugged mountain passes along the Nakasendo. Crossing time and space, the feelings of those who came before for this post station come through, warming the heart.
　Magome-juku offers considerable elevation changes and numerous points of interest, captivating both mind and body. The scenery of the high mountains slowly seeps into one’s consciousness.
Indeed, it is through experiencing the preserved architecture and streetscapes, feeling the atmosphere of the buildings, that a journey transcending time and space becomes possible. The traces of writers and painters from the past also converge and overwhelm you.
　Indeed, the traces found in each region sharing Japan’s history carry a sense of national “empathy.”
But well, the people exploring these places are of diverse nationalities and races (laugh). That, too, represents the modern era, I suppose.

●Notice
My book “Writers and Living Spaces” published as an e-book by Gentosha
Available on Amazon.

Posted on 9月 16th, 2025 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類