Japan Long Trail Walker | Inaba Kaidō in Nishiawakura, Okayama

Japan Long Trail Walker | Inaba Kaidō in Nishiawakura, Okayama

Japan Long Trail Walker
森林が燦々！ 森から生まれる里山の未来を探しに
因幡街道　岡山県西粟倉村

奈良時代には歌人の大友家持が、江戸時代には宮本武蔵が行き来した因幡街道。播磨国（兵庫県）姫路と因幡国（鳥取県）鳥取を結んだ、かつての交通の要衝だ。今回は因幡街道の板根宿（岡山県美作市）が置かれていた、“最先端の田舎”こと、西粟倉村内を歩く。人工林を未来に生かすビジョンに耳を傾けながら林道を歩き、旧道の歴史をたどり、原生林に癒され、一流店顔負けのスイーツや料理に心奪われる、そんな1泊2日のハイクトリップ。

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Japan Long Trail Walker
Shimmering Forests and Futures: Walking the Inaba Kaidō in Nishiawakura, Okayama

The poet Ōtomo no Yakamochi once walked this road back in the Nara period. Centuries later, the famed swordsman Miyamoto Musashi traveled it too. The Inaba Kaidō was a vital route connecting Himeji in the Harima Province (now Hyōgo Prefecture) to Tottori in the former Inaba Province. On this trip, we explore a stretch of the route that passes through the village of Nishiawakura in Okayama Prefecture, where the post town Itane-juku (now part of Mimasaka City) once stood. Today, it is known as a hub for forward-thinking countryside living.

Over the course of two days, we hike its forest paths while learning about the village’s innovative vision for its man-made woodlands, trace the history of the old highway, find solace among primeval trees, and fall for desserts and meals that rival Japan’s top restaurants.