At Ena Gorge A little chestnut sweet before the lakeside walk

I opened the wrapper and found a tiny chestnut kinton. It was my little snack in the car park at Ena Gorge in late October, before my walk by the lake. I'd layered a coat over my lavender knit top and was holding the little sweet gently in both hands. I'd come to see the mountains in their autumn colours, but for now I couldn't take my eyes off that little shape.

The top was pinched in, making it look just like a little chestnut. I learned that this kind of chestnut kinton is made by simmering chestnuts with sugar, then wrapping the mixture in a cloth and pressing it into shape. I'd imagined the New Year's version of chestnut kinton, so this wasn't what I expected. It had me intrigued before I'd even tasted it.

The chestnut flavour opened up with the first bite. It was so small I thought I'd finish it in no time, but the flavour lingered. Before taking another bite, I looked up at the mountain and let my eyes wander over the leaves. Autumn was there in my snack and in the view, too.

I tucked the wrapper away, left the car and walked towards the lakeshore. The mountain I'd been looking at from the car park now rose across the lake. When I stopped by the water, I could take in the trees and the lake all at once. It felt as though even the chestnut flavour lingering in my mouth had become part of the view.

I learned that Ena Gorge is a lake formed by the Oi Dam on the Kiso River. I'd thought I was looking at a natural valley, so learning the lake had been made by people made me want to take another look. The unusual rock formations along both shores and the broad expanse of water seemed to hold different layers of time.

On the way back, I found myself wanting to choose a few more chestnut kinton sweets to take home as gifts. I heard that every shop has its own look and flavour, which made comparing them sound even more fun. For today, though, I'll take home the memory of that little bite, right alongside the autumn leaves by the lake.