They used to carry rice along here on foot An early-summer visit to Gonbei Pass from the Kiso side: stepping out of the car to take in the forest

I followed the old road up from the Kiso side and reached the trailhead at Gonbei Pass. I parked my red car on the gravel clearing and stepped out with my bag. With my coat open, I looked toward the forest. The music I'd had on in the car stopped, and I found myself listening to the trees instead.

A narrow road runs across the far side of the clearing, with tall conifers beyond it. I wanted to see this entrance for myself; I hadn't come expecting a sweeping mountain view. The modern road, with its utility poles and guardrails, and the old route that carried rice both run through the same pass.

Gonbei Pass was developed as a route for carrying rice from Ina to Kiso. Even my small bag feels different when I shift it onto my shoulder, and people once carried loads over this pass. Today, I understand the history more clearly by imagining the weight of those loads in my own hands than by trying to memorise dates.

I walked a little across the gravel, stones pressing against the soles of my shoes. I want to remember how the ground feels beneath my feet before I walk any farther. When I looked into the forest, the light fell differently on the branches nearby and the trunks farther back. This morning, I made time to linger at the Kiso-side entrance instead of simply passing through.

As I put my bag back in the car, I found myself thinking that I'd like to stop in Narai for gohei-mochi on the way back. After hearing about the rice route, even stopping for something made with rice and grilled with sauce sounded like part of the fun. Before starting the engine, I took one last look at the forest and thought I'd even remember the road's name on the drive home.