Korogi Bridge Autumn leaves beyond the railing, a spa-town manju in my hand

Walking from the spa town, I began to see the wooden bridge. Its railing curved gently towards the buildings beyond. The feeling of wood as I stepped onto it was a little delight, so different from the road I’d driven here on.

Beside the bridge, I took out the spa-town manju I’d wrapped in paper. I’d been wondering where to eat it, but here, with the wooden railing and autumn leaves before me, I wanted to enjoy that first bite.

But the colourful leaves in front of me caught my attention too. I lifted the wrapped manju a little and found myself looking at it along with the scenery. Spending time looking at the bridge with something sweet in my hand made me happier than I’d expected.

Noticing the river’s sound, I went closer to the railing after finishing. From the bridge, I could see trees surrounding the river. I’d been filling my photos with leaves, but now I wanted to capture the flowing water too.

My driving friend would probably say I’d spent a long time out of the car today. Learning about the path from Korogi Bridge to Kurotani Bridge made me want to walk that way too. If I invite her, perhaps I’ll tell her to come in walking shoes.

I wanted to choose my next stop along the river. I’d meant only to go back to the car park, but Yamanaka Onsen in autumn kept giving me more reasons to walk. I put away the manju wrapper and headed a little farther beyond the bridge.