Tenma Kaidō After crossing the bridge, I take my time admiring the valley’s autumn colors.

On a cloudy autumn afternoon, I set out along the Tenma Kaidō with my friend. Thin clouds hung over the mountain peaks. I kept both hands on the wheel, eyes on the road ahead. Driving Route 236 over the mountains is about more than getting from one town to another; I love having time to stop and take it all in along the way, too. Today, we decided to take a break at Suimeibashi Park.

After parking, we walked into the park, where a blue bridge came into view across the valley. The slim steel beams beneath it stood out among the mountain trees. I could take my time studying the bridge’s shape here, something I hadn’t been able to make out while driving. My friend and I said, “So this is how a road crosses a valley.”

The nearby trees were full of autumn leaves, and clouds partly hid the higher slopes. Unlike the far-reaching view on a clear day, today I found myself drawn to the depth of the valley. I took in the leaves in the foreground first, then the bridge, then the slope beyond. Taking them in one by one, I found that more of the scenery stayed with me than if I’d simply driven through.

The Tenma Kaidō is a mountain route connecting Hiroo and Urakawa. The entire route opened in 1997, and I heard it took 27 years to complete. Nozuka Tunnel is 4,232m long and cuts through the Hidaka Mountains. After seeing mountain after mountain, I can’t help imagining just how long it took to get the road through them.

While my friend studied the bridge from the fence, I stepped back a little to take in the mountains around it. From there, I could see how the road fits into the valley much better than when I looked at the bridge alone. Once I’m back in the car, my eyes will be on the road again, so while we’re stopped, I want to take in the autumn landscape all around me. I found myself wanting to wait here until the clouds shifted a little.

When we reach Urakawa, I want to pick up a strawberry monaka from Baigetsudō Tedori Confectionery. It’s made with Urakawa strawberries blended into white bean paste. I like having something sweet in town to look forward to after crossing the mountains. I’d like to make a sweet stop part of our autumn drive and talk about the valley we saw today as we eat.