41 Inagawa Bridge at Nojiri41 Nojiri (Eisen)
The "Seven Bends of Nojiri" were designed to protect the town against enemies. Soon after the Joshoji Temple, the Iwade Kannon at left in the picture, dubbed the Kiyomizu Temple of Kiso, comes into view. Further away, the Inagawa Bridge is visible.
 

42 Midono42 Mitono
From Nojiri, travellers had to pass through a narrow perilous road along the Kiso River before entering Midono. This post town was as prosperous as Tsumago, which came next. At the Tokakuji Temple, there is an image of Buddha sculpted by Enkyu, a famous priest sculptor who travelled around the country with the aim of creating 120,000 Buddhist statues. The red and white ume (apricot) flowers indicate the arrival of spring.
 

43 Tsumago43 Tsumagome
Today Tsumago is designated as an "important traditional structure group preservation area" together with Narai-shuku. From olden times, this stage was an important intersection with another highway branching to the Ina Valley. The scene is at the Magome Pass.
 

44 Magome-no-eki44 Magome (Eisen)
There is the Magome Pass (801 m above sea level) between Tsumago and Magome, which are 8 km apart from each other. From the pass, Mt. Ena can be seen in the distance due south. The post town of Magome is below the pass. This is where Shimazaki Toson, a famous Meiji novelist, was born and is also the stage of his masterwork "Before Dawn."
 

45 Ochiai45 Ochiai
At the Jikkoku Pass, the province of Shinano ends and the province of Mino begins. Standing by the road here is a Basho monument with his haiku poem bidding farewell to Kiso. On the outskirts of the post town is the Inoji Temple famous for "Raccoon Dog's Ointment." In the picture, a daimyos procession is moving down the pass road and is about to cross the Ochiai River before entering Ochiai.
 

46-1 Nakatsugawa on Rainy Day46-1 Nakatsugawa
There are two pictures of Nakatsugawa. "Nakatsugawa on Rainy Day" with the seal of the publisher "Kinjudo" is said to have been the earlier of the two prints. This version, existing in a smaller number, has greater scarcity value. The picture is considered one of the best among Hiroshige's many rainy landscapes.
 

46-2 Nakatsugawa on Fine Day46-2 Nakatsugawa
The regular "Rokusai" market was held here on the 3rd and 8th of each month, gathering a large number of people including those from Kiso. Nakatsugawa was the largest post town on the Kisokaido Highway, but the picture does not show that. Seen from the bridge over the Yotsume River, the town nestles smugly at the foot of a mountain. In the foreground, travellers and townspeople are walking leisurely along the highway.
 

47 Oi47 Oi
The post town of Oi, which was at a strategic point of traffic, is said to have formerly been Oi-eki on the ancient Tosando Highway. This picture shows the hilly Jusan Pass between Oi and Okute.
 

48 Okute48 Okute
Past this post town, travellers walked on a flat road along the mountain with exposed rocks. From the Biwa Pass between Okute and Hosokute, they could see Mt. Ibuki, Mt. Hakusan and the Bay of Ise far away in the distance.
 

49 Hosokute49 Hosokute
When the Kisokaido Highway was opened, the post town of Hosokute was not present. It was later added, however, because the mountain road of 16 km between Okute and Mitake was considered too long for a single leg. In this picture of a well-balanced composition, we are looking down at the entrance to the stage of Hosokute from a hilltop.
 

50 Ontake50 Mitake
Mitake was a post town that had developed in front of the famous Gankoji Temple. To get to this station, travellers trudged along a gently-sloping mountain path. Today we can witness the vestiges of the old-time highway in the mileposts and stone-pavement slope along the road. The inn advertising itself as "Kichin-yado" (cheap lodging house) on the shoji screen served also as the Teahouse of Juppongi.