From the 3340 foot summit of Shiojiri-toge is a fine view through the trees surrounding Lake Suwa and, in the distance, Mount Fuji . The summit itself is occupied by a large memorial which commemorates the fact that the Emperor Meiji also stopped here to admire the view during his journey along the Nakasendo in 1881. So too did the poet Basho who wrote a poem to memorialize his visit.
The steep downhill walk through woods, and then rice fields, takes just a few minutes before the outskirts of Shimo-Suwa are reached. A modern high-tech industrial estate marks the transition from a rural to urban landscape, but after crossing the modern highway, the old Nakasendo traces a route through green and peaceful suburbs to the center of the town, some seven miles from Shiojiri post-town.
