Old Routes of Japan: Tracking down Japan off the beaten path from the eyes of a Japanese native

 Shonan beach is a well-known surfing beach today.  Oiso Tokaido inn town is right in front of Shonan beach. Hiratsuka is also close from the beach, but you can see the beach from the route directly. There are pine trees by the road just before entering Oiso inn town. Now you see that this is a default of Tokaido Highway. Around this pine trees, you would want to check out several things.  This part of Tokaido goes slightly downhill, and it’s called Kesho-zaka(Makeup slope), and there is an old well, Kesho-ido. The actual sign of Kesho-ido says “Kesho Well”. The well water was used by women, especially prostitutes in this inn town, for their makeup.  And this is the area where Hiroshige Utagawa drew another Ukiyoe, “Oiso: Tora’s Rain”.  https://www.artic.edu/artworks/25580/oiso-tora-s-rain-oiso-tora-ga-ame-from-the-series-fifty-three-stations-of-the-tokaido-road-tokaido-gojusan-tsugi-no-uchi-also-known-as-the-hoeido-tokaido  (Art Institute Chicago. Public d...

San’yodo/Saigoku Kaido begins at Toji(東寺) temple, Kyoto.  This time, I am showing you a bit about Saigoku Kaido route itself according to Google map because it is not a famous route.  This is Toji South Gate. And The route goes westward. Toji itself is a famous temple in Kyoto, established in 796. It is a World Heritage, and this is a part of south edge of Heiankyo old capital city.  National R-1 in front of Toji is where Suzaku-Oji Avenue, the south edge of Haiankyo old capital used to be. R-1 goes south at the southwest corner of Toji, eventually joining Kyo-Kaido, or known as the extension of old Tokaido.  Shortly you will see Rajomon gate ruin.(The picture above) You will have to take a step off from the Main Street in order to see the monument of the ruins. Rajomon is also called Rashomon, or Raseimon. It was built in 789.  Saigoku Kaido continues on westward and bear left at Kujo-Onmae intersection.  Google map shows Saigoku Kaido clearly on this sect...

First of all, I apologize to my reader that I accidentally posted Hiratsuka inn town part. Order wise, Fujisawa should come first.  As we travel further west, there seem to be more old houses along Tokaido.  Right next to Edo-side of inn town guard, there is Yugyoji temple, established in 1325.  Fujisawa-juku koryukan is recently opened to introduce history of Fujisawa inn town to travelers, and also has a function of rest house.  There is a signpost for Enoshima, which has been a famous tourist site since ancient time, even up until now. From here, basically you can head down south to Enoshima and Shonan beach.  Fujisawa seems to have more old houses/warehouses, from late Edo to Meiji period. Some of old houses were built in the early 1900s but still preserve the atmosphere of what Fujisawa inn town used to be.  Kyu-Kikyouya house was a merchant house of tea and paper. Bloggers and online news say that sometimes Kikyouya opens to public.  This old war...

While we are still working on Tokaido chapter, I decided to start working on San’yodo/Saigoku Kaido chapter.  What were routes covering west of Tokaido prior to modern-day Japan? Which was the popular route in west Japan that people used in order to go east?  Today JR Tokaido line officially goes down to JR Kobe station in Kobe city, and Tokaido Shinkansen goes down to Shin-Osaka station. Beyond these stations, you will notice that these train line names are changed: JR San’yo line from Kobe station, and San’yo Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka station.  Old San’yodo(旧山陽道) starts at Kyoto, and goes through north shore of the river Yodo, bypassing modern-day downtown Osaka, then through Kobe, Himeji, Okayama, Hiroshima, and to Shimonoseki, with the 577km length in total. This route is actually longer than old Tokaido or old Nakasendo. Until the administrative capital was moved from Kyoto to Edo(modern-day Tokyo), San’yodo was regarded as more prestigious than Tokaido and Nakasend...

 As I mentioned previously, along Tokaido Highway, there were many sections that had pine trees on both sides, in order to guide travelers the right route.  On a long stretch between Fujisawa inn town and Hiratsuka inn town, on today’s National Route 1, we can still enjoy pine trees that Tokugawa shogunate planted. Some of them were planted much more recent to show how Tokaido used to be like.  This one is in Fujisawa city side.  That’s all for now. Let’s continue our journey.  

 First, I thought Hiratsuka will be a boring in town. I have to say that, I was wrong. Of course, comparing to places like Tsumago or Magome Nakasendo inn towns, Hiratsuka would be probably boring because there are very few old houses and buildings. At least on the main street side, there are virtually no old houses and buildings. Right before entering Hiratsuka inn town, near JR Hiratsuka station, take a right for north. There we will see a big Torii gate. This is Hiratsuka-Hachimangu shrine. Allegedly it was established in 380. Indeed, this is an ancient shrine.  Then we continue on old Tokaido. Soon we see arcade streets called Shonan Star Mall. This is like 1960-1980d style shopping mall with bunch of small shops.  Here comes the Edo-side guard/gate, Edogata-Mitsuke(江戸方見附).  And so far, there is no old houses that tell us how Hiratsuka inn town used to look like. There is a clue for the reason. I could probably say the same thing to other inn towns we have passed...