箱根八里(Hakone-Hachiri) Part 2 - Descending down Hakone

Before getting to Mishima, I am giving you a brief summary of Hakone-Mishima route.

It’s long. 

The traffic in the following part of Tokaido is suspended due to the damage by a typhoon, at the point of my blog.(4/2025).  So you don’t get to Kabutoishi-zaka part. 








On your way down, there is Yamanaka castle ruins. It’s a medieval castle that belonged to Hojo clan in Odawara. Lord Hideyoshi Toyotomi conquered this castle in half day in 15 90 battle. Hideyoshi side had 70,000 soldiers while Hojo side in this castle only had 4,000. 
And on the center left, you see the picture of Mishima Skywalk, a famous suspension bridge with zip line. 
A close look at Yamanaka castle is like the picture on the left. 
Tokaido Highway is going around the castle area. Circled ones are the castle tower ruin and the main fortress. Parts of castle is across the route. 








After the castle, at a sharp downhill curve off from R-1, there is a monument of haiku master Basho Matsuo. 
The poem on the monument describes a foggy day of  travel not being able to see Mt.Fuji, but he enjoyed the travel. 

霧しぐれ
富士を見ぬ日ぞ
おもしろき
Foggy rain travel day, 
Not seen Mt.Fuji, 
How wonderful it is.
There is a Jizo statue, a guardian deity of children and travelers, without head nearby. Google map shows two places. 
I did some research, and it is not clear as to whether both places have headless jizo or not. 








Merging with R-1, there are two ichirizuka milestones, or distant markers, on both sides of the road. I might just call them 4km post markers because 1-ri is about 4km. 


We are almost in Mishima inn town. 






The access to this route: Tokai bus from JR Mishima station or Motohakone bus terminal runs every 30 minutes during the day, connecting most of major sites of Tokaido including Yamanaka castle ruins, Hakone checkpoint, Mishima Skywalk etc.  


References:

120 old mountain routes of Japan selected by the Japanese Alpine Club: Hakone Old Highway. The Japanese Alpine Club. (The original title:日本山岳会が選ぶ日本の山岳古道120選　箱根旧街道　日本山岳会. Japanese only) https://kodo.jac1.or.jp/kodo120_detail/60_hakone/ (Accessed in 4/19/2025)

Yamanaka Fort Ruins. Mishima city official tourist guide.  







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