藤井宿(Fujii inn town): one step to Okayama castle town

When you look at Google map along Saigoku Kaido in Okayama prefecture, you see names of Saigoku Kaido and old San’yodo at the same time. I noticed this change. 

Fujii inn town is on eastern side of Okayama city, and another San’yodo/Saigoku Kaido inn town that has very little information available online.  

Let’s see what the town has. 


The route is fling along the feet of mountains, and almost parallel to San’yo Shinkansen line. 
Since there is no detailed online data is available, I’ll just start at wherever I find beautiful. 
Later, it turned out that the first 2-3 street views including the one on the left, might not be a part of Fujii inn town. There was a ruins of Bizen Ankokuji temple. Ankokuji temple was built in many places of Japan by lord Takauji Ashikaga in 14-15th centuries. And this part might have been a temple town. 
Going through dark-brown-colored houses. 

Bizen Ankokuji temple sign is here. Turning right to north, there is a ruins. 
This part can be the east end of Fujii inn town. 
Old houses on the right. Fields on the left. 
I don’t know if this is honjin or wakihonjin. 
Soja Hachimangu shrine. No data was found online. And there is a monument with explanation about Fujii inn town. Before this route was called Saigoku Kaido, San’yodo route was changed multiple times. Lord Hideie Ukita established the current route and set up this inn town. If you don’t know Hideie Ukita, he was one of lords who fought against Ieyasu Tokugawa on 1600 battle of Sekigahara, then exiled to a small remote island. 
Probably the most busiest part of Fujii inn town in the old days. 
Apparently, the blue route was a detour. 
This shrine is called Susanoo sheine. There are several “Susanoo” shrines in Okayama. This is one of those with no data. 

To get to Fujii inn town, JR Joto station is close: about 20 minutes walk. 

The next stop is Okayama inn town/castle town. 



References:

Former Bizen Ankokuji temple ruins. Koto School District Union Neighborhood Association(The original title: 備前安国寺跡　古都学区連合町内会) https://townweb.e-okayamacity.jp/kozu-rengou/TIIKI/SISEKI/ankokuji/ankokuji.html (Accessed in 6/7/2025. In Japanese)

Hideie Ukita. Wikipedia.com. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukita_Hideie (Accessed in 6/7/2025)




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