丸子宿(Mariko inn town): over 400-year-old restaurant and the traditional crafts center

丸子宿(Mariko inn town) was also written as 鞠子宿。丸 means circle, and 鞠 means a ball. But the origin of the name Mariko has several hypotheses.  It most likely the river along the inn town has been called Mariko river, which became the inn town’s name. 

Anyhow, here is the overview. 

For detailed guide, refer to the reference section as I am posing the local guide map link. 

This is the Edofara mitsuke, as seen in other inn towns. There is a sign for it. 

This inn town still preserves fair number of old houses from 18-19th centuries. 

There is a sign with detailed descriptions of Mariko inn town, in front of a little shrine altar. 

Mariko river is right there. 

Another sign of Mariko inn town descriptions. The one on the windows of a house is the history timeline of this inn town. 

Some houses still hang up wooden place with old names of shops/businesses. Do you see there is one on middle right of the street view? 

Toiyaba cargo terminal sign. 

Mariko inn town has two monuments of Meiji emperor’s stops in different locations. I would guess that the emperor had to travel between Tokyo and a Kyoto more than once in his lifetime and stopped at different places within the same inn town. 

The street view is Yokohama honjin ruins, but the emperor’s monument is on the other side of the street where Yokohama wakihonjin used to be. 

This is another monument of Meiji emperor’s resting place: former Fujinami wakihonjin. 

Oshichiri Yakusho was a special administrative service office for certain lords. They provided express postal, cargo and transportation services. I think I mentioned somewhere before. This was Kishu Tokugawa clan’s. 

This area has several monuments: haiku master Basho, poet and novelist Kanoko Okamoto(1889-1939), and Jippensha Ikku. Apparently everybody stopped here, probably yo enjoy buckwheat noodle with slimy taro at Chojiya, which has been running since 1596. 

Monument of Jippensha Ikku, who described Chojiya in his novel “Shank’s Mare”. 

Chojiya from the street. 

There are detailed inn town map and history explanation too. 

Now we are passing by Kosatsuba information board. The guide map says Kyoto-side Mitsuke was around here. 

Lastly, within walking distance from Mariko inn town, there is Sunpu Takumishiku traditional crafts center. This facility has a lot of walk-in workshops(Some of them require reservation), food court and souvenir shops that will entertain you for at least half day. We’ve been there twice and everybody had a blast. 

References: 

Kanoko Okamoto.Wikipedia.com. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanoko_Okamoto (Accessed in 6/4/2025)

Mariko-shuku. Shizuoka Tourism, Exchange and Cultural Bureau, Tourism and MICE Promotion Division. Shizuoka City. https://shizuoka.tokaido-guide.jp/shukuba/7?locale=en (Accessed in 6/4/2025)

Stroll map(of Tokaido). AMZ Environmental Design Research Office Ltd. http://shizuoka-tokaido.biz/en/map/index.html (Accessed in 6/1/2025. Check out Mariko map)