日坂宿(Nissaka inn town): many houses are posting old Yagou(business names)

I found out that, apparently some hikers love Kanaya-Kikugawa-Nissaka part of old Tokaido trail. I found several blogs about it, so I am posting one of links on the reference section. 

Now we are in Kakegawa city. 日坂宿(Nissaka inn town) is literally on a hill(坂).  

Entering where Edo-side gate used to be. 

I noticed that many houses display 屋号(Yagou: names of houses or stage name). This one shows 伊勢屋(Iseya), and the whole town explains locations of which family of what businesses used to live in. 

Here is 東屋(Azumaya). 

The town doesn’t have huge things to show so far, but let’s wait and see further down. It is a small rural community. 

This Joyato light was built probably in order to guide pilgrims for Akiha shrine in northwest of today’s Hamamatsu city. It is called 秋葉常夜灯(Akiha joyato). 掛川宿(Kakegawa inn town) is the starting point of one of 秋葉街道(Akiha Kaido) pilgrimage roads. Also locals of Nissaka inn town wished protections from fire as well, as the god of Akiha is the god of fire protection. Btw joyato lighted overnight. 

This is also the ruin of Nissaka Kataoka honjin. 

Nissaka had one honjin. Today, this honjin ruins has become a small park with information board and a restored main gate. 

The restored gate side of the honjin. Ougiya signboard(blue circle) is the name of honjin, run by Kataoka family. 

The first blue circle on the right is Toiyaba cargo terminal. The second blue circle is hatago(business hotel) Ikedaya. 

Toiyaba cargo terminal info. 

Hatago Ikedaya. Today it is a traditional Japanese restaurant. 

Right next to Ikedaya, there is Wakihonjin ruins. 

This was the house of Bunshichi Ito, who was the last owner of the Toiyaba cargo terminal of this inn town. When the first modern postal system started in 1871, the warehouse behind this house became one of the first post offices in Japan.  

This is Yorozuya hatago inn. This hatago is open as a museum on weekends and holidays for free. 

This is Kawasakaya hatago inn, another hatago that still preserves what Edo-time hatago inn used to look like. 

Kawasakaya is open to public for free as a museum on weekends and holidays. 

Here is another Akiha joyato loght. 

Kosatsuba warning post is still well preserved. 

This is where Kyoto side of gate used to be. 

The access is to take Kakegawa Bus Higashiyama line from JR Kakegawa station to either Nissaka or Shimomachi. Services on weekends are reduced to 5/day. 

The next stop is Kakegawa inn town/castle town. 

References: 

Akiha Kaido. Hamamatsu Information BOOK. City of Hamamatsu.(In Japanese: 秋葉街道　浜松情報BOOK. 浜松市) http:www.hamamatsu-books.jp/alacarte/detail/59.html (In Japanese. Accessed in 4/19/2026)

Nissaka-Shuku. Kakegawa City. https://www.city.kakegawa.shizuoka.jp/kanko/translate/en/docs/13114.html (Accessed in 4/19/2026)

Stroll map(of Tokaido). AMZ Environment Design Research Office Ltd.  http://shizuoka-tokaido.biz/en/map/index.html (Accessed in 4/18/2026)

Walk the old Tokaido from Kanaya to Kakegawa. Travel reports by sparringenthu. Japan-Guide.com. https://www.japan-guide.com/community/sparringenthu/report-1514 (Accessed in 4/19/2026)

Copyrights of Google map and street view belong to Google. I am using these images for educational purposes.