Who hasn’t felt the pull to step into the world depicted in the woodblock prints of Hiroshige, their charming portrayals of preindustrial Japan with its tidy, exquisitely crafted homes, the bustle of quotidian life—travel, commerce, and amusements—amid majestic, timeless nature. Amazingly, this world still survives, often just a short train ride from the modern chaos of the cities.
The most heavily trafficked area of Japan overlays and still retains the name of the ancient Tōkaidō, one of five roads maintained since antiquity for official purposes, notably the sankin kōtai (attendance at Edo) required of the daimyō lords of every province during the Tokugawa shogunate. (You can learn more about this system in our chapter on Castles and Castle Towns.) The Tōkaidō ran from Edo to Kyoto hugging the Pacific coastline and is Japan's most famous road. Though heavily settled and industrialized now, a few old post towns, such as AKASAKA and GOYU, retain a hint of the Tōkaidō's original atmosphere.
By Hiroshige - The fifty-stree stages of Tokaido (one of 53 prints, +2 for start and terminus), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3982752
At HAKONE, a famous onsen (hot spring) area near Mt. Fuji, the long and narrow barrier gatehouse has been reconstructed as a small museum. The shogunate erected barriers to check travelers' documents. Farmers, for example, had to prove they had permission to travel before they could set out on a pilgrimage. To mutilate this document even slightly was a crime. To try to circumvent a barrier was a grave offense.
The shogunate was most concerned to learn whether the tozama daimyō to the west might be fomenting a rebellion. Since the rules of sankin kōtai required the daimyō's wives and children to reside in Edo, effectively as hostages, the guards were on the lookout for rifles heading east toward Edo, where the daimyō's retainers might mount a surprise attack on the shogun. Inside the Hakone barrier gatehouse, mannequins portray a woman of high rank being searched by a female official, stationed by the shogunate at the barrier for just this purpose.
Most of Hiroshige's Tōkaidō has given way to the Tōkaidō industrial belt. Fortunately, parts of the other four official roads—the Nikkō Kaidō, Kōshū Kaidō, Ōshū Kaidō and Nakasendō—are at a safer distance from economic progress. Particularly beautiful is a section of the Nakasendō called the Kiso Kaidō, with the well-preserved post towns of MAGOME, TSUMAGO and NARAI, and the barrier station at KISO-FUKUSHIMA. The three post towns, especially Tsumago, still look much as they were portrayed in the Kiso Kaidō print series by Hiroshige and Eisen.
The long, narrow post towns hugged the road they served, giving each shop and tavern a shot at attracting the passing traveler. Many post towns became known for a local specialty. The Kiso Valley's Kurosawa lacquerware and Hakone's yosegi zaiku boxes still make popular souvenirs. Yodo, south of Kyoto, was famous for Fushimi ningyō, festive clay dolls. Like many another post town, Yoshida, on the Tōkaidō, was known for its girls; in 1843, the town had 2,772 women, while men numbered only 1,505.
The Nakasendo winds through forest to reach a pass between Magome and Tsumago.
Official requirements and restrictions on facilities and buildings gave post towns a pleasing uniformity. Stations were set up to provide travelers with fresh horses, runners and palanquin bearers. (Wheeled vehicles, which caused ruts, were prohibited.) A shogunate official received these services free, as a form of tax payment, while daimyō on sankin kōtai journeys paid a set fee. Both lodged at the town's honjin, or "main encampment," an appellation that alludes to its military origins.
In peacetime the honjin became luxurious inns, with exquisite gardens and interior ornamentation. Overflow guests from the honjin lodged at the auxiliary waki-honjin, which could accept paying guests if there was room. For commoners, there were numerous inns. One that survives today is the Echigoya in Narai. At the edge of town the officials posted wooden signboards, with tiny eaves to keep off the rain, bearing notices such as offers of a reward for information on the whereabouts of any Christians, Christianity being outlawed.
Gohei mochi and tea. (Image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bonguri/15737321705/)
With the coming of cooler weather, this is an ideal season to visit the old post towns of Magome and Tsumago. Magome is reached by a 1-hour express train from Nagoya (a major city on the bullet train between Tokyo and Kyoto). Disembark at Nakatsugawa and then board a bus for the 35-minute ride to Magome. The two villages are linked by a picturesque stretch of the old Nakasendō, an 8-km flagstone-paved way that passes by farms and over a forested mountain pass. There is a package delivery service that can forward your luggage from Magome onward to Tsumago for about 500 yen.
Just as in days of old, the villages abound with shops plying snacks, local souvenirs and crafts, and delicious meals. Try gohei-mochi, a snack of pounded-rice dumplings on a skewer, smeared with a sweet paste of sesame, walnuts, and miso. As in other mountainous regions, sansai ryōri (dishes made of wild foraged greens) is a mainstay of local accommodations.
Numerous minshuku, many in old houses, charge about ¥8000 w/2 meals (add ¥1000 for single occupancy). Many have luxurious cypress-wood baths. Reservations advised.
Consult your Gateway to Japan, Digital Edition for details about history, sights, walks, and dining and lodging recommendations.
Matsushiroya Ryokan
One of the oldest inns in Tsumago, this lovely ryokan is noted for its sweet-cooked carp and fresh local produce.
