The 57 Stations of the Tokaido Walking Journey ⑪ Maisaka-shuku to Yoshida-shuku
Hello. I am a 26-year-old woman.
From November to December 2024, I spent 18 days walking the 57 Stations of the Tokaido.
In this article, I will write down the record of my walk along the 57 Stations of the Tokaido, and I hope it will be a reference for those who plan to walk it in the future.
The list of previous articles is here ↓
Contents of this post
This time, I will write about the stretch from Maisaka-shuku to Yoshida-shuku, which I walked on the 10th day of my journey.
On this day, for the first time since the journey began, I was so miserable that I completely broke down and walked while sobbing.
What was so painful about it?
Look at this weather.
Although the weather was nice, I ended up walking all day in strong winds.
(When I was walking along the national highway, I would stumble every time a gust of wind hit me.)
In addition, the road in Toyohashi City that I walked that day had no highlights, and the hotel I had booked was located far off the Tokaido route, so various things piled up and I completely broke down.
If someone asks me, "Where was the toughest part of the Tokaido?" I would answer without hesitation, "Toyohashi, at the border between Shizuoka and Aichi." (My apologies to the people of Toyohashi.)
That said, the road I walked that day was in an area known for strong winds since the Edo period, and it has a history of frequent fires.
Departing from Maisaka-shuku
Wednesday, December 4th, the weather is sunny.
I was so happy to be at Lake Hamana for the first time in my life that I went outside around 6:30 AM to see the sunrise.
The torii gate in the picture was built in 1973 as a symbol tower for Bentenjima.
On my way back to the room, I borrowed a nail clipper at the front desk because my nails had grown over the past 10 days.
I had breakfast and left the hotel shortly after 8:00 AM.
The hotel I stayed at is here ↓
↑ Shortly after departing, I arrived at the Arai Barrier, a difficult point comparable to the Hakone Barrier.
↑ There was a ferry landing at the Arai Barrier.
Here, just like at the Hakone Barrier, they strictly enforced the "Iri-teppo, De-onna" (Incoming guns, outgoing women) policy. This was a term for controlling the smuggling of firearms to maintain public order and preventing the wives of daimyo, who were held hostage in Edo residences, from escaping.
You could not pass through the barrier without a travel permit, and you would be punished if you tried to break through without one. The barriers existed until the Keio Reform in 1867, so it has actually only been about 150 years since Japanese people have been able to travel freely between the Kanto and Kansai regions.
↑ There was a site of a Kosatsuba (notice board).
↑ I entered Arai-shuku.
↑ This row of pine trees was wiped out by insect damage and replanted in 1987. From here, I continued on a quiet road for a while.
↑ Between Arai-shuku and Shirasuka-shuku, there was a site of a Tateba (resting place).
A Tateba refers to a place where there were teahouses for travelers, porters, and palanquin bearers to rest.
↑ Arrived at Shirasuka-shuku.
Shirasuka-shuku is a place that was affected by a massive magnitude 8.4 earthquake that occurred on October 4, 1707.
The shaking caused mud to erupt, houses to collapse like dominoes, and fires to break out.
A massive tsunami then struck, completely destroying the post town.
Mount Fuji erupted on November 23 of the same year.
In June 1708, the entire Shirasuka post town was relocated to the top of the Shiomizaka slope ahead.
↑ Here, I met a married couple who are also traveling the Tokaido.
They said they have been traveling from Yokohama over the course of four years.
Talking to them, they were an interesting couple, fitting for people traveling the Tokaido.
The seniors I met on the road were all traveling the Tokaido over several years while sightseeing, so I learned about a new way to enjoy retirement.
They said that when they reach Sanjo Ohashi in Kyoto, they want to stay at a nice inn and eat delicious food. How wonderful.
↑ Shiomizaka, one of the most scenic spots on the Tokaido.
When I climbed up and looked back, I could see Suruga Bay beautifully.
This place was famous as the first spot where one could see the Pacific Ocean and Mount Fuji when traveling from Kyoto to Edo.
Utagawa Hiroshige also depicted this sea view in his ukiyo-e prints of the Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido.
↑ Once I climbed to the top, there was a free rest area called Onyado Shirasuka.
They explain the history of Shirasuka.
↑ I was having so much fun and stayed a long time that I ran into the couple I met earlier again.
↑ The ocean gives me energy. I couldn't see Mount Fuji no matter how hard I tried.
↑ Site of the Honjin (main inn).
↑ Each house has a plate hanging on it explaining what used to be there in the past.
This area is where the original Shirasuka-shuku, which was located at the bottom of Shiomizaka, was relocated after the tsunami.
Although they escaped the danger of tsunamis, this area was hit by strong winds in winter, causing many fires.
To prevent these fires, fire-resistant trees were planted and earthen walls were built.
The neighbors living in this area also told me about the history of the strong winds.
↑ Site of the Kosatsuba (notice board).
↑ Finally entered Aichi Prefecture.
↑ Once you enter Toyohashi City, you come out onto an open road like this.
The wind is blowing directly at me, and combined with my fatigue, I am gradually starting to get irritated...
I have a lot of video data of the strong winds, and I wanted to post it here.
↑ Arrived at Futagawa-shuku.
↑ Site of the Tonya-ba (wholesale office).
↑ A hatago (traveler's inn) had been restored.
↑ The honjin had also been restored. I wanted to look at it more carefully.
↑ Along with the site of the Kosatsuba and a stone lantern, there was a Futagawa-cho road origin marker. A road origin marker refers to a sign indicating the start and end points of a road.
↑ This kind of road is the toughest mentally.
↑ Arrived at the site of the Yoshida-juku Honjin.
Yoshida-juku was a post station that flourished as a castle town for Yoshida Castle.
It was said, 'If you pass through Yoshida, you'll be beckoned from the second floor by girls in dappled-pattern kimono,' and it was a place with many meshimori-onna (serving women).
Originally, meshimori-onna referred to women who served meals to guests at inns, but they gradually came to provide sexual services as well.
↑ Site of the Honjin.
Now, from here, I will deviate significantly from the Tokaido to reach tonight's lodging.
Having been exposed to the cold wind for a whole day, my body was chilled to the bone; I moved past irritation to the point where, as the sun set, I began to sob and felt my spirit completely break.
(It's the same as getting negative when the sun goes down.)
I will head to the hotel from here while crying.
In my head, I kept making up a rap to distract myself.
Wind, wind, headwind
My life is a headwind
Waiting for a tailwind
Waiting for Osaka
Gonna eat takoyaki, 551, 551
Wind, wind, headwind
My life is a headwind
I was walking so desperately that I ended up creating a rap for the first time in my life.
Today's lodging
On this day, I arrived at Comfort Hotel Toyokawa.
I rushed into the supermarket in front of the hotel to buy food, then immediately took a bath and went to sleep.
6,600 yen.
Today's record
To be continued next time
Next time, it will be from Yoshida-juku to Okazaki-juku.