At the Inume-juku, I found a Koizuka Ichirizuka, or mound of love!
The name sounds good, and the mound itself exists in its original form, so I think advertising it as a tourist attraction would attract more people to visit Uenohara.
Uenohara-juku
Stations with no station name display
I got off the Chuo Line at Uenohara and took a picture of the station’s exterior as a memorial.
Huh?
The station name is not displayed.
Actually, the sign facing left on the roof is the station name sign. In the direction you can see the sign, the roadway extends.
Actually, there is a sidewalk behind and to the right of where I was standing when I took this picture, and users come and go. However, only local people walk on the sidewalk, so I guess the station name sign is unnecessary. It’s a rational way of thinking.
Shinmachi 2-chome intersection
From the Shinmachi 2-chome intersection, turn onto Koshu Kaido.
A certain turning point
Turn left at the next intersection after the Honmachi intersection, and the road becomes narrower and narrower as you pass behind the Uenohara Police Station. The branch on the right seems to be the correct one.
Tsurukawa-juku
Tsurukawa
An explanatory board for the Tsurukawa River says, “River crossings on the Edo Five Routes were usually made by bridges, but the Tsurukawa River was the only crossing on the Koshu Highway that could be crossed on foot when the water was high. Do you know what this means? I don’t understand it.
I don’t understand it, because it would be dangerous to walk all the way across when the water is rising. Even though I said, “There is a bridge, let me cross that way,” they said, “No, no, no. I’m supposed to walk across when the water is rising.”
On this point, the guidebook says, “Normally, you cross the river by bridge, but if the bridge is washed away in a flood, you walk across.” There is no dramatic element, but it is perfectly normal.
Entrance to Tsurukawa-juku
Townscape of Tsurukawa-juku
I heard that the Tsurukawa inn had big fires in the Meiji and Taisho periods, and there are no old houses left. However, it is a calm town reminiscent of the old days.
Ookunugi Ichirizuka
This is the site of Ookunugi Ichirizuka. There was a note explaining that the mound was placed about 100 meters west of its actual location.
Looking at the topographical map, it seems that when the Chuo Expressway cut through the city and the Koshu Highway intersected, the Koshu Highway needed to be cut through as well. The Ichirizuka was located in the middle of the cut, so it must have been impossible to place the monument in its actual location.
Stone monument at the site of Nagamine Fort
At the northern boundary of the OLYMPIC Country Club, the Koshu Kaido and Chuo Expressway run side by side for about 800 meters. About halfway between the two roads is the site of Nagamine Fort.
According to the explanatory board, Nagamine Fortress was a strategic point for Takeda Shingen to monitor the Hojo side.
The ruins of Nagamine Fort, cut off by the Chuo Expressway.
Currently, the Chuo Expressway crosses through the peak. Due to this construction, the pond called “Muddy Pond = Nagamine no Ike” and the spring called “Tono no Ido” have disappeared.
Nodajiri-juku
The sign was charming in many ways
I was thinking that the sign had a lot of charm in many ways, but there was a nasty warning sign to the left of it. “It said, “Beware of bears. In the city, you can buy signs that say, “Beware of bears,” but this is the real thing. The level of urgency is different here.
Fortunately, it was winter now. The bears must be hibernating.
Beneficial words in front of Saiko Zenji Temple
In front of Saiko Zenji Temple, I found all sorts of grateful words.
The roads around here are so intricate that I had to go back and forth a few times.
Monument of Otamagaike Pond
There is a legend that a beautiful woman named Otama made a well spring up to thank the Lord of Nagamine Pond for allowing her to be with him, and this is the monument. This is a monument to the well. The well is no longer there, probably because of the highway.
Ogino Ichirizuka
I found the Ogino-isurizuka. It is 20 ri from Nihombashi. This must mean that many people stayed at Nodajiri on the second day after leaving Edo. By the way, I am on the 8th day.
Zato Tumble
Around here is the Zato Tumble. It is a steep cliff with a drop of about 30 meters. There is now a fence to allow safe passage.
Inume-juku
Designated lodging place for the lords of Owari at Shinden-juku
There was a house with a splendid gate.There is a sign saying that it was the designated lodging place for the lords of Owari at Shinden-juku on the old Koshu Highway. The house is new, having been rebuilt, but it has a certain charm and elegance.
View from Inume with no view of Mt. Fuji
Inumejuku is famous for its beautiful view of Mt. Fuji.
But today it was cloudy, so unfortunately I couldn’t see it.
Yes, there is a legend of Momotaro in Yamanashi.
Momotaro took a dog here in Inume, a pheasant in Torisawa a little to the west, and a monkey in Saruhashi, further to the west, as his retainers, and headed for the demons living in Iwadono Mountain in Otsuki.
Since Yamanashi is a peach-producing area, the pieces of the puzzle seemed to fit together in this respect. The river where the grandmother was washing her clothes may have been the Katsura River.
When I told this story to my friend, he came up with a new theory that the food she gave to her retainer was not kibidango, but shingen mochi. I have high expectations for future research.
Koizuka Ichirizuka
I found an ichirizuka! Such a well-formed izurizuka is precious because there is only one left every ten ri. Furthermore, the name of the mound is Koizuka, which means “mound of love.” Isn’t it a good name? Wouldn’t it be a good tourist resource if it were advertised as a holy place for lovers?
Entrance to mountain path
The road around here is a repetition of paved and mountain roads. It will be a mountain road again.
Stone pavement
Then a stone pavement appeared. I wonder if it gets muddy when it rains. Although they were not paved all over, they must have been very useful for a long time.
Shimotorisawa-juku
Signboard of Otsuki City
I entered Otsuki City. This is a signboard with a Saruhashi (monkey bridge) designed on it.
Cultivation of shiitake mushrooms？
Is this the cultivation of shiitake mushrooms? This is the first time I’ve seen them in person.
Fire bell and ladder
The fire bell was mounted at a delicate height.
This ladder is not very high to begin with, so it is not for fire watching, is it?
This means that the ladder is specially designed for fire bell installation. By attaching it a little higher, I wonder if it will resonate much farther?
Torisawa Station
I arrived at Torisawa Station. I’ll end this article by reporting that unlike Momotaro’s departure, there were no pheasants in the vicinity of Torisawa.
Walking data
Course: JR Chuo Line Uenohara Station -> Ueno Hara-juku -> Tsurukawa-juku -> Nodajiri-juku -> Inume-juku -> Shimotorisawa-juku -> JR Chuo Line Torisawa Station
Distance: 17.5km
Time: 4h29m
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