It snowed yesterday. It hasn’t snowed in November in the Kanto region since I can remember.
I had to go for a walk to take some commemorative photos.
I wanted to walk in a rather calm place, so I chose Nikko Higashi Oukan as my destination.
Kogane-juku
Minami Kashiwa
The east exit of Minami Kashiwa on a snowy morning
I left the east exit of Minami Kashiwa Station to walk exactly from the Mito Kaido junction. There is still a little snow on the rotary plantings.
Looking at the yellow pin of Kashiwa Yangu Bowl, I turn northwest, cross Route 6, pass near Toyoshiki, and head in the direction of Nagareyama Otakanomori.
A little before the Otakanomori area, there was still a haunted railroad crossing. As I expected, there were no ghost dolls. Google Maps also shows it as Jizoson.
Remaining snow in the square in front of Nagareyama Otakanomori Station
There was still quite a bit of snow in the plaza in front of Nagareyama Otakanomori Station.
Tone Canal
I passed by Hatsuishi Station, Edogawadai Station, and Unga Station, and came to the Tone Canal.
A view of the peaceful Tone Canal
I used to think that the Tone Canal was a waterway to transport soy sauce from Noda. But in fact, it was opened as a shortcut to connect Edo with the Pacific Ocean. Nowadays, ships no longer pass through it, and bridges like the one you see in the photo, with several piers standing in the canal, must have been built. It was a beautiful day today, so the snow only lingered in the shade.
Yamazaki-juku
On the way to Umesato Station, I stopped by the Yamazaki Shell Mound. It looked like a field that had been plowed over. There were no signs of human presence, but the soil was not overgrown, probably because it had been modified to be less prone to grass growth. But why didn’t I take a picture? Was I overwhelmed?
After that, we passed by Nodashi Station and Atago Station.Come to think of it, I’ ve been walking along the Tobu Urban Park Line all along. I see. Soy sauce in Noda started to be made around the beginning of the Edo period. It was usually transported to Edo using the Nikko Higashi Oukan and Mito Kaido roads. When they built the railroad, they must have thought of using the Noda and Joban lines to transport it along almost the same route. However, since Kashiwa had a larger station than Minami-Kashiwa and handled more freight, it was probably headed for Kashiwa from Toyoshiki.
In that case, there would be no need for the Noda Line to follow the Nikko Higashi Oukan once it passed Noda-shi Station in the northern part of the city. However, there are three more stations close to Nikko Higashi Oukan: Atago, Shimizu Koen, and Nanakodai. What does this mean? Was it because some important person’s house was located near Nanakodai, and he wanted to run the railroad there?
Noma causeway
I found an unfamiliar scene by the side of Noda City Hall.
Noma causeway
This is the Noma bank. There used to be a grazing farm called Shonai Maki, and it was built to keep the horses out of the fields.
There are still stories of horses competing to overcome obstacles, or climbing the stone steps of success on Mt. Atago, so why can’t they overcome a bank this big?
Walking data
Course: JR Joban Line Minami Kashiwa Station -> Nikko Higashi Oukan -> Tobu Urban Park Line Shimizu Koen Station
Distance: 21.4km
Time: 4h29m
コメント