Today, I walked 58 kilometers and took pictures of nine milestones. This is probably the day that I saw the most Ichirizuka (ruins) in my life.
In the midst of such a long walk, I took a little detour and ate some Nameshi Dengaku, which was very delicious.
Arai-juku
Hamana Bridge
The road leading to the Arai barrier is very tasteful. Ukiyo-e (woodblock prints) were displayed on the Hamana Bridge.
Newsagent’s store
The newspaper store is also built in an old-fashioned way, taking into consideration the surroundings.
Arai’s barrier
Built in 1855, the Arai barrier was imposing, thanks in part to the stone wall in the foreground. As much as I wanted to visit, it was still too early, just before seven o’clock.
Shirasuka-juku
Ichirizuka in Shirasuka
Ichirizuka in Shirasuka is the 70th ri, and was combined with the ruins of the Kosatsu site.
The view from the top of Shiomizaka
I climbed up Shiomizaka and looked out over the Sea of Enshu. I say goodbye to the sea.
Fire Prevention Maki
The Shirasuka inn was originally located near the Ichirizuka hill under Shiomizaka. However, it was moved to the top of the hill for fear of tsunami damage. However, the westerly winds in this area often caused big fires in winter, so they planted maki (podocarp) to prevent fires.
Futakawa-juku
The Sakai River at the border between prefectures (taken from the Aichi side)
Signs in Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture
I casually crossed a small river. After crossing the river, I noticed a sign for Aichi Prefecture. Actually, the small river was the Sakai River, which was the border between prefectures.
As it was past nine o’clock, I called Ohashiya of Akasaka-juku, which has been running an inn since 1649, to ask if they could accommodate me today. However, they said they could only accommodate two groups a day, so I was turned down. So, where should I stay today?
There didn’t seem to be any places to stay in Akasaka-juku and Fujikawa-juku, so I had to decide to stay in Okazaki. This would mean a walking distance of almost 60km, so I had to hurry.
Fortunately, the bandage on the sole of my foot worked, and I don’t have any pain from the blisters.
Futagawa Ichirizuka
Futagawa Ichirizuka (72 ri) says only that it is the site of an ichirizuka. If the name of the mound or the number of ri from Edo (present-day Tokyo) were written, it would be easier to look up the mound in various ways.
Futakawa-juku Honjin Museum
View of the Futagawa-juku Honjin Museum from outside. The exhibition space was large and looked very interesting, full of old costumes, tools, and life-sized dolls. However, I needed to hurry ahead.
Kashiwa Mochi
In the ukiyoe of Futagawa painted by Hiroshige, there is a Kashiwa Mochi (oak cake) shop. The model for the ukiyoe, Sarugababa, was apparently in the vicinity of Sakai River. However, I found a Japanese sweets shop here that looked like a long-established shop, so I bought some Kashiwa Mochi and tried it.
It was a very ordinary and delicious Kashiwa Mochi.
Yoshida-juku
Kikuso
In the guide book, it says that Nameshi Dengaku is one of the best foods in Yoshida. So I went to eat at Kikuso, a little off the main road.
Nameshi dengaku
The Nameshi dengaku was excellent, with the saltiness of the Nameshi combined with the miso and mustard flavors of the dengaku!
I also liked the fact that the owner was a mild-mannered person.
Goyu-juku
Ruins of Shimochi Ichirizuka
Ruins of Ina Ichirizuka
Ruins of Goyu Ichirizuka
I found the remains of Shimoji Ichirizuka (74 ri), Ina Ichirizuka (75 ri), and Goyu Ichirizuka (76 ri) almost every 55 minutes. I wonder why the two characters of Shimoji Ichirizuka Ato are a little closer to the right. I wonder if there was something else they wanted to write, but forgot.
Pine trees in Goyu
This is the famous row of pine trees in Goyu. It is a natural monument, but I was a little disappointed to see that some of the trees had been cut down.
Akasaka-juku
I thought I was walking through Goyu, but before I knew it, I was in Akasaka.
Ohashiya
I found Ohashiya this morning, who refused to let me stay! If I come back next time, I will make a reservation early, so please let me stay then.
Ruins of Nagasawa Ichirizuka
The remains of Nagasawa Ichirizuka (77 ri) were made of wood.
Fujikawa-juku
Ruins of Honjuku Ichirizuka
Ruins of Fujikawa-juku Ichirizuka
Ohira Ichirizuka
I continue to find Honjuku Ichirizuka (78 ri), Fujikawa Ichirizuka (79 ri), and Ohira Ichirizuka (80 ri) at 55-minute intervals. Today is like a journey to find Ichirizuka. The Ohira ichirizuka is a national historic site.
Okazaki-juku
Sunset gets later as you go west, and since the summer solstice is near, today’s sunset is about 19:00. But I am getting close to that time. However, I still have three kilometers to go to the center of Okazaki. I had no choice but to take measures for walking at night. I put a reflective band on my pack and took out my flashlight.
27 turns under Okazaki Castle
It was pitch black when I started walking along the 27 turns under Okazaki Castle. I couldn’t see much of my surroundings, and it wasn’t very interesting to walk around. However, I thought how reassuring it would be to see the lights on at night, which during the day I would only think, “There it is again.” In the past, it was much darker, so I think the effect would have been great. I wish I had taken a picture of it.
Just before 8:00 p.m., I jumped into the Okazaki Sun Hotel and was able to stay overnight.
Walking data
Course: Arai-juku -> Shirasuka-juku -> Futagawa-juku -> Yoshida-juku -> Goyu-juku -> Akasaka-juku -> Fujikawa-juku -> Okazaki-juku
Distance: 58.7km
Time: 13h45m
