Tokaido Walk (5) Totsuka-Fujisawa: Dec.11, 2010

I had the 5th part of my Tokaido walk. It was from Totsuka (the 5th shukuba station, in current Yokohama city) to Fujisawa (the 6th station, in current Fujisawa city).



Most parts of old Tokaido in the area has turned into National Rout 1. The roads are generally hilly, but houses are built along the roads. I found many houses and apartments spread at the foot of a hill when I watched down from a hilltop.

A long-distance relay race (Tokyo-Hakone) among major universities is held every new-year season and the race attracts the attention of many Japanese. Old Tokaido is used for the race. I found manhole covers with relay-race design.

Chofu City; Dec. 4, 2010

The most popular (recognized) phrase of the year is a common topic at year end among Japanese people.

A publisher Jiyu-kokuminsha announced the popular phrase of 2010 in late November. It was “Gegege”, a phrase taken from an essay’s title “the Wife of Gegege”. The essay focuses on the life of a famous comic writer Shigeru Mizuki and his wife.

Chofu Cit, western suburb of Tokyo, is where Mizuki and his family live.

We found his comic characters in the town. They include Kitaro,

Negzumi Otoko and Neko Musume – all are lovely monsters with miracle powers.

They sell Kitaro related goods at the city’s tourist center.