Tokaido Walk (12)Hara- Yoshiwara (0ff Tokyo): May 15, 2011

Mt. Fuji is everyone’s topic in Japan (even now). It is not only the highest mountain but also a symbol of the country. The mountain also attract many foreign tourists (especially Chinese tourists).

I had a confortable walk from Hara, the 13th shukuba station from Edo’s Nihonbashi, to Yoshiwara, the 14th. I could see Mt. Fuji in my right hand all the way in my walk.


Old Tokaido runs along the sea side in this area. Houses continue along the road. I could see Mr. Fuji over the roofs.

The pine woods continue from Numazu to Yoshiwara (about 10 kilometers). The scene of Mt. Fuji over the pine trees was so beautiful.

I found many factories when I entered Yoshiwara, Fuji city. The city is especially famous for its paper factories.
There are many factories along the Tokaido street. I found many tall industrial chimneys in the city.

The contrast of modern factories and Mt. Fuji was impressive.

The pollution was serious in the city about 40 years ago. It smelled so bad (because of the smoke from the paper factories). Rivers and ports were heavily polluted with the waste (slime) produced in the process of paper production.

Slime monsters appeared in the movies.

The rivers and the port were cleanned up after the 1970s.

Map: Hara

Map: Yoshiwara, Fuji city