Tokaido Walk (13) Yoshiwara-Yui (off Tokyo): May 21, 2011

I walked from Yoshiwara, the 14th shukuba Station in Fuji city, through Kanbara, the 15th station, to Yui, the 16th station.

Fuji city has many factories including paper factories (as I wrote in May 15, 2011 post). I found various factories when I walked Tokaido road in the city.

I also found many creeks and small water ways in the city. All creeks and water ways were affluent. Mt. Fuji is always covered with snow and the meltwater comes from the mountain to the city.

I crossed the Fuji River. The water ran fast.

Tourists had to cross the river by boats or on foot in the Edo period. They had to wait for days when they rain continued.

There stands shrine for the river at the side of the river. Monuments in the shrine showed the history of “the crossing point” in the Edo era.


The scene was beautiful. I found many birds there. It was unfortunate that I could not see Mr. Fuji because of cloudy weather.

The west side of the Fuji River is called Iwabuchi district. There remained a rest house which was used by high-rank samurai in the Edo period. They stayed in the house when they wait the river boats arranged.

The house was inhabited till about 10 years ago. It is open to the public now.



I walked through hilly roads and arrived in Kanbara. The area is now a part of greater Shizuoka city. The houses lie in a narrow place between the mountains and the sea.

It is one of the most famous shukuba stations because of an Ukiyo-e picture drawn by Ando Hiroshige, one of the most famous Ukiyo-e artists in the nation. Kanbara’s winter scene was dawn in his “53 stations of Tokaido” works. Most Japanese know Kanbara’s Ukiyo-e.

The basic structure of the town and the street remain unchanged from the Edo era. Edo-style buildings stand along Tokaido road.

People are eager to attract tourists. They place information boards in front of historically important buildings. People kindly greeted to the tourists even if they do not know them. (I was greeted so often in the town)

The also spend relaxed lives. I saw many groups of old people sitting in the street and chattering. Such gatherings were common throughout the nation decades ago, but we seldom see such gatherings in Tokyo and other big cities now. It seemed that the time flewed slower here.

I walked westwards and arrived in Yui. Yui also keeps the old structure and atmosphere of the town.

The main guest house of the shukuba station has converted into a memorial park. There remains the birthplace of Yui Shosetsu, a famous rebellion against the Tokugawa Government in the Edo era.
He was recorded to be born in a dye shop in fronto of the main guest house. The shop still keeps their business.

Yui is also famous for Sakura-ebi, small pink shrimp. The Yui port lands the largest volume of the Sakura-ebi in the nation. There are many shrimp shops along the Tokaido street.

I enjoyed Sakura-ebi dinner at a local restaurant. It was so nice.

It is about 150 kilometers from Nihonbashi, Tokyo.

map: Kanbara

map：　Yui