I had the 2nd part of my Nakasendo walk today. It was from Toda (Tokyo-Saitama boader) to Omiya, the 4th
shukuba station from Nihonbashi.
I walked northward about 30 minutes and arrived in Warabi, the 2nd station. Atmosphere of Old Nakasendo remained there. I found monuments and guide boards. I dropped in a museum open in a place where old main guest house (
honjin)was. The city was celebrating the 400 anniversary of Nakasendo's open (It was developed in early 17th century by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu).
Warabi is the smallest city in area in Japan. It is now a satellite city of Tokyo.
I walk through residential areas and arrived in Urawa, the 3rd station. The road has turned to a busy shopping street there.
Walking about an hour from Urawa, I arrived in Saitama New Urban Center (Saitama Shintoshin). It is a huge business-commercial complex open in 2000. Government offices, companies, shopping centers, sports and cultural facilities (including Saitama Super Arena) gather around JR Saitama Shintoshin station.
Urawa and Omiya used to be two big cities in Saitama Prefecture. They merged into Saitama city in 2001. Saitama New Urban Canter lies in the middle of enlarged city.
I arrived in Omiya. It has developed as a treminal of railroad and road traffic. 14 lines (including Shinkansen bullet train) come in and go out of Omiya station.
It was about 30 km from Nihonbashi.
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