Nakasendo Walk(4) Ageo-Konosu: Nov. 4, 2012

It was a nice autumn day. I took the 4th part of my Nakasendo Walk from Ageo, the 5th shukuba station from Nihonbashi to Konosu, the 7th.

The sky was bright blue when I started today’s walk from Ageo. The air was fresh and the temperature was comfortable.


Nakasendo (Local route 164 is built on old road) goes northwest through business and residential and area. JR Takasaki line runs along Nakasendo. Few monuments remain in Ageo.

I arrived in Okegawa, the 6th station. Honjin building (main inn) remains here. It is the only honjin preserved in Saitama prefecture. It is open for a limited time and I unfortunately could not go in.


An old inn (hatago) also remains.　It is still used as a hotel.

It is a peaceful local city. But Okegawa became nationwide famous in 1998 for a horrible murder. A young lady was killed by a stalker and his group after her request to protect herself from the stalkers had been neglected by the police. A law was enacted after the tragedy.


Such horrible incidents could happen in every peaceful city and town in Japan

I passed Okegawa and moved into Kitamoto city. I found agricultural lands, including grape fields, along the road. I also found persimmon and other autumn fruits planted in the houses along the road.

I also found restaurants, convenience stores, karaoke shops, pachinko parlors and cellphone shops so often. It is same in almost everywhere in the country.


Konosu is famous for its dolls. Doll production industry developed in the Edo era. Several doll shops remain along Nakasendo.


It is about 48 km from Nihonbashi.