Tokaido Walk (31)Minakuchi-Kusatsu (off Tokyo)：May 3, 2015

It is the second day of my Tokaido Walk this time. It was from Minakuchi, the 50^th shukuba Station, through Ishibe to Kusatsu. They are in Shiga Prefecture.

The atmosphere of Old Tokaido remain in many parts in the area.

Minakuchi is in Koka City. Koka is known as a name of famous Ninja school (Another famous one is Iga). Minakuchi, Tsuchiyama, Koka and other two towns merged into Koka City in 2004. 

Minakuchi Castle was built in the early Edo era. The town developed around shukuba station and the castle. The castle was destroyed in the Meiji period, but was renovated in the post war era.

I walked out of the shukuba district and found Tokaido ran straight to the west. Wide rice fields spread along the road. Pine trees were planted at the roadside. Now, the road is paved and power poles stand along the road, but the combination of long straight road and wide rice fields remain from the Edo period. 

There are many signboards of boys and girls and Ninja at the sides of the road to get attention of the drivers(2nd from the top).

I moved into Konan City, crossed the Yasu River, walked another 5 kilometers and arrived at Ishibe, the 51^st shukuba station. 




I found a big solar power generation plant along the street (top photo). I also saw other plants along Tokaido in Shiga Prefecture.

It became more urbanized as I moved forward. There are houses, agricultural fields and industrial plants along the road. The Meishin Highway, which links Osaka and Nagoya, runs near Ishibe.

I passed Ritto City before arriving in Kusatsu City. I saw Mt. Mikami or Omi Fuji over the wheat field. 

The Kusatsu River used to flow in the central part of Kusatsu CIty. It was a ceiling river (raised-bed river). It is now dried up as new artificial river was made, but the tunnels remain.

I arrived at Kusatsu shukuba, the 52nd station.