NIPPON Kichi - 日本吉

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2007/2/7


暗峠 Kuragari-touge Kuragari Tōge Mountain Pass

Jp En

The Old Nara Highway (National Road 308) dates to the C8th and is the main road that used to connect with Kawauchi until modern times. Kuragari Tōge (455m) is a mountain pass on the prefectural boundary between Osaka and Nara and was a tollway that once bustled with traders coming and going from Osaka, or pilgrims visiting shrines, or daimyō on their way to pay regular attendance at the Shōgun's court in Edo.

These days, tourists can easily visit this area by driving along the Shigi-Ikoma Skyline road along Mt Ikomayama, where they will see the remains of old stone paving, guidepost, and old rows of houses. There are a lot of historic sites around Kuragari Tōge, such as a monument to the Yanagisawa daimyō of Koriyama and a stone statue of Amitabha Buddha. In the Edo period, Bashō crossed this pass and left an excellent poem describing it.

The views of Ikoma city is superb. And one can see splendid terraced paddy fields extending before one's eyes.
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2007/1/24


朴峠 Hou-touge Ho Toge Pass

Jp En

Ho Toge Pass, between Johana and Mt Goka, was an important route for travelers as well as for the transport of daily commodities. Of the five passes from Mt Goka to Johana--which included Sugio, Ho, Karaki, Oze and Bunao--Ho Toge Pass was the most popular.

Because Ho Toge Pass was so widely used, the Kaga Domain established a watchhouse on the pass where travelers to the domain could rest or shelter from snow in winter. Even after Hoso New Pass was established in 1887 (Meiji 20), Ho Toge Pass remained popular as a shortcut to Johana and the only pass in winter.

Today, Ho Toge Pass is a safe route where people can walk among nature. Along the route are many landmarks, explanatory notice boards and statues dedicated to the god of safe travel. Many people hike along this route every year.
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2007/1/23


関宿の町並み Sekijyuku-no-Matinami The Streetscapes of Sekijuku

Jp En

Sekijuku, located in Seki-cho, Kameyama-shi, Mie Prefecture, is the only place where the past has left a trace of the memories of the Tokaido, the old coastal road between Edo and Kyoto.

Seki-cho lies at the eastern foot of Mt Suzuka. Isesuzuka-no-seki was originally a checkpoint in Seki-cho, that, along with Echizen-no-arachi and Mino-no-Fuwa, was one of three major checkpoints along the Tokaido. (A 'seki' or 'sekisho' was a barrier station on thoroughfares between provinces, where the movement of criminals, weapons, hostages, etc. could be checked.)

The current structure of the town was probably created by Seki Morinobu, who also constructed neighboring roads and the town of Nakamachi, which lies between Shinsho and Kizaki. As time passed, the streets of Nakamachi and the town itself grew and developed eastwards, eventually becoming the larger town it is today. By the late Edo period, Sekijuku had become the main post station on the Tokaido Shukuba.

In 1984, Sekijuku was designated as an Important Historic Preservation District. The Seki-Jizoin, which was nominated as an Important National Cultural Property can also be found in this district. The streets of Sekijuku are a precious reminder of the history of the Tokaido.
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