Chayazaka is about a five-minute walk from The RYOKAN O, at the eastern entrance to the old post town of Nakatsugawa. Let’s take a look at the scenery and history you can find here. Travellers once passed this way on their journeys to Edo, now Tokyo, or Kyoto. These days, with a high school nearby, it’s also a route to school.

There are several hills between Nakatsugawa-juku, Ochiai-juku and Magome-juku, the old post towns along the Nakasendo. Chayazaka is the first. It’s a steep start!

By the way, the writing on the road says “Stop”.

Right next to it is ONIGIRI STAND NICO, a newly opened shop selling onigiri rice balls.

A little further on, you’ll reach the kosatsuba, a place where official notices were displayed.

In the Edo period, the shogunate and regional lords posted laws and prohibitions on wooden boards at places like this. Think of it as the town hall notices or community noticeboard of its day. The kosatsuba you see now is a reconstruction. The notices include ones issued in 1711, as well as later additions.

So what did they say?

Here are the kinds of notices people would have read.

Oyako Kyodai Kosatsu — family and everyday conduct

Don’t shelter criminals or suspicious people; report them if you find them. It also tells people to live in harmony with their parents, siblings and spouses.

Dokuyaku Nisegusuri-uri Kosatsu — poisons and fake medicines

A notice prohibiting the sale of poisons and fake medicines.

Hitsuke Midashi Kosatsu — reporting arson

Instructions for reporting arsonists, with rewards for doing so. Arson was a particularly serious crime in the Edo period!

Kirishitan Kosatsu — the ban on Christianity

A notice banning Christianity, reflecting the shogunate’s religious policy.

Jinba Kanme Kosatsu — rules for transport

Official rules concerning the transport of goods and the use of horses.

Toto Goso Kinshi Kosatsu — the ban on collective protests

A notice prohibiting collective petitions and disturbances.

Nanigoto ni Yorazu Kosatsu — a warning against extravagance

Among its rules is a warning against extravagance and wasting money.

Some of these sound rather severe, but others still feel familiar today.

The Edo period was also a time when Christianity was banned and Japan tightly restricted its contact with the outside world.

Looking at these notices while people from all over the world walk past today feels a little strange, doesn’t it?

There are steps beside the kosatsuba, and you can continue along the Nakasendo here. This stretch is quite steep too. Cars also use the road, so take care.

There’s a sign like this too! The lettering has quite a distinctive old-fashioned look…

Follow the sign and cross the pedestrian bridge just ahead. From there, you can see the Nakasendo stretching straight through the town.

This is the view from the bridge. An old photograph has survived, so you can compare the two.

Here’s the view in the Meiji period, more than 100 years ago.

The buildings have changed, but the road is still here, and people are still travelling along it.

You’re standing on a road walked by so many travellers throughout history.

Come and take a look at the view for yourself!

Notes

The walking time is approximate and varies with your pace and route.

References

Nakatsugawa City: An introduction to Nakatsugawa-juku

Nakatsugawa City: The former kosatsuba site

Nakatsugawa City: Old views of Nakatsugawa-juku

Written by Nakatsugawa Yuruyuru News

The post From The RYOKAN O to Magome: First Up, Chayazaka! What Can You See from the Hill? appeared first on Nakasendo Stays.

Around Honmachi and other parts of Nakatsugawa-juku, traces of the old townscape still remain. They may be small, quiet places, but each one offers a surprisingly deep glimpse into the town’s history.

This time, we are visiting the former Nakatsugawa-juku Wakihonjin, about a 10-minute walk from The RYOKAN O.

Although it is described as a historic “site,” you can still step inside and explore it!

What Was a Wakihonjin?

During the Edo period, daimyo and other high-ranking travellers used official lodgings called honjin while travelling along routes such as the Nakasendo.

A wakihonjin was an auxiliary lodging that supported the honjin. It was used when a large party could not fit inside the main honjin, or when the parties of two daimyo arrived at the same post town at the same time.

Nakatsugawa-juku’s original wakihonjin once stood on part of the site now occupied by the Nakatsugawa Nakasendo History Museum. In 2008, the Mori family—who had served as the wakihonjin and managed transport duties in the post town—donated the land and buildings to Nakatsugawa City. The present exhibition facility was then prepared for visitors.

Here, you can sit in what feels like the lord’s seat and take in the view from the most prestigious part of the room.

And best of all? Admission is free!

Let’s step inside.

Step Across the Stones and Travel Back to the Edo Period

Nakatsugawa-juku was the 45th post town on the Nakasendo. At the former wakihonjin, part of the old Mori family residence—including the jodan-no-ma, or raised-status room, and one storehouse—is open to the public, offering a glimpse of how the post town once functioned.

According to the Mori family’s old records, the family moved from Iwamura in Ena District to Nakatsugawa-juku around 1684. From around 1803, generations of the family served as the wakihonjin and tonya (post-town transport officials), helping manage transport and other duties in the post town while supporting the Ichioka family, who ran the honjin.

The site also witnessed events in the Meiji period. Emperor Meiji rested here in 1880, and in 1882 it was used as a venue for a speech by Itagaki Taisuke and others.

Information is also available in English, so be sure to take a look.

This Is the Lord’s Seat!

The jodan-no-ma was used during the Edo period. It is an eight-tatami room with a tokonoma alcove and shoin-style shelving.

Parts of the space have been restored or recreated using original fittings, pillars and ranma transoms.

Following the instructions at the site, you can sit in the “lord’s seat” and enjoy the view from this special position.

Before you even continue on to Magome or Tsumago, you may already feel as if you have stepped into the Edo period.

From the lord’s seat, everything seems to sit just a little lower in your field of view.

There are charming little details to discover, too.

Seasonal flowers add colour to the quiet interior. Away from the rush of modern life, the atmosphere here seems to move at a gentler pace.

The garden is a lovely place to slow down for a moment.

You can also step out onto the wooden veranda and enjoy the atmosphere of the garden. Farther along the wooden corridor is a reconstructed ochozusho—the toilet used at the time—which is another unexpected detail to look out for.

The two-storey storehouse, with its traditional namako-style walls, displays materials connected with the Mori family, including old documents, paintings and storage chests. Access to some displays may vary, so please follow the information provided on site.

It is a place where you can enjoy a little taste of life as a feudal lord—for free!

If you are staying nearby, it is well worth a visit.

The Nakatsugawa Nakasendo History Museum next door is also worth exploring, with exhibits that offer a deeper look at the Nakasendo and Nakatsugawa-juku.

Former Nakatsugawa-juku Wakihonjin (Former Mori Family Residence)

• Location: Honmachi 2-chome, Nakatsugawa, Gifu, next to the Nakatsugawa Nakasendo History Museum
• Opening hours: 9:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (last admission at 4:30 p.m.)
• Closed: Mondays (or the following day when Monday is a public holiday), and 27 December–5 January
• Admission: Free

Please note: Opening days and access to displays may change. Check the latest information from the Nakatsugawa Nakasendo History Museum before your visit.

Walking time from The RYOKAN O is approximate and may vary depending on your pace and route.

The post Feel Like a Feudal Lord? Visit Nakatsugawa-juku’s Former Wakihonjin, About 10 Minutes on Foot from The RYOKAN O appeared first on Nakasendo Stays.