Karuizawa to Fukiage
Karuizawa to Sakamoto
Virtually nothing remains of the old post-town of Karuizawa beneath the growth of today’s resort development. It lies at the northern end of the present town some distance away from the train station, although the highway passes through a popular shopping district which retains the liveliness of an old post-town. Leaving the built-up area, the ... [Read more]
Sakamoto to Annaka
The route over Usui-toge is one of the oldest on the Nakasendo, having originally formed part of the 8th century Tosando highway. Since the final section of this route is also the steepest, and probably most difficult to travel on the whole journey it is no surprise that Sakamoto boasts a history as a post-town which also dates back to these early ... [Read more]
Annaka to Takasaki
The small size of Annaka castle town is attested to by the small numbers of the merchants and artisans in 1843, living in the post-town quarters. In that year only 348 people are recorded (samurai and their families being exempt from census counts), living in 64 households, of which seventeen were inns. It seems that such close proximity to ... [Read more]
Takasaki to Honjo
Takasaki was better known as a castle town than a post-town. With a registered population of 3,235 in 1843, it was one of the largest towns on the Nakasendo. This figure, of course, does not include the samurai and their families who resided at the castle since they were exempt from census counts. In most castle towns, as many as 50 per cent of the ... [Read more]
Honjo to Okabe
The bridge into Honjo, depicted in Hiroshige’s print, only crosses part of the river. The bridge was built in 1781 by a local businessman to encourage free travel along the highway and, presumably, to his shop. Unfortunately, he lacked the funds to extend the bridge across the entire river. A boat carried travelers the remainder of the crossing, ... [Read more]
Okabe to Fukaya
Between hothouses, a few ancient stone tablets and guardian deities remind travelers of the old Nakasendo. This area was once low-lying marsh land where silkworms, bred and raised in the healthier surrounding hill villages, were brought as cocoons for processing into thread. The old highway now traces a tenuous path along meandering country ... [Read more]
Fukaya to Kumagaya
Approaching Fukaya, the modern highway turns and bypasses the old post-town. Staying on the old Nakasendo, the main features of a post-town remain. The entrance where the kosatsuba once stood still retains the dog-leg shape of a masugata. Moving through the town, many shops on either side of the old road continue their trade in the Edo period ... [Read more]
Kumagaya to Fukiage
Leaving the department store, the Nakasendo becomes nondescript. Kumagaya suffered heavily from the bombs of World War II although the recently-built Shinkansen railway construction has led to prosperity. The old highway is now a four-lane road with modern stores lining both sides. Kumagaya was a prosperous, but conservative place for a ... [Read more]
