The most famous road built during the Edo period is the Old Tokaido. Even today, under a different name, it continues to support Japan’s logistics infrastructure. The old Tokaido route was once used by many people, who would spend about two weeks walking to their destination.
As a result, remnants of that time still remain in various places today. Hakone Pass and Lake Ashi are also located along the old Tokaido Road, which are still popular tourist spots and crowded with tourists. This time, we will introduce in detail the road that leads from Hakone Pass to Lake Ashi, a journey along the historical and romantic Old Tokaido Highway.
①What is the old Tokaido?
The Old Tokaido is a road that connects Edo Nihonbashi to Kyoto Sanjo. The total distance is approximately 492km. The Old Tokaido is one of the Old Five Highways built during the Edo period. All of the Old Five Highways extend from Edo Nihonbashi and connect important points in various places.
❶When was the old Tokaido road established?
The “Old Tokaido” that remains today was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1601. The original purpose of the former Tokaido, which was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu, was to connect Edo, where the Tokugawa shogunate was located, Kyoto, where the imperial court was located, and Osaka, where the Toyotomi clan lived. At that time, the political situation was not stable, and it was unclear when war would break out. For this reason, the old Tokaido was built for military purposes, with post stations and highways built to allow troops to move quickly. Afterwards, when the Tokugawa shogunate stabilized, it was used as a road for feudal lords to pass their time, and as the economy developed, it became a road for common people.
❷What has become of the old Tokaido now?
Currently, the former Tokaido has been renamed National Route 1 and is used as Japan’s main artery. In many places, traces of the old Tokaido still remain.
➁What is Hakone Pass?
Hakone Pass is a mountain pass located between Hakone Town, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Kannami Town, Tagata District, Shizuoka Prefecture. Hakone Pass is pronounced “Hakone Touge”. Hakone Pass is located on the current National Route 1 (formerly Tokaido). The altitude of Hakone Pass is 846m.
❶Commonly known as “Hakonehachiri” is the world’s most difficult place.
The place where Hakone Pass is located is a place called “Hakone Hachiri”, the road that goes over Hakone in the Edo period. During the Edo period, Hakone Hari was called the most difficult place in the world. Hakone Hari is a 32km road that runs from Odawara-juku up Hakone Pass to Mishima-juku. The reason Hakone Hari is said to be one of the most difficult places in the world is because of the steep slopes and poor footing that can get you up to your shins in mud during rain or snow. The steepness of the elevation difference was that Odawara-juku was about 10 meters above sea level, Hakone Pass was about 846 meters above sea level, and Mishima-juku was about 25 meters above sea level, so the slope was quite steep. In addition, bamboo was laid down at the time to prevent it from getting muddy, but as I walked, I got stuck in the mud and couldn’t move forward.
❷The road will be paved with stones.
Hakone Hachiri, which was a very difficult area to pass, will be replaced with a stone paved road. In the 8th year of the Enpo era (1680), it was paved with stones to a width of 2 ken (approximately 3.6 meters). Today, the stone pavement from those days from Hatajuku to the lakeside has been preserved and maintained, and the traditional atmosphere of the old Tokaido still remains. However, the stone pavement is covered with moss and can be slippery, so if you are visiting the stone pavement on a rainy or snowy day, please be careful where you step.
➂What is Lake Ashi?
Lake Ashi is a lake located in Hakone Town, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture. Lake Ashinoko is pronounced ″Ashinoko.” Lake Ashi is the largest lake in Kanagawa Prefecture. It is approximately 14 minutes by car from Hakone Pass to Lake Ashi via Hakone Shrine via National Route 1, which is a distance of 6.8 km, so we recommend that you take a trip to Lake Ashi when visiting Hakone Pass. Masu.
④Access information to Lake Ashi
Here you will find detailed information about access to Lake Ashi. The address of Lake Ashinoko is ″Hakone Town, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture.”
❶Route from Hakoneguchi IC to Lake Ashi by car
| Hakone Exit IC (Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture) ⇒ National Route 1 Odawara Hakone Road (2.2km) ⇒ Yamazaki ⇒ Hakone Shindo (12.2km) ⇒ Ashi Lake Taikan |
Summary
This time, we introduced a trip along the historic and romantic Old Tokaido, the road that leads from Hakone Pass to Lake Ashi. There are many places along the old Tokaido that still retain their traditional atmosphere.
Particularly in places such as Hakone Hachiri, which used to be a difficult part of the journey, there are still some stone-paved roads that remain, making it a road where you can truly enjoy history and romance. In addition, along the old Tokaido road that runs from Hakone Pass to Lake Ashi, there is one of the best power spots in the Kanto region, Hakone Shrine, where you can receive various blessings such as ″marriage” and ″luck in battle.” You can enjoy the feeling of being a traveler in the Edo period while looking at the magnificent scenery around Hakone. When you visit the old Tokaido road in Kanto, why not visit Hakone Pass and Lake Ashi?
▲Lake Ashi
▲Official site
▲Hakonestreet
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