Tokaido Walk

On 2 March 2013, my friend Tetsu Uemura organised a walk on the Tokaido road (東海道 East Sea Road). This is the road that ran 492km between Edo (modern-day Tokyo) and Kyoto. It had 53 post stations along the way for travellers to rest. Thomas and I joined twelve other people and we started our journey at Shinagawa Station. 

We had a local guide and rickshaw driver from Shinagawa show us around some of the historic sights. We took turns having a ride in the rickshaw.

Thomas even had a go pulling the rickshaw through the streets.

In Shinagawa we stopped where the waterfront used to be (a lot of reclaimed land means the sea is now about 1km away). A statue commemorates where a whale washed up and died on the beach many years ago.

Thomas found a working water pump.

Fujizuka shrine has a miniature Mt Fuji. 

If you wash your money in the water it will return 10,000 times. Thomas washes 100 yen - should be a million yen coming for him soon.

Through Shinagawa the old road follows the same path it has for hundreds of years and is maintained at the same width it was historically.

Restaurant

Tattoo shop

Liquor shop

We tried Shinagawa beer brewed with Edo yeast.

Through Ota City, the road followed a new highway and the view became more commercial.

We crossed the Tsurumi River and saw a homeless encampment. Some of the 'shack's had TV aerials and resembled Kiwi baches.

Four hundred years ago you had to catch a ferry to cross the river.

We made it to Namamugi and saw a lovely old shrine.

After 20km, Thomas had sore feet.

We caught the Keikyu Line train home from Namamugi back to Shinagawa and then home. A good day out seeing some of older Tokyo.

Tetsu plans to eventually walk the whole road to Kyoto.