【Fujieda and Shizuoka City "Sunshu Journey" One-Day Model Course】Seek out the vestiges of the Edo Period and visit Japanese Heritage historical spots along the Tokaido Road

During the Edo period, free movement of people was restricted, but travel to shrines and temples or for medical treatment was permitted, and it is said that people traveled for the purpose of making pilgrimages or recuperating in hot springs.
Then, in 1802, when "Tokaidochu Hizakurige," a story about the main character Yaji and Kita's journey along the Tokaido Road, was published, the various parts of the Tokaido Road in the story became crowded with travelers.
The ukiyo-e "Tokaido Gojusan-tsugi," painted by Utagawa Hiroshige, is also regarded as one of the sparklers of the travel boom.

Since our destinations are scattered across two cities, driving with a rental car is recommended.
Tell your destination to the rental car reception counter in the Arrival Lobby on the 1st floor of the terminal building at Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport.
They will tell you the sales offices in the prefecture where you can drop off your vehicle.
If you drop off your car in the vicinity of Shizuoka Station, you can easily access your next destination with great convenience.
The first destination, “Okabe-shuku Ohatago Kashibaya”, is about 40 minutes away by car.
Enjoy the drive while taking in the scenic beauty of Shizuoka, surrounded by mountains and the sea.

When you arrive at Okabe-shuku Ohatago Kashibaya, it is as if you have stepped back in time to the Edo period, and you will see a wooden structure that retains the appearance of those days.
Among them, the Main House Historical Museum, rebuilt in 1836 after surviving two major fires, is a must-see.
The museum exhibits valuable materials that show what the accommodations looked like and how people lived in those days.
Upon entering, the first thing that catches the eye is a doll of Yaji and Kita, the main characters of "Tokaido chu Hizakurige".
You can imagine how they looked in those days, taking a rest after crossing the mountain pass.

Behind the dolls of Yaji and Kita, there is a staircase leading to the second floor, where the guest rooms where general travelers stayed.
Because of the old-fashioned construction of the building, the stairs are steep.
It is fun to climb slowly while holding the handrail and thinking about the people of the Edo period.
In the back of the guest room on the second floor, there is an exhibition corner where visitors can learn about the role and conditions of inns in those days through valuable materials.
The wooden portable pillow, flintlock case, bronze coins, the currency of the time, and other travel tools are on display to give visitors a glimpse of the differences between these items and what one would take on a trip in the modern era.

Return to the first floor again and go to the other side of the corridor.
This is the main tatami room where the samurai stayed.
The tatami in the main tatami room has heri (decorative edges to keep the tatami strong and clean), which were not found in the tatami in the guest rooms on the second floor, and is decorated with precious ranma (columns), providing a prestigious atmosphere.
The main tatami room also overlooks a Japanese garden, and the view is a thing of beauty in Japan.
Why not sit there, take a breather, and lose yourself in the Japanese architecture?

After a 10-minute drive from Okabe-shuku Ohatago Kashibaya, you will arrive at "Takumishuku Traditional Hand Craft Arts Center" in Mariko-juku, a post town on the Tokaido Gojusantsugi.
This facility, which was recently renovated in May 2021, allows visitors to experience traditional crafts, and its refined Japanese-style architecture, full of warmth of wood, is also attractive.

At the doorway, a traditional Shizuoka kite, the Suruga-dako, is displayed, and at the entrance, a light made of Suruga bamboo Sensuji-craft catches the eye.
Suruga bamboo sen-suji-zaiku is a technique developed around 1840 during the Edo period. It is a bamboo craft named for its appearance of a thousand stripes, which are made by hand assembling one by one from a rounded bamboo stick.

Try your hand at making Suruga Bamboo sen-suji-zaiku.
Participants choose what they would like to make, such as a pen holder, accessory case, coaster, and so on.
This time, we made a "pen holder Koharu" with a beautiful rounded form and curved bamboo strips.
First, we laid out the bamboo craft kits that had been prepared in advance and checked to see if we had everything we needed.
The kit is then assembled while following the instructions.
Ajiro, a woven bamboo board, is cut into a round shape and placed in the lower ring, the bottom part of the pen holder.
Then, carefully insert the bamboo strips into the upper and lower rings, which have 44 holes.
After all are inserted, adjust for distortion, apply bond, and you are done.
This is a simple experience that takes about 30 minutes, and the staff will carefully teach you if you have any doubts, so even beginners can feel at ease.

IIn addition to Suruga Bamboo sen-suji-zaiku, visitors can experience a variety of traditional crafts such as dyeing, ceramics, lacquer, and woodworking.
Most of them can be experienced on the day of the tour without reservations, so visitors can decide what they would like to do after actually seeing the works.
At Gallery Teto Teto, visitors can purchase crafts and folk art from all over Japan, including works by Takumishuku's artisans.
The pieces on offer are modern daily necessities that use traditional techniques and are adapted to today's lifestyles.
If you visit the store after experiencing crafts, you will be able to enjoy the selection of products from a different perspective.

The next stop was Sekibeya, a long-established Japanese confectionary store that has been in business since the Edo period. The specialty here is Abekawa-mochi.
It is said to have been made since the 1600s, and because it is said to be filling the stomach, it has been loved by travelers since that time and was always sold at tea stores along the road.
Originally, it was only freshly pounded white rice cake, but later it was sprinkled with kinako (roasted soybean flour) and eventually with Suruga white sugar.
Then, in 1804, when they started using white sugar, "Sekibeya" was founded.
The charm of Abekawa mochi is the freshly pounded rice cake.
The mochi is warmed in a double boiler, and torn into bite-size pieces upon order, and wrapped in red bean paste or sprinkled with kinako soybean flour and white sugar.
The rice cake is soft yet firm and chewy, reminding you of the original deliciousness of rice mochi.