Hakone 箱根, one of the best-known tourists’ destinations in Japan, is a historical place. It has reputation such as “the most precipitous in Japan” … I doubt this claim, though … Anyway! still now, when people travel between the West, i.e. Nara 奈良, Kyoto 京都, and Osaka 大阪, and the East, i.e. Kamakura 鎌倉 and Edo 江戸 (Tokyo), Hakone is THE choking point for land route. The area is made of steep cliffs and torrents. The passable routes are limited. Until 802 AD, it even had a popular detour which went around Hakone. The bypass was roughly the same road of present-day Route 246 from Gotemba City 御殿場市 to Matsuda Town 松田町 (the gateway to Yadoriki Forest やどりき水源林) via Ashigara Pass 足柄峠 (; my post on August 4, 2017). Then in the first week of 802, Mt. Fuji erupted and closed the Ashigara Pass. People were forced to use mountainous Hakone Route.
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locational composition of Hakone and Mt. Fuji is like this. It’s not at all near … This photo was taken on the peak of Mt. Yagura 矢倉岳, near Ashigara Pass. |
Since then, there were many records depicting how hard to cross Hakone area (for example, this one). When Tokugawa Ieyasu 徳川家康, the founder of Tokugawa Shogunate Government 江戸幕府, decided in 1600 to make Edo the center of Japanese political system, Hakone offered a clever strategic option to build Fortress Tokyo. As the place is so precipitous, there were very few people ventured alternative routes in Hakone. i.e. The government could control almost perfectly the traffic between the East and the West of Japan at Hakone. It was the main gate to Edo. To defend Tokyo from western enemy attacks via the main route, the idea is perfect, isn’t it? Tokugawa Ieyasu constructed a well-crafted road through the mountainous Hakone suitable for large entourages of delegations sent by the Emperor in Kyoto, or by the King of Joseon Dynasty from Korean Peninsula. This mountain road was named “Hakone 8 Ri 箱根八里” aka “8 Miles Road of Hakone” starting from Hakone Yumoto 箱根湯本 to Lake Ashinoko 芦ノ湖. Ieyasu then located a huge check point called Hakone Checking Station 箱根関所 on the south shore of Lake Ashinoko where 8 Miles Road ends and departs to the next region which was the area for modern Shizuoka Prefecture 静岡県.
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| The map of 8 Miles Road of Hakone, shown near Lake Ashinoko |
Today, Hakone Checking Station is a huge tourist attraction that is an amalgam of history museum and a theme park. Introducing the place will be saved for another occasion … Today, and in the next 2 posts, I tell you my adventure along the 8 Miles Road of Hakone. Yes. The road Tokugawa Ieyasu prepared has largely preserved although it is cut in numerous times by Prefectural Road 732 for cars. The marvel of civil engineering for the 17th century Japan. The ancient route becomes a popular hiking road for the 21st century. Exactly speaking, 8 Miles Road starts from Hakone Yumoto (; my post on ), proceeds through the forest almost in parallel to Route 1 until old Hatajuku Town 畑宿, then crisscrosses with Road 732 to historical Amazake-Jaya Café 甘酒茶屋, and finally goes down to Lake Ashinoko via Kampher-Barney Monument. From there to the Checking Station the road runs along the popular circle road of Lake Ashinoko.
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the 8 Miles Road meets with Lake Ashinoko, at the First Torii 一の鳥居 of Hakone Shrine 箱根神社, we find these tiny stupas and statues of Buddha on both sides of the Circle Lake Road. The place is called Sai-no-Kawara 賽の河原 where numerous travelers to Hakone some 1000 to 150 years ago built these objects of worship for their peace of mind. It had once far more stupas, but economic development destroyed so many. The place is now designated as a Historic Site by Hakone Town. |
When you walk the route in this way, it is almost “one way up” … Hmmmmm, it would be an educational experience to know how hard it was to pass Hakone until some 150 years ago … But, in this age of the 21st Century, let’s use a modern tool called “commuter bus services.” We go Lake Ashinoko first, then follow the path from there to Hakone Yumoto. Yeah, it’s almost “one way down.” Even though, it’s really a day hike. I found going-down is enough to know the difficulty in Hakone on foot or horse-ride if you’re skilled enough perhaps at the level of professional jockey or Olympians … Next week, I start from how to reach Lake Ashinoko by commuter bus. Please stay tuned. 😄 Oh, just one reminder. Hakone is a National Park of Japan. Environmental restrictions are harder than for the other parts of Kanagawa Prefecture. We must behave there. Wow.
164 Motohakone, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa 250-0522
Phone: +81-460-84-9981
FAX: +81-460-84-5721
Email: hakone-vc@kanagawa.email.ne.jp
http://hakonevc.sunnyday.jp/shizenjyouhou/gazou/englishindex.html
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