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National Highway Route 1 is a major artery in Japan’s economic infrastructure. Linking Tokyo and Osaka, Japan’s two great metropolises, it was constructed parallel to the Tokaido, one of the important main routes provided by the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1867), the military government based in Edo that ruled Japan for two and a half centuries. On establishing the shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu, its first shogun, believed the provision of an adequate transport network was an indispensable first step to facilitate effective rule of the country, and he directed the building of five highways that radiated from Edo (Tokyo). One of them, the Tokaido, connected Edo with Kyoto. Fifty-three post-station towns were built along the Tokaido to cater to travelers. Groups of pine or hackberry trees planted at intervals on the route served as markers, and numerous inns and waystops were provided to make travel more convenient. By providing this transport network, the Tokugawa shogunate succeeded in controlling the circulation of goods and information nationwide.
The twenty-second in the string of post-station towns on the Tokaido was situated in what is now the city of Fujieda in Shizuoka Prefecture. Some of the old buildings from that period still grace central Fujieda as reminders of days long past. The old road in this part of the city is lined on both sides with food shops selling fruit or tea interspersed with eating establishments that beckon hungry passersby with soba, sushi, and other delicious fare. They seem to hint at the vibrancy and prosperity of the former post-station town. Here, too, are found chests made of the highly valued paulownia wood and papier-mâché daruma dolls handcrafted by artisans who carry on businesses established by their ancestors in the Edo period. The use of daruma dolls as good-luck charms for the fulfillment of some wish is a tradition widely practiced in Japan. |
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| The Oi river flows through the southern part of Fujieda. In ancient times this river was a major obstacle to travelers, which is why Fujieda prospered as a post-station town. |
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