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Omihachiman Info (from Postcard email):

Travelling to Nakasendo, one of the first things I had to learn is that many of the post-towns go by different names today. During the Edo period, the towns had -juku or -shuku on the end of their name, indicating it was a post-town. For instance, the very first post town after leaving Kyoto was known as Otsu-juku (#69). Today, it is just simply known as Otsu. 

Otsu was and still is an important town due to its proximity to Lake Biwa, the largest body of freshwater in Japan. Otsu was also Japan’s capital for a brief period during the 7th century. 

The next stop was Kusatsu-juku (#68), now Kusatsu, a very busy town because it was at the junction of two major highways, Nakasendo and Tokaido, which ran along the southern coast of Honshu Island. Being an important station, it had 74 inns. One of them has been restored and turned into a museum whilst another is a restaurant known for its soba buckwheat noodles. 

Moriyama-juku (#67), now Moriyama, was a day’s travel from Kyoto and many travellers preferred this station over Kusatsu-juku which was always busy. Very few old buildings survive. One of them was once a sake brewery during the Edo period, then the childhood home of former Prime Minister Sosuke Uno and now it operates as a museum. 

On my way to Omihachiman, previously known as Musa-juku (#66), I passed Mount Mikami, which is often nicknamed Omi Fuji due to its conical shape and similarity to Mount Fuji. However, Mount Mikami is really only a hilltop at 1417ft (432m) and doesn’t compare to Japan’s most sacred mountain. 

When Musa-juku was a post-town, the surrounding countryside was relatively flat with several rivers needing to be crossed. One such river, the Hino-gawa, was traversed via a pontoon bridge made of wooden planks, tied together with ropes and supported by a series of boats. The pontoon bridge is long gone now but the path leading to the old location still exists. 

Several houses and waki-honjin have survived that can be viewed by meandering through the north end of Shinmachi Street or from Haku’un-bashi Bridge. The canal that flows beneath the bridge had a dual purpose. First, as a moat protecting the Hachimanyama-jo Castle and secondly, as a transport route connecting the town to Lake Biwa.

Lake Biwa Info (from Conquerors app):

The striking Shirahige Shrine Torii sites within Japan's largest body of fresh water, Lake Biwa. It was here on a moonlit night that the world's first novel, The Tale of Genji, was being written by Murasaki Shikibu in the 11th century. Ukimido Hall, at the end of the pier is a palce of worship, praying for the safety of lake travellers.

Echigawa Info (from Postcard email):

Leaving Omihachiman, for the next 6mi (10km) I pass by rice fields and as I reach Goka, I pass some old textile factories. The area between Goka and Hikone was well known for cotton and flax production during the Edo period with many of the wealthy merchants living around Goka. Building large mansions, those that survived are now open to visitors to explore.   Southwest of Goka are the ruins of the 16th century Azuchi Castle. When the castle was built, it was considered revolutionary in terms of architecture. Most castles were built for defensive purposes, but Azuchi was meant to be a large mansion. It had a 7-storey keep with the upper floor being octagonal. Where the castles were typically painted white and black, Azuchi was colourfully decorated with tigers and dragons. Commissioned by shogun Oda Nobunaga, the first Great Unifier of Japan, the castle was built in 1579 AD. Following Nobunaga’s assassination, the castle and all its glorious decorations were demolished three years later. Reconstructions of the octagonal room and the top floor are on display in a museum near the ruins along with a model of the castle. 

I travelled through Echigawa-juku (#65), now part of Aisho city, which was named after the river running through it. Villagers and travellers had to walk through the river to cross it, until a local businessman built the Miyuki Bridge in 1831. A signpost used to stand beside the bridge indicating that crossing was free of charge – paying to cross a bridge was customary practice. 

Today Echigawa is known for its temari, a decorative handball made from old kimonos and scraps of silk that became popular during the Edo period. Temari balls were traditionally gifted to children on New Year’s Day but have now been elevated to a work of art due to their many beautiful and intricate patterns. Sometimes a hand strap and tassel were added to the ball to turn into an accessory for a kimono. 

One of Echigawa’s longest running businesses is Takeheiro, an inn and restaurant that has been operating continuously since 1785 AD. Emperor Meiji, who ended the Tokugawa shogunate, is said to have rested here during his reign. It looks like a great place to have a warm miso soup and try one of their beef shabu-shabu, a hotpot dish of thinly sliced meat and vegetables boiled in water and served with dipping sauce.

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Nakasendo Trail Virtual Kickbike Challenge Ride #2 - Omihachiman, Lake Biwa, Echigawa

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