Arai-juku

nihongo|Arai-juku|新居宿|Arai-juku was the thirty-first of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is located in the town of Arai in Hamana District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. During the Edo period, it was located in Tōtōmi Province. The "kanji" for the post station were originally also written as 荒江 and 荒井 ("Arai").

History

Arai-juku was located on the western shores of Lake Hamana (浜名湖 "Hamana-ko"). Travelers crossed the lake to reach Maisaka-juku, the previous post station on the Tōkaidō. Though there were many checkpoints along the Tōkaidō, the Arai Checkpoint is the only one that existed both on land and on the water.

Both the checkpoint and post station were often damaged from earthquakes and tsunami, which led to them both being moved to different locations. The current location was established in 1707. The existing checkpoint building was established during the Meiji period and, for a time, was used as a school. Through recent excavations, they have been able to find artifacts and the location of some of the Edo period checkpoints. The history and culture of the post station can be found in an archives museum in the preserved checkpoint building.

The Kii-no-kuni-ya (紀伊の国屋), a preserved "hatago" still remaining today, served as a rest spot for official travelers coming from Kii Province further south. [http://www.town.arai.shizuoka.jp/sight/02/si0201.html Arai-juku Hatagao Kii-no-kuni-ya Shiryokan] . ja icon Town of Arai. Accessed March 7, 2008.]

Neighboring Post Towns

;Tōkaidō:Maisaka-juku - Arai-juku - Shirasuka-juku

References