Japan roads begin with Tokkido
Having won the battle at the secoigachar in 1600 (the territory of the modern Gifu Prefecture), Tokugawa Iehasuis (1542-1616) became the most frequent ruler of Japan. And the first step of his reform was the creation of a system of postal stations on the Tokaido road in 1601, which was held in the Pacific coast from Edo, current Tokyo, Kyoto.
The next year, the construction of four new main roads began, which were to fall into Edo. These roads were: Nakasendo, who went in the western direction through the mountainous locality to Kyoto; Kosya connecting the Cofu (Yamanasi Prefecture) with Nakasendo; Nikko, connecting Edo with the city of Nikko (Tooty Prefecture); And the axis continusing Nicko’s road from Utsunovy to the Tokhoki region.
Areas through which these paths passed, experienced the period of their heyday. On the roads continuously marched the procession of samurai and servants, accompanying their princes (Daimos) in their obligatory annual trips to Edo, where they rewarded to Ieyasu. The same paths followed merchants and ordinary people who commit the pilgrimage or sightseeing.
Along these roads, numerous postal stations and hotels were located.
If you leave chosenuatamati (Nagano Prefecture), on the old road Napanesendo (now the state high-speed highway number 142, going to the carriage of Wada), then a steep slope will be visible in the right.
The slope was called Kyotosiska, or "The slope of falling trees". This name happened from the traditional Ombassian festival, during which participants go off the slope down on the huge trunks of the trees.
Ombassira Festival is held once every six years – during the Tiger and Monkey. He is held this year.
During the festival, the trees are swap in the mountains, the trunks of which are then taken to neighboring cities and installed in the outskirts of the Suva-Dzinzya temple – one of the most ancient and revered Sinto Sanctures of Nagasaki.
April 11, before the onset of the night, the last trunk of the tree was delivered to the top of the clock of Kyotosiska. Giant spruce with a diameter of 3.34 m was selected three years ago. At 17:00, two hours later the planned time, the descent began on the trunks of the trees. Tens of thousands of viewers impatiently expected the bottom and sang a folk song "Kiyari".
When the song is over, silence has come. And at that moment a huge tree began to roll from a steep slope. The visual platform blew up loud greetings.
The festival of Ombassir, which lasts a whole month, reaches its climax at the end of May, when 16 trunks of huge trees are transported from the city to the city during Parades of Satohiki and then installed on sites located in the four corners of the temples of Ramisia and Shimina, which belong to the Great Sanctuet of Suva -Dzinpa.
The city of Symosuv, the center of this grand festival, once was the postal city standing at the crossroads of Kosyukido roads and Napadendo. He was also the last post office on the road Kosyukido.
Having an abundance of hot springs in the district, the city quickly gained popularity. Tired travelers who followed the main roads, loved to stop here to restore the prestained in the long road.
And today in the area of Lake Sava are numerous hotels with hot springs, but the landscape of the area has changed much, depending on the increase or decrease in the importance of the road.
"Even at the beginning of the village (1926-1989), more than 200 geish lived in Syosuv, and many famous writers stayed for a long time in it", – Says 72-year-old Sodzuburo Oguti, the owner of the traditional hotel "Minoash Ryank".
Say that the writer Acutagawa Ryunca (1892-1927) once fell in love with the geisha, which he met in this hotel and wrote her a love letter in this hotel when he returned home.
Near the hotel there is an old stone index of the road, in which the tone of Satoma made his own hand (1888-1983), another famous writer. Okuti says that Satomi loved the Sava district very much and happily agreed to make a memorable to write on the pointer.
The neighborhood of the Symosuv post station, which was once a key transport connection, flourished for a long time. However, the appearance of railways noticeably reduced the number of travelers and people arriving here.
About 15 years ago I left the last geisha left. However, today you can see numerous traces of the former glory of the prosperous postal city, the main decoration of which is still the great sanctuary of Sava.
