Yoshiwara - 14th Station of Tokaido

Now marching through Yoshiwara.  This place is now an industrial town, so the roads have been laid new and it is very difficult to find the Tokaido.

Carefully, carefully looking at my guide, my Google Map every time I come across an intersection.  When I see the "Tokaido sign," I know I am on the right path.  A moment of relief.

It is cloudy today, but pleasant.  A wonderful weather to walk in.  I follow the road where it merges with the new Tokaido road.  As I am used to seeing these roads from the car, it makes walking feel even more slow - slower than ever.

Soon, I see a town with many restaurants!  I have been hungry for the last 2 hours, so lunch at last!  But...hunger can be misleading.  As I walk down the road towards the restaurants, I had no clue I was going down the wrong street.

After lunch, I walked and walked and walked until I crossed the railroad.  The railroad??  There shouldn't be a railroad track here!  Devastated that I came down the wrong road, I went back 2km past the restaurants to the point where I made the wrong turn - dragging my leg.

Now, this winding road looks like an old road.  This is more like Tokaido.

The next place to visit was the Hidari-Fuji Shrine.  Hidari Fuji means Mt. Fuji on the left hand side.

 Mt. Fuji is located north of Tokaido, so when you walk from Tokyo to Kyoto (go west), Mt. Fuji is always on your right hand side.  However, in some places the roads turns, and in rare places you see Mt. Fuji on the left hand side.  This is one of the locations where you can see that.

Nope.  You can't see it today.  But I sat at this park resting my legs, imagining how Mt. Fuji would look from here.  And it started raining...

Tonight's hotel is near Fuji station, so I must hurry.  The Heike goe sign.  (Where the Heike army was stationed during the war in 1180)

I am now entering the New Yoshiwara shuku.  Sorry, I was in a hurry so I skipped most of the marks here.  On and on I go. 

By this time, it started to rain hard.  I was pretty fed up with the weather.  I walk and walk until I really got frustrated with the wind taking my umbrella, and decided to do exactly what I do back home when I am frustrated - eat!  I walked into Kentucky Fried Chicken, ordered chicken and soup, and just sat there eating, very angry at the weather.

And then the weather cleaned up.  Looked like it was telling me "See?  You can't beat nature."  Yes!  The very obvious.  I was confronting nature, I was trying to reach my objective by walking even if it rained or shined - nothing gets in my way!  I guess this is my mentality at work - and it is proving to be worthless when you are dealing with nature.  You don't confront nature.  You collaborate with it.

This was the turning point of my Tokaido walk.  I had been so obsessed with reaching the objective every day, that I had been missing the point.  I am here to ENJOY.  Look at houses around me.  Look at the mountains.  Imagine what it was like 400 years ago...communicate with the surroundings.  I don't need to be walking so far away from home if I don't enjoy the surroundings!

So, from there on, I enjoyed myself.  I was looking for signs - wondering where they hid, looking at people, looking at the beautiful scenery.

This is where a tea shop was long time ago.

And finally I reached Fuji station.  Today was a breakthrough.  I finally learned how to enjoy the walk in Tokaido.  It is about enjoying the scenery, the people, and marks from the past.  Enjoy all the unexpected events that happen!