Explanation of the Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido 20 Fuchu
5.7km from Mariko to Fuchu, 34°58′29.0″N 138°23′16.0″E
Fuchu is the 19th station on the Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido.
The town is part of the castle town of Sunpu.
In the current administrative district, it is Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City.
The station has two honjin, three wakihonjin, and 43 inns, a population of 14,071, 3,673 houses, and the length of the street is about 3,050m.
It is the home of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the old Tokaido is located north of JR Shizuoka Station.
Around Miroku, where Nishimitsuke was located just before the river, there is a shop selling Abekawamochi, which appears in Jippensha Ikku’s “Tokaidochu Hizakurige.”
Abekawa mochi is a type of Japanese confectionery that is a specialty of Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Originally, it was made by sprinkling freshly pounded mochi with soybean flour and then topping it with white sugar.
Nowadays, it is common to have two types of mochi, one with soybean flour and one with sweet bean paste, served on the same plate.
Outside Shizuoka, it is sometimes simply called Abekawa.
In the early Edo period, Tokugawa Ieyasu stopped at a tea shop on the banks of the Abe River, and the owner sprinkled soybean flour on freshly pounded mochi, likening it to gold dust that can be found upstream the Abe River, and presented it to him as “Abekawa’s Golden Flour Mochi.”
There is a legend that Ieyasu was so pleased that he named it Abekawa mochi after the Abe River.
In fact, it became famous because it uses white sugar, which was rare in Japan during the Edo period.
There are three teahouse-style shops that make and sell traditional Abekawa mochi on the east side of the Abekawa Bridge on the old Tokaido.
Meanwhile, in Yamanashi Prefecture and other areas where there is a custom of offering Abekawa mochi to the Buddha and eating it during Obon, it is topped with soybean flour and brown sugar syrup.
The mochi sold at supermarkets and Japanese sweets shops during this time of year is generally made with soybean flour and brown sugar syrup.
The mochi is also generally square shaped.
A souvenir sweet that derived from this custom is Shingen mochi.
The remains of the Honmaru and Ninomaru castles of Sunpu Castle have now been developed into Sunpu Castle Park.
It is also known by other names such as Fuchu Castle, Suruga Fuchu Castle, and Shizuoka Castle.
During the Edo period, the Sunpu Domain and the Sunpu Castle Deputy were established here, and during the Meiji Restoration, the Sunpu Domain was established again.
In the early Edo period, it became the center of shogunate politics.
① “Hoeido version”
This depicts a ferry across the Abe River.
The focus of this painting is the custom of crossing the river.
There are various ways in which three women cross the river, in palanquins, on lotus pedestals, and carried on the backs of laborers.
Behind the woman, a man crosses on his shoulders.
Two groups of men are crossing from the opposite bank.
Two porters are pulling a horse carrying luggage, and a horseman is supporting the load.
There are also porters crossing the river on foot and the porters guiding them.
You can see the hardships of crossing the river at that time.
② “Gyousyo version”
Two teahouses with signs selling the famous Abekawa mochi face each other.
Mochi is being pounded at the teahouse on the left.
They are eating the freshly made mochi on the spot.
The Abegawa River is beyond the row of pine trees.
③ ”Reisho version”
It depicts tourists heading to the gate of the Fuchu red-light district.
④ “Hokusai version”
It is thought to depict the interior of the Fuchu red-light district.
⑤ “Travel image”
This is Sunpu Castle.
⑥ “Stamp image”
This is a stamp from JR Shizuoka Station.
Hoeido version
Gyousyo version
Reisho version
Hokusai version
Travel image
Stamp image
