Explanation of the Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido 37 Akasaka
8.8km from Fujikawa to Akasaka 34°51’21″N 137°18’30″E
Akasaka is the 36th station on the Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido.
It is in present-day Toyokawa City, Aichi Prefecture.
Akasaka had three honjin inns, one wakihonjin inn, and 62 inns.
Along with Goyu and Yoshida, Akasaka had many prostitutes.
It was so lively that it was said, “Without Goyu, Akasaka, and Yoshida, why would I go to Edo?”
It has now fallen into decline because the Tokaido Main Line has been removed from Akasaka.
The Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line was later opened.
Meiden Akasaka Station never regained its former prosperity because no express trains stopped there.
The distance between Akasaka and Goyu is about 1.74km, the shortest among all the post towns on the Tokaido.
There was a big fire during the Edo period and the entire inn was burned down, but it was rebuilt with support from the Edo Shogunate.
Akasaka post town mitsuke was set up on the east and west sides.
The eastern one was on both sides of the Tokaido in Sekigawa.
The western one was on one side near the entrance to Hachimansha Shrine.
The eastern mitsuke was moved to the front of Sekigawa Shrine in 1796.
The 1868 town map shows it back in its previous location.
It was abolished in 1874.
The wholesaler’s station kept the laborers and horses assigned by the denma-yaku (carrier’s horse) on hand.
This was where the affairs of transporting official luggage and travelers between post towns were carried out to the next post town.
It was run by inn officials called the wholesaler, elder, bookkeeper, and horse driver.
Located almost in the center of the post town, it played an important role in the post town along with the main inn and the side inn.
The position was often passed down by influential people in the inn by hereditary succession.
In 1591, Ikeda Terumasa ordered Akasaka-juku to keep 46 horses on standby every day.
The only inn on the Tokaido that continued to operate into the 21st century was “Ohashiya.”
It was a large inn with a width of 9 ken and a depth of about 23 ken.
When it first opened, its name was “Iyemon Koiya.”
It was founded in 1649, and the current building was constructed in 1716.
It closed its business as an inn on March 15, 2015.
① “Hoeido version”
This depicts the courtyard of Kiyosu-ya.
The composition is as if one is looking down from above into the interior of the inn.
In the room on the left, a maid brings two servings of food to a man lying down and smoking a pipe.
Next to her, a masseuse is busy wooing a customer.
In the room to the right, prostitutes are carefully applying makeup.
You can see people coming down the stairs at the back.
The movement of the people shows how busy this inn is.
The cycads and stone lanterns in the courtyard add a nice accent.
The cycads in the courtyard have now been moved to a nearby temple.
② “Gyousyo version”
It depicts the pine trees lining the streets between Akasaka and Goyu.
As they are holding lanterns, it suggests a nighttime journey.
③”Reisho version”
It depicts the inn at dusk.
The Hoeido version depicts the first floor of the inn in detail.
The clerical script version depicts the inn from a bird’s-eye view, including the second floor.
④ “Hokusai version”
It depicts a traveler and a prostitute (prostitute).
⑤ “Travel image”
This is Meiden Akasaka Station.
⑥ “Stamp image”
This is a ticket for Meiden Akasaka Station.
Hoeido version
Gyousyo version
Reisho version
Hokusai version
Travel image
Stamp image
