Kisokaidô: Sekigahara - Station 58

Utagawa Hiroshige - Series of the 69 étapes of the Kisokaido: Station Sekigahara (60th print) (Sekigahara)

© Trustees of the British Museum

Sekigahara was an important post station located at the junction of the Kisokaido, the Hokkoku kaido to the North-West and the road to the Grand Shrine of Ise to the South-West. Strategically placed in a gap between mountains to the North and South, it was the site of the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 (see following page).

Hiroshige depicts wayside restaurants serving travellers on the road. In the right foreground is a noodle shop with hanging from the eaves of the thatched roof, signs (1) advertising Satomochi and Nian gao, both sweet rice cakes. Also on sale are goods useful to the traveller such as new straw sandals (2) and souvenir fans. Two clients are enjoying midday meals and a horseman (3) has dismounted for the same purpose. A waitress (4) has come out of the shop to serve them. In the middle distance, a handler leads two horses between the tall pine trees that line the road. Another teahouse is well placed at the crest of the road to take advantage of travellers, who seem to be heading in its direction.

This print was not modified. The red seal (6) under Hiroshige’s signature can be read 東海“Tokai” and is a reference to his success with the Tokaido series. A similar seal can be found in the first impressions of Station Karuizawa #18.

(Source: The 69 stations of the Kisokaido, Sebastian Izzard, Brazillier 2008)

Sekigahara in 1805 in "Kisoji Meisho Zue" or Illustrated album of the famous places along the Kiso road (1805)

Lunch (Picture ca.1880) Note the man's shoes and hair

And now ?

We are at 443km/276mi from Nihonbashi et coming into Sekigahara, it is easy to see how its location is strategically important. The village is at the mouth of a gap between the mountains and at the junction of several main roads, surrounded by steep hills. It is the only passage between the Mino Plain and the Omi Province into which we will soon enter. The name of Sekigahara, literally “checkpoint in the fields” comes from the checkpoint located next to the gap. Part of the checkpoint buildings named Fuwano Checkpoint are still standing. But the rest of the old buildings of the station have been destroyed when the road was widened and the gap had to accommodate a motorway and the railway line. In 1843, the station had 1400 inhabitants in 269 households, one honjin, one waki-honjin and 33 inns. Around the station, the famous spots related to te battle of Sekigahara have been preserved: The command posts of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Ishida Mitsunari, the defences on Mt.Tengu, the memorial to the fallen and the monument to the winner. These are terrible souvenirs of this fateful day.