The Nishigahara Ichirizuka stands as a silent witness to centuries gone by. Imagine this bridge not just as a crossing but as a marker of time itself. It is a point where history whispers to the present.
Do you see those earthen mounds? The Nishigahara Ichirizuka are historic Japanese distance markers. They are similar to milestones. These mounds once helped travelers gauge their journey along the ancient highways.
During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate cared about tracking distance. They put ichirizuka on major roads. This allowed calculation of distance to Nihonbashi. Nihonbashi was known as the Bridge of Japan. It was erected in Edo in 1603.
Each mound marks the distance in ri to Nihonbashi. One ri is about 3.9 kilometers. So, these mounds were essential waypoints for travelers on foot. They were useful for those in kago or palanquins too.
Most ichirizuka disappeared after the Meiji period. Modern construction and urban growth destroyed many. The Meiji government even issued an “Ichirizuka Abolition” decree in 1876.
Today, only 17 surviving ichirizuka are designated as national historic sites. The Nishigahara Ichirizuka is one of these precious few.
This Nishigahara Ichirizuka was the second from Nihonbashi. It stood on the Nikkō Kaidō highway. It was next to Hongo Oiwake. Each mound originally occupied a three-by-three-meter space. They were about one meter high.
Enoki trees were planted on top. Local townspeople and Shibusawa Eiichi successfully petitioned to preserve them. The modern road was diverted to save the site.
Today, the northern mound sits in the middle of Tokyo Metropolitan Route 455. The southern mound is accessible to the public. Consider how close we are to Oji Station. We can almost feel the echoes of travelers who passed this very spot centuries ago.
These humble mounds offer a tangible connection to Japan’s past. The Nishigahara Ichirizuka is more than just a landmark. It embodies the spirit of preservation and the enduring legacy of the Edo period. It serves as a reminder of simpler times when journeys were measured not in kilometers, but in ri, marked by these very mounds.