Walking Imaichi-shuku, a post town on the Bungo Kaido

After walking around the spa town of Myoban, we went to Imaichi-shuku (今市宿), a post town on the Bungo Kaido highway in Oita.

Driving on National Routes 10, 210 and 442 and passing through central Beppu and Oita, we came to the town of Notsuharu. We should take turn on the right, but we didn't know where to turn to. We took another road and came to near Onoya Station in Yufu City. There is the nearest Lawson store on the road. We ask salesperson to how to get there. She said, "You should go back the way you came. You'll find there's a road sign to Imaichi". Turn back the way we came and turn right on the middle of road. Going down the road to Imaichi, we finally got here.

A huge signboard at the entrance of an old post town. You'll see it when you're coming from Oita city.

We parked a car in front of Higurashi Chayaya (ひぐらし茶屋) grocery shop and start walking.

The Maruyama Hachiman Shrine at the entrance of Higo Province side. It was built by Kato Kiyomasa, the first daimyo of Kumamoto Domain in 1611.

We're now walking on cobblestone roads. It is well maintained path with stones.

A corner place called Shingen Magari (信玄曲り). The purpose of making a corner is to make it difficult for the enemy planning to invade so that the town can't be overlooked at first glance, if the enemy comes in one way.

The Bungo Kaido was established in 1601 by Kato Kiyomasa, and was an important route that connected the castle town of Kumamoto and the Tsurusaki region of Bungo Province. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi unified the nation and Kiyomasa entered Higo to rule the province, Kato used this road to the Port of Tsurusaki in Oita. Then he came to Osaka through the Seto Inland Sea and head to Edo by foot.
During the Edo period, as the sankin-kotai system was set up, the Hosokawa clan of Kumamoto also started to use the road when they traveled back and forth between Edo.

In 1864, after the arbitration of the Shimoseki campaign, Katsu Kaishu (勝海舟), the navel engineer and Sakamoto Ryoma passed the road to Nagasaki. They also used this road to and from Saganoseki, where he took a ferry to and from Edo.

The journey will continue to Tsurusaki.