Totsuka-juku

nihongo|Totsuka-juku|戸塚宿|Totsuka-juku was the fifth of the fifty-three stations ("shukuba") of the Tōkaidō. It is located in Totsuka-ku in the present-day city of Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

History

Because Totsuka-juku was approximately one day's journey from Nihonbashi, it was a very common resting place for travelers at the start of the journey and the largest post station after Odawara-juku. [http://www.rekihaku.city.yokohama.jp/special/special62.html Tōkaidō to Totsuka-juku] . Yokohama City Hall. Accessed December 10, 2007.] Because of its size, there were two "honjin" in the post station as well, one belonging to the Sawabe family (澤辺) and the other belonging to the Uchida family (内田). Another reason for Totsuka-juku being so large was that it was also the intersection of Kamakura Kaidō and the Atsugi Kaidō. A distance marker can now be found in both Shinano-chō and Totsuka-chō.

Later, when Commodore Matthew C. Perry arrived in Uraga Harbor with his Black Ships, many frightened citizens escaped to Totsuka-juku.

enryū

There was a "senryū" named after Tostuka-juku::佐野の馬 戸塚の坂で 二度転び:"Sano no uma / Totsuka no saka de / nido korobi.":The horse of Sano / at the hill of Totsuka's / goes around it twice.This "senryū" is a parody of as story called "Hachi no Ki" and references the geography surrounding Totsuka-juku.

Neighboring post towns

;Tōkaidō:Hodogaya-juku - Totsuka-juku - Fujisawa-shuku

References