On Tokaido Road, barriers were located at Hakone and Arai. During the Edo Age, the legal wives of all feudal lords lived in Edo as hostages. Also Edo Bakufu, the central government of Japan in the Edo Age, concerned guns and weapons coming into Edo where Shogun lived. At the barriers, womens and weapons were strictly controlled.

You will walk to the site of the Arai Barrier from Arai-Machi Station on the Tokaido Main Line. The Arai Barrier was located at a strait between Pacigic Oacean and Lake Hamanako. The area was reclaimed land after the Edo Age. You will see a narrow strait.

After ten minute walk from Araimachi Station, you will arrive at the site of the Arai Barrier. The low stone walls surrond the site of the Arai Barrier. The east side of the Arai Barrier was a port for ferries between the Arai Barrier and Maisaka Post Town, where is located approximately four kilometers east from the Arai Barrier.

Travelars from Maisaka Post Town directly arrived at the Arai Barrier and went to the Barrier Office. The office building of the Arai Barrier remains from the Edo Age. The first Barrier Office Building was damaged by the earthquake happened in 1854 and rebuilt in 1855.

The office building is the only barrier office building rermains since the Edo Age in Japan.

Inside the office building, seven life-size dolls are displayed. They are officials of Ari Barrier. People in the left side are lower officers and right side are upper class officers.

During the Edo Age, travelars had to make an application for travel to each feudal domain goverment, in order to get a written permission. At the barrier, travelars showed the permission. The barrier officers precisely checcked the permission. But, for womens, not only document check, but also physical check was conducted. It says that it took almost half day for women to pass through the barrier.

The Arai Barrier is designated as a Special Historic Site of Japan.

To the west from the Arai Barrier, Arai Post Town was located. The below picture shows "Kinokuniya", which was a hotel for travelars.

"Kinokuni" means Kishu Domain, which area is, present-day, Wakayama Prefecture and the south of Mie Prefecture. The fuedal lords of Kishu Domain. stayed at the hotel, when they came and went between Tokyo and Wakayama.

Rooms of the hotel remain as they were in the Edo Age. The right picture shows the room for the high class people. The feudal lords of Kishu Domein stayed in this room.

"Kinokuniya" was destroyed by fire in 1874 and rebuilt just after the fire. It was closed in 1949.

To the west from "Kinokuniya" Hotel, Arai Post Town was located. The scenery of the current Arai Post Town looks like a local town in 1970s to 1980s. In the Edo Age, approximately twenty Japanese style hotels were located on the both sides of the Tokaido Road.

To the south of the Arai Barrier, you will see a former "Gaisha House". In the Edo Age, there were eleven "Gaisha Houses" in the Arai Post Town.

Inside the "Geisha House" is fascinating. The folding screen is beautiful. Musical instruments, which "Geishas" used, are displayed.

In Arai, there are not so many historical buldings, but it is precious thay the Barrier and the former "Hatago", Japanese-styled hotel in the Edo Age, remain.

How to get there
From Tokyo, you will take a "Hikari" or "Kodama" to Hamamatsu on the Tokaido Shinkansen. From Osaka or Kyoto take a "Hikari" or "Kodama" to Toyohashi. From both stations, take a local train to Arai-Machi.It takes approximately ten minutes from Arai-Machi Station to the Arai Barrier.

Other Historical Sites near by:
Futamata Area
Ruins of Hamamatsu Castle
Iinoya
Kiga Area
Futagawa Post Town