The Bitter End

Art of the Edo Period

The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido

27. Fukuroi-juku (Fukuroi)

Fukuroi-juku

Fukuroi-juku was the twenty-seventh of the fifty-three stations of the Tokaido, making it the center of the route. It is located in what is now the center of the city of Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.

History

Fukuroi-juku was developed later than most of the other post stations, as it was not established until 1616. It is 9.7 km from Kakegawa-juku, the preceding post town. At its peak, Fukuroi-juku was home to 195 buildings, including three honjin and 50 hatago. Its total population was approximately 843 people.

Because it was in the vicinity of the former Totomi Province's three major temples, it also flourished as the gateway to the three temples. The three temples were: Hattasan Sonei-ji, Kasuisai and Yusan-ji.

The classic ukiyoe print by Ando Hiroshige (Hoeido edition) from 1831-1834 depicts a couple of travelers sheltering at a wayside lean-to, in front of which a woman stirs a large kettle hung from the branch of a large tree. The surrounding area appears to be featureless rice fields, with little indication of a post town.