The Bitter End

Art of the Edo Period

The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido

44. Ishiyakushi-juku (Suzuka)

Ishiyakushi-juku

Ishiyakushi-juku was the forty-fourth of the fifty-three stations of the Tokaido. It is located in the present-day city of Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, Japan. It received its name from the nearby Buddhist temple, Ishiyakushi-ji.

History

Ishiyakushi-juku was established in 1616, as part of the Edo period's Tokaido. Originally, there had been no post stations between Yokkaichi-juku and Kameyama-juku, so Ishiyakushi-juku was formed with about 180 buildings at its inception. The Ozawa family managed the honjin in the town and kept many records, which are still available today in a local archives museum.