Nemoto Sanso

HAMAMATSU..the city of music

by cheesecake17

"STATION 30th of the OLD TOKAIDO ROAD"

Located about halfway between Tokyo and Osaka on the southern coast of Japan, Hamamatsu is a popular tourist destination surrounded by a variety of natural features including coastal sand dunes and mountains.

Its most famous attractions include Hamamatsu Castle, the Flower Park, and the Kanzanji Hot Springs by Lake Hamana.

This site offer free guides to Hamamatsu Volunteer Tourist Guide (click)

HOW TO GET THERE

Hamamatsu is a station on the Tokaido Shinkansen and Tokaido Main Line. This station is served by a small selection of Hikariservices and all passing Kodama services.

From Tokyo
Tokyo - Hamamatsu (by super-express Tokaido Shinkansen "Hikari"): 1 hr. 30 min.
Tokyo - Hamamatsu (by super-express Tokaido Shinkansen "Kodama"): 2 hrs.

From Osaka / Nagoya
Shin-Osaka - Hamamatsu (by super-express Tokaido Shinkansen "Hikari"): 1 hr. 30 min.
Shin-Osaka - Hamamatsu (by super-express Tokaido Shinkansen "Kodama"): 2 hrs.

Nagoya - Hamamatsu (by super-express Tokaido Shinkansen "Hikari"): 35 min.
Nagoya - Hamamatsu (by super-express Tokaido Shinkansen "Kodama"): 50 min.

By Car
From Tokyo
Tomei Kosokudoro Atsugi IC - Hamamatsu IC
From Osaka / Nagoya
Osaka - Nagoya via Meishin Kosokudoro, Nagoya - Hamamatsu IC via Tomei Kosokudoro

In my quest to see all 53 STATIONS of the OLD TOKAIDO ROAD, this is number 30

HISTORY

Hamamatsu shuku (inn district) was very busy in the Edo period and there were 6 honjin, or officially appointed inns.

Hamamatsu is also well known for Hamamatsu castle where Tokugawa Ieyasu lived for 17 years (from late 20s through 40s).

It is said that Ieyas had a very hard time during his stay in Hamamatsu, compare to his Fuchu years.

He lost a big war called "mikatagahara no kassen (mikatappara no kassen)" or Mikatagahara war against Takeda Shingen, a great warrior during the civil war.

Also, he had to kill his wife and a child due to the order by Oda nobunaga, one of the most well known warrior in Japanese history.

The current castle was built in 1958.

Distance from Nihonbashi: 252.7 km

"HAMAMATSU by HIROSHIGE"

A party of coolies warming themselves by a bonfire beside a large tree, a traveller, with a pipe in hand, looking on, and a peasant woman carrying a child on her back, approaching from the right.

Bare, flat rice-fields, across which stand the castle and village in the background.

This plate depicts a wintry rural scene on the outskirts of Hamamatsu Station.

The village and Hamamatsu Castle are visible in the distance.