Arai Things to Do

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was under the direct control of the SHOGUNATE but in 1702 it was put under the control of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT...

Since then the officials were appointed by the
feudal lord of this area....

The officials worked in 3 shifts..They were a director, 3 assistants, 6 foot soldiers and 2 checking men.....

The main gate was open at 6am and closed at 6pm....Travelers in general were not allowed to pass the checkpoint while it was closed, though certain government officials were exceptional....:)...

As you walk around the house, there is the main room, large and facing the front gate....the check point was equipped with
10 spears
25 bows....2 boxes of arrows
25 guns...2 boxes of bullets
3 sets of weapons for catching violators
50 sticks
3 handcuffts
3 ropes for binding violators..

Weapon

(pic#2)3 sets of weapons for catching violators in the checkpoint but
.......these are used now in schools around Japan due to the increase crime of strangers getting into the school and harming kids and teachers...

In the EDO PERIOD, one had to go by boat across IMAGIREGUCHI which is the mouth of LAKE HAMANA to the pacific ocean...

The geographic features of this area formed a natural fortress ......And that is mainly the reason why the checkpoint was built here.....

The original checkpoint, called IMAGIRE NO SEKISHO, was located at the place jutting out into LAKE HAMANA, known as OHMOTOYASHIKI today....

In 1701, the entire town houses as well as the checkpoint were moved to TOJUROYAMA, which is now called NAKAYASHIKI after a tidal wave.....which is the present location...

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Among all.......most thorough checks were conducted in the passing of WOMEN and the transfer of GUNS.....

as the saying goes ...IRIDEPPO NI DEONNA....(guns coming into EDO(tokyo), and women going out of it)...

Women were examined by a checking women.(thank god..:)..) with their hair undone and on their breast when there was only doubt that they might be masquerading as men....

When you enter the building you will be handed a pass like the old days....ONLY WOMEN GOT THEM....:)

was publicly maintenance of social order but actually, as their location at strategic positions shows, they were erected under the self-protecting policy of the SHOGUNATE...

At each checkpoint all the travelers and cargo were checked....As to passes for travelling, there were some kinds depending on the holders and they were issued by certans offices...

If statements on the passes were false, the traveler was prohibited to pass...And any person who tried to pass by any other way than the checkpoint was subject to heavy penalties...

In the pebbled front yard there is a stand for spears and as the pictures shows also instruments of torture....:(

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Arai checkpoint was establish in 1601 by the edict of IEYASU TOKUGAWA, the first SHOGUN.....

With 270 years of his history, it was close in 1869 ...In 1921 the checkpoint building was designated as protected structure by the Minister of home affairs and in 1955 was declared A SPECIAL HISTORICAL REMAIN....

NOT ONLY the checkpoint building as only one remaining in japan but also various documents and historical objects kept in the museum are important CULTURAL PROPERTIES....

Fee, adult 300 yen
child 100 yen
open from 9am to 430pm

A VISIT TO KINOKUNIYA MUSEUM

A VISIT TO ARAI NO SEKISHO

under construction