The fourth is Oshu Kaido, which goes along the Gokaido in Chuo-ku. During the Edo period, the road from Nihonbashi to Tohoku via Senju-juku to Mutsu Shirakawa. The current Chuo-ku area overlaps with National Route 17 up to the Muromachi 3-chome intersection, and turn right here and Toshin, it becomes National Routes 4 and 6 at Edo-dori St. In addition, turn left on Showa-dori and go north on National Route 4 to the site of Jizo Bridge on the border with Chiyoda-ku.
Edo-dori St. was one of the reconstruction roads of the Great Kanto Earthquake, and was originally called "Shin Tokiwa Bridge Street" and later became the current name. The Honmachi intersection, which crosses Showa-dori, is also a place where road signs, including the Metropolitan Expressway, are intersected.
National Route 4 goes north on Showa-dori, so if you turn left along the Metropolitan Expressway, you will see a sign for Utsunomiya (upper right in the photo). Eventually a small park appears on the left. It is Jizobashi Park. The Ryuka River flows here, and the Jizo Bridge is located. At the border with Chiyoda-ku, a monument of the two wards is standing (lower left photo).
Turning to the east side of Showa-dori on the other side of Jizobashi Park, there is an explanation board for the "Kanda Hatchobori Ruins" installed in Chiyoda-ku (lower right photo). Ryukagawa is derived from the fact that it was also known as Kanda Hatchobori. In the late Edo period, the humorous book "Tokaido Naka-Kurige" by Tokasha 19 begins with the story that the main characters, Yajirobei and Kitahachi, were residents of this area. The nineteen tombs are located in Toyo-in, Kachidoki 4-chome. National Route 4 goes to Michinoku via Ueno. ●Akira Makibuchi