 11
Honjo (Eisen)
The Kisokaido Highway became gradually hilly from here on. The stone lantern
in the foreground was installed with collection money. The contributors
inscribed on the lantern included such big names as Issa the haiku poet
and Raiden the sumo wrestler. The mountains in the background may be Mt.
Akagi, Mt. Haruna and Mt. Myogi from right to left. Crossing the Kanna
River, travellers entered Joshu province.
 12
Shinmachi
The river was called the Nukui River or the Karasu River. The mountain
looking like Mt. Fuji in the left-hand background is Mt. Akagi. The travellers
trudging along in the twilight look tired out after a day's journey.
 13
Kuragano (Eisen)
The post town of Kuragano was surrounded by the Tone River, the Karasu
River and the Kabura River. When the water was high, there were boat services
down to Edo. Here the Nikko-reihei-shido Road, used by the offering missions
of the Imperial Court to visit the Nikko Toshogu Shrine, branched off
from the Kisokaido Highway. In this picture, Eisen combined figure painting
with a landscape.
 14
Takasaki
The city of Takasaki today has Mt. Haruna, Lake Haruna and many other
sights to see, including a number of ancient burial mounds and the Daruma
Temple. In the Edo period, it was already a fairly large castle town of
Matsudaira Ukyonosuke holding a fief yielding 82,000 koku
of rice. In the picture, a beggar is begging a travelling couple for alms,
with the Karasu River and Mt. Haruna in the background.
 15
Itabana (Eisen)
The place is near the entrance to the post town of Itahana. Stone images
of "Bato-Kannon" (Horse-headed Kannon, the guardian god of horses) and
"Dosojin" (the travellers guardian deity) stand quietly along the highway,
and the river flows with an abundance of clear water. Travellers in straw
or other raincoats are hurrying through the snow. This picture is well-known
as the "Snow Scene of Itahana" of Eisen.
 16
Annaka
Annaka was a castle town of Itakura Iyonomori commanding a fief of 30,000
koku. This feudal lord was famous
for having his retainers run marathon races up to the Usui Pass during
the Ansei era. A little further on beyond the slope of this picture is
a famous stretch of the Kisokaido flanked with magnificent rows of Japanese
cedars, which are today a natural monument of the country.
 17
Matsuida
The post town of Matsuida was at the foot of Mt. Myogi, one of the three
famous mountains of Jomo province. Between here and Sakamoto was the "Usui-no-seki",
which was among the four most important checking stations in Japan. For
those who wanted to avoid this checkpoint, there was a byway called "Hime-kaido"
(Female Road) leading to Oiwake over the mountains. Even today, the town
retains the air of the old-time post town.
 18
Sakamoto (Eisen)
The post town of Sakamoto was located between the Checking Station of
Usui to the east and the treacherous Usui Pass to the west. As sung in
a packhorse driver's song, there was heavy traffic of travellers through
this town on the way to or from Edo.
 19
Karuizawa
Karuizawa developed as the first post town in the province of Shinshu
where travellers could take a rest after a long ascent of the Usui Pass
(about 1,180 m above sea level). The street, called "Karuizawa-Ginza"
today, was the post town. Mt. Asama and houses are already darkened, and
the dim moonlight and the red of the bonfire are impressive.
 20
Kutsukake (Eisen)
Kutsukake, called Naka-karuizawa today, prospered as one of the three
Asama post towns on the Kisokaido Highway and also as the stage before
heading for Kusatsu in the province of Joshu. The houses visible on the
right may be the post town, and the river to the right may be part of
the Yugawa River.
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