英語版のサイトに "Arai Barrier and Arai Post Town" のページをアップロードしました：
http://handejapan19.html.xdomain.jp/index.html
新居関所・新居宿は静岡県西部、浜名湖西岸に置かれた関所です。
関所が置かれたのは1600年(慶長5年)で、江戸幕府の開府前の事でした。
日本で唯一の現存・関所建物が残り、国の特別史跡に指定されています。
"Arai Barrier and Arai Post Town" のページへどうぞ：
http://handejapan19.html.xdomain.jp/TravelDestinations/Chubu/AraiBarrier_E.html
日本語版の新居関所・新居宿の散策記は下記です：
http://shanehsmt.html.xdomain.jp/Travel/Japan/Chubu01/AraiSeki.html
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My English site:
http://handejapan19.html.xdomain.jp/index.html
Arai was the thirty-one post town out of fifty-three post towns on Tokaido Road from Edo (Tokyo) to Kyoto in the Edo Age (1603 - 1868). Near Arai Post Town, the Arai Barrier was also located.
On Tokaido Road, barriers were located at Hakone and Arai. During the Edo Age, the legal wives of all feudal lords lived in Edo as hostages. Also Edo Bakufu, the central government of Japan in the Edo Age, concerned guns and weapons coming into Edo where Shogun lived. At the barriers, womens and weapons were strictly controlled.
After ten minute walk from Araimachi Station, you will arrive at the site of the Arai Barrier.
The low stone walls surrond the site of the Arai Barrier.
The east side of the Arai Barrier was a port for ferries between the Arai Barrier and Maisaka Post Town, where is located approximately four kilometers east from the Arai Barrier.
The office building of the Arai Barrier remains from the Edo Age.
The first Barrier Office Building was damaged by the earthquake happened in 1854 and rebuilt in 1855.
The office building is the only barrier office building rermains since the Edo Age in Japan.
The Arai Barrier is designated as a Special Historic Site of Japan.
Inside the office building, seven life-size dolls are displayed. They are officials of Ari Barrier.
People in the left side are lower officers and right side are upper class officers.
To the west from the Arai Barrier, Arai Post Town was located. The below picture shows "Kinokuniya", which was a hotel for travelars.
"Kinokuni" means Kishu Domain, which area is, present-day, Wakayama Prefecture and the south of Mie Prefecture.
The fuedal lords of Kishu Domain. stayed at the hotel, when they came and went between Tokyo and Wakayama.
To the south of the Arai Barrier, you will see a former "Gaisha House".
In the Edo Age, there were eleven "Gaisha Houses" in the Arai Post Town.
Inside the "Geisha House" is fascinating. The folding screen is beautiful.
In Arai, there are not so many historical buldings, but it is precious thay the Barrier and the former "Hatago", Japanese-styled hotel in the Edo Age, remain.
Please visit the homepage article for more detail.
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