Asuke is located in the Mikawa Mountains and flourished as a post town on the Chuma-Kaido Road connecting Okazaki and "Shinshu", present-day Nagano Prefecture.

If you cross the Tomoe Bridge over the Tomoe River, a tributary of the Yahagi Rive, you will arrive at Asuke Town.

In Asuke Town, you will see the "Tamadaya" guesthouse. The old lattice building creates a good atmosphere.

During the Meiji and Taisho Ages, there were seven guesthouses in "Nishimachi", west town, at the entrance to Asuke Post Town. But now only "Tamadaya" remains.

It was in the middle of February, when I visited Asuke. "Hina" dolls were on display in preparation for "Hinamatsuri", Girl's Day, on March 3rd.
If you walk east along the street from Tamaya and then turn north at the next corner, you will find the Asuke Chamber of Commerce.

From here, cross the Asuke River and head towards the center of Asuke Town.

After crossing the river, turn right at the first corner to reach Asuke's main street. Traditional shops line the streets.

Some traditional shops have white clay walls. Manrin Bookstore is one of them.

The name "Manrin Bookstore" comes from the fact that it used to be a general goods store. Entering the narrow alley next to Manrin Bookstore, you will see white cray walled and black-paneled buildings on both sides.

The monochrome scenery of this narrow alley made me feel like I was going back decades in time. The narrow alley leads you to Soonji Temple.

Soon-ji Temple is located on hilltop overlooking the town of Asuke. The view from Soonji Temple is spectacular.

From Soon-ji Temple, I returned to the main street and headed east. During the Girl's Festival, the shops were decorated with "Hina" dolls and the town was bustling with visitors.

The "Hina" dolls shown in the below picture are said to have been made in the late Edo Age. Although not very vibrant, they are beautiful dolls.

Asuke's main street comes to a T-junction up ahead. Turn left at the T-junction, then right at the next corner. The main street continues east. This street is also lined with shops and was bustling with people browsing for "Hina" dolls. The photo below is of "Asuke Chumakan".

"Asuke Chumakan" was originally built in 1912 and formerly a bank. The bank closed in 1983, and the building was scheduled to be demolished. After that, volunteers from the "Association to Preserve Asuke's Townscape" pooled together funds to protect the building.

The below pictures show the inside of "Asuke Chumakan".

After visiting Asuke Chumakan", I crossed Mayumi-Bashi Bridge over Asuke River. The scenery along the river was also impressive.

At the end of the walk in Asuke, I crossed Tomoe Bridge and visited Asuke Hachiman Shrine. Asuke Hachiman Shrine is located to the west of Asuke Downtown.

Asuke is not a very well-known town, but I leisurely enjoyed the tranquil old townscape. Asuke's downtown has been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.

How to get there
From Tokyo and Osaka, take a "Nozomi", Tokaido Shinkansen, to Nagoya. Change to a train on the Meitetsu Main Line for Toyohashi. Again, change at Chiryu to Toyota-Shi. Take a bus from Toyota-Shi to Asuke.

Other Historical Sites near by:
Matsudaira Area
Ruins of Koromo Castle
Mikawa Highlands
Ogyu Castle
Meiji Irrigation Water