Seki, located in the middle of Mie Prefecture, is the 47th post town on the old Tokaido Road out of 53 post towns. The old Tokaido Road connected between Edo, the present-day Tokyo, and Kyoto. The old Tokaido Road run east-west about 500 meters north of Seki Station on the Kansai Main Line, and old settlements line both sides of the road for a total distance of 1.8km.

To the west of Seki is Suzuka Barrier, which was counted as one of the three great barriers of Japan since ancient times, and the name Seki comes from Suzuka Barrier. National Route 1, which was built along the old Tokaido road, bypassed the Seki downtown, so the townscape of Seki was preserved. More than 200 old buildings remain. In 1984, the area was designated an Conservation District of Traditional Buildings.

If you walk from Seki Station to the northwest, you will arrive at Jizoin Temple.

Jizoin Temple is located almost in the middle of Seki downtown on the old Tokaido Road. From Jizoin Temple, I headed east through Seki Post Town. Old buildings line both sides of the old Tokaido road. The area east of Jizoin Temple is named Nakamachi.

The houses have "Udatsu", raised roofs, built on them. Among the traditional houses in Seki, you will see some old houses with white earthen walls. Those houses have "Mushiko" windows, with an fine lattice on earthen walls. You will see "Mushiko" windows often on upper floors.

The above photo shows former "Hatago" Tamaya. "Hatago" is a traditional Japanese lodging for travelers in the Edo Age. "Hatago" Tamaya seems to have been a representative "Hatago" of Seki. Tamaya is open to the public as a history museum.

The entrance of Tamaya is open and is called "shop's room". The owner of Tamaya probably stayed in this room to manage the accommodation fees at the time.

The rooms for guests continue to the back of the "shop's room". Across the courtyard is a detached room.

The old traditional houses continue on beyond Tamaya. Along the way, there is a monument marking the site of the former Ito "Honjin". "Honjin" is the main Japanese styled hotel in a post town, where only feudal lords and their senior vassals stayed when they travel on the old Tokaido road.

Further ahead is a building called "Chokantei".

"Chokantei" has a small viewing terrace on the second floor. From the terrace, you will see fantastic views above the roofline along the old Tokaido Road in both directions.

It is not often to have the opportunity to see a view of houses with tiled roofs lined up in a post town, so I think this was the first for me to see it.

The old traditional townhouses continue beyond this point. The photo below is of "Seki Townscape" Museum.

The "Seki Townscape" Museum is a former BESSHO residence townhouse, which was built at the end of the Edo Age. The "Seki Townscape" Museum is open to the public.

Seki Machinami Museum displays the lifestyles and daily necessities of people from the Edo Age, as well as a display section that recreates the post town of the time.

The old townscape of the ruins of Seki Post Town continues even further east.

In Seki downtown, there are not many souvenir shops nor restaurants for tourists. There were also few tourists on the street. The downtown Seki is quiet, it feels like everyday life is still alive and well in the old townscape.

As you approach the eastern end of the ruins of Seki Post Town, the old Tokaido road starts to slope gently downhill.

At the end of this gentle slope there is a "torii gate". This is Higashi-Oiwake, the eastern end of the ruins of Seki Post Town at the time. This is also the junction with the "Ise Kaido" Road, which lead you to Ise Shrine.

The road that passes through this "torii gate" is the Ise Kaido Road. When visiting Ise Shrine, you would continue your journey by passing through this "torii gate".

From the eastern end of Seki Post Town, I returned to Jizo-in Temple, where we began our walk. Next, I headed west from Jizoin Temple. Old townscapes continue on both sides of the road.

To the west, the Suzuka Mountains could be seen looming between the houses.

There are also traditional Japanese-styled houses with white earthen walls on the west side of Jizoin Temple as well. You will also see traditional houses with "Mushiko" windows on the second floor.

The west side of the ruins of Seki Post Town also became downhill as I approached the outskirts of the post town.

Further down the slope was the west end of the ruins of Seki Post Town in the Edo Age. At the western end of the ruins of Seki Post Town, the old Tokaido road heading towards Kyoto and the road heading towards Nara split into two roads.

Many old traditional Japanese houses remain at the ruins of Seki Post Town, retaining the appearance of a post town on the Tokaido road from the Edo Age.

How to get there
From Tokyo, take a "Nozomi", Tokaido Shinkansen, to Nagoya. Change to a local train on the "Kansai Main Line" to Kameyama. Change at Kameyama to Kamo. The next station is Seki.

Other Historical Sites near by:
Ruins of Kameyama Castle
Mt. Gozaisho
Iga-Ueno
Ruins of Tsu Castle
Ruins of Matsusaka Castle