To the west of Shizuoka City, Utsunoya Pass was part of the old Tokaido road, the main route between Kyoto and Edo, the old name for Tokyo. Either before or after tackling the pass, a lot of travelers would want to rest and stay overnight, so a small cluster of inns grew up, named Utsunoya.
Now we have trains and cars, but the inns have been preserved and restored, so we can appreciate the history; and now it's a very peaceful place, whereas during that era it would always have been crowded with travelers.
The wooden inns are built on stone foundations, and you can see plenty of interesting, traditional architectural features as you stroll around. If (unlike me) you have a little extra time, pop into the 'Ohaori-ya' house, a kimono coat given as a gift in 1590 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a pre-eminent samurai and warrior general of the middle ages.
Getting there
To reach Utsunoya, take a bus on the Chubu-Kokudo route from Shizuoka station, and get off at the Utsunoya-Iriguchi bus stop, about a 30-minute ride. The old houses are a few minutes' walk from the bus stop.
